Carved Top Questions...

[foreigner]

Sorry for the noobish question, but i was just curious about how all of you carve your guitar tops. Really the only way that I've seen is to make small steps on the top and then chisel them off and sand until smooth. Is this how all of you do it?

Cheers.

[angry_jeremy]

I've been givin'er with a rasp and a file but I've got a long way to go

[jnewman]

There is a close relative of the drawknife called an inshave that I would think would be PERFECT if you wanted to do it with hand tools. Here is an example, although these specific ones are kind of pricy: http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1999

That's what I'm going to use if/when I start making carved tops.

A lot of people have also been using power sanders recently.

[orgmorg]

I start with a 50 grit disc on an angle grinder. It goes real fast, though, so a light touch is necessary to avoid removing too much wood. Then I go to a disc sander with 80 grit and up.

I also use a gouge for any concave surfaces.

Edited March 1, 2005 by orgmorg

[Curtis P]

try using a router in a "stairstep" fashion, ie:

1) 2 inch thick les paul style body (example!!!)

2) start your router at say 3/4 of an inch, go all the way around where you want the carve

3) move up the body until you get to the edge where you last routed (inside edge, closest to middle), adjust the router 1/16 of an inch (or more depending on carve!!)

4) repeat this process until you are close enough to just sand with a orbital sander

I would recomment routing your pickups and such first, and then doing the route

Curtis

[mledbetter]

I'm getting ready to do one and plan on using an angle grinder. I saw an article somewhere about Dean Guitars manufacturing and apparently they still do their custom jobs with an angle grinder.. i'm sure their lower end stuff is CNC but their high end is supposedly done with an angle grinder. Fast and lo-tech.

I'm going to build a few pint blanks to practice on but the method I have seen that I want to try is to route a little shelf all the way around, then draw your contour line inside where you want the plateau to start, then use the angle grinder to connect the bottom of the shelf to the top of the plateau.

And i would agree, route your cavities first or you'll be asking for trouble later.

[erikbojerik]

I'm going to carve the horns & headstock on my bass with a Dremel sanding drum using the flex-shaft.

[marksound]

http://www.hamerguitars.com/?fa=workshoptour&tournum=8

[Maiden69]

http://www.hamerguitars.com/?fa=workshoptour&tournum=8

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Make sure that you understand that he is not using a sanding disk on that grinder! He is using a wood carvin tool, like this , I tried with the 50 grit disk and is realy tricky, if you press a bit too hard it burns the wood, a bit too soft and it doesn't take any away. There are a lot of methods, on my last one I used a DA sander with 60 disks, and it took me about 1/2hr to get the rough shape out, with no burns at all. and the diametter of the DA is perfect for body carving. There are a lot of tools, and I'm always in the look out to get a better one, but the grinder tools are a bit too expensive for me,

[albertop]

I also use a angle grinder, I use a Lancelot disk grinder; it´s a disk with a chain like the one the chainsaws. It´s pretty dangerous to use the grinder, I´ve seen some nasty cuts with the grit disks, so please protect yourself. My suggestion will be to try to go very slow, don´t rush and always check what you´re doing. Like Curtis said, you better make your pickups cavities first, that way you can use the flat surface with your router and THEN you can make your carving. Good luck.

[GregP]

I'm really liking the angle grinder idea, which is convenient since I happen to have one.

However, mine does not come with any of those special discs; rather, it comes with the usual sanding and grinding wheels.

Since I will be finishing the guitar in opaque black, accidental burn marks don't worry me too much-- considering that fact, could I theoretically use my current discs if I take time and patience and don't expect them to take out much wood per pass?

Greg

[GregP]

bump

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Sorry... I'm just fired up because this looks like it'll meet my dual needs for power tools (I can't see myself carving a whole top with hand tools) but with control.

So, again but phrased differently: I know that the wood-carving-specific disc will be light years better, but do you suppose I could at least make a valiant attempt with a regular sanding/grinding disc?

Greg

[Devon Headen]

I'm pretty sure that's what wes used in the past. Obviously practice on some scrap first, but I think it'll work.

[GregP]

I guess... pretty dumb question when I could just give it a try. I feel like my grade 6 students all the sudden.

Mind you, I don't have any scrap maple (I will be 'carving' maple), but at least by trying it on 'something' I'll have an idea.

Greg

[Devon Headen]

Well, just about any wood will give you the general idea. I think as long as you're careful to watch the burning it'll all go well. Then again I've never tried it.

[Maiden69]

Greg, I carved this using a Random Orbit Sander , and 60 grit paper. I think like I posted above that a grinder is a bit over the top, since I tried it before the sander and I did more progress and a better job with the sander. Now the carving disks should be way better than both.

[GregP]

My random orbit sander is a big square-bottomed affair. Well, not huge, but looking at it, I was getting worried about the boxiness of it all. I saw that carve of yours and was well impressed.

I guess the only thing to do is try both and see which I like better.

Hrm... actually, now that I'm looking at that link you provided, I wonder if my sander is random orbit at all. Seems to me they'd have to be circular. Mine must just be a plain old sander. So, that means buying a new power-tool I don't already own.

They're not expensive, though, so it might still be worth it, and it'd be useful for other things, of course.

[edit: nope, had a peek-- it is, indeed, random orbit, at 12,000 opm, which seems to be standard. Might be worth a try despite its square shape]

Greg

[Setch]

You can also build a carving plane for pennies, and fit it with an Ibex blade from Stew Mac.

It's a great way to use up small scraps of pretty wood, and it works very well both for hogging away the bulk of wood, and for delicately refining the curve, depending on how you set the blade. I use a 10mm blade, and will soon be making an 18mm to remove material a little faster. I prefer the convex blades - the don't grab, and they can remove maple like nobodies business!

[erikbojerik]

Setch, that looks cool! But the link isn't working for me...

How do you set the depth of the cut with that? Can you post a pic with the ebony handle removed?

[Devon Headen]

I've built several planes, in fact, just about every plane I use I made. I made the blades, too. I like using A2, and it's a lot of dough to shell out to buy a premade A2 blade. Not to mention you can hardly ever find them. After a lot of experimentation, I've finally found a pretty good heat treating process, too. Setch, maybe it's just an optical illusion, but it looks like you only put an arch on the length of the plane. Is that the case? The sole should be arched with the blade for efficient performance. That ebony piece isn't a handle, it's a wedge. Basically you just wedge the blade down with that piece against the cross pin(metal piece). Setch, what did you use as a cross pin on such a small plane? I've found 8d nails work pretty well.

If you've got any questions I'll give 'em a shot

[Setch]

Devon: The sole is indeed flat across, but curved along it's length. I did this because I didn't know how to match the radius of the sole to the blade. As it is, the sole is still plenty narrow enough to do all the recurve area of a Les Paul style top. The curved blade in a flat sole also makes it very easy to remove a deep, wide shaving with the blade hanging out a bit, but take a very shallow, narrow shaving when it's set very fine. It's like taking the corners off a jack plane blade if you're using it to hog away material. I used a bog standard 3" nail for the crosspin, with a generous dab of CA to stop it working loose.

Erik: The set of the blade is adjusted by banging the plane on a bit of wood. You bang the toe of the plane to advance the blade, and the heel to retract it. It sounds crude, but you can get pretty fine control this way.

Here's a shot of it dissmantled:

[Devon Headen]

I'll try to dig up my arching plane later. I just matched the radius on the belt sander. The problem then is that the edges of the slot get eaten away. It's kind of hard to explain. You have to file it square again, and then the throat gets a little large. It'll be easier to understand when you see it. It's been left laying around so it's got oxidation ground into it pretty good. Doesn't look spectacular, but it works great.

[GregP]

I'm sure other people will get great use out of those tips, guys. Looks like a wonderful tool, and if I had any confidence at all that I could build and then use one with any sort of skill, I'd see it as a viable option.

Greg