duo2 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 I know the dremel can be used to route out cavity's for inlay work but could it also be used to route pickup and control cavity's? I don't think it would work. If not does anyone know of a cheap router that would allow me to route pickup and control cavity's for under $100? Before this I have always had a freind of mine route cavity's for me but I want to do everything on my own now. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 You should be able to pick up all kinds of plunge routers for less than a hundred bones. Alternatively, you could get a SpinSaw, which often come with extra attachments like angle grinder, flex-shaft, circular cutter, etc. If you're not getting one of the versatile (extra attachments) ones, you might as well just get a router; however, I'm finding that my SpinSaw as a router is just as powerful as the plunge router I was using. Both are 1/4" collet, though. That's fine for basic work, but if you want to end up doing something like using handrail-shaping bits for shaping your necks, you might want to get 1/2" collet router instead. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitman32 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Yes, Greg is correct. If you go to Home Depot or Lowes, you will be able to find several plunge routers for under $100. My plunge router is a cheap one that I purchased for $80 I believe. Its a Skill 2hp, again, a cheap model, but hasnt failed me yet. I figure it wont last me 10 years, but Itll do for now. Ohh, and I wouldnt use a Dremel for control cavities...its too small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooten2 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 You can use a dremel for pickup or control cavities, but it will take forever because it's so small. Also, I would drill out a bunch of the material with forstner bits first if were doing it that way, and just use the dremel to clean up the edges. I have the plunge router attachment for my dremel, and I really like it for small areas, or if I need to trim something up just a little. But for large areas, you can't beat a real router. That's the cleanest and easiest way for me, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duo2 Posted April 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Will I be able to route out and entire cavity with a plunge router or will I have to drill out some of the material first? I don't know anything about routers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooten2 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 I don't have a plunge router, just a "regular" router. I drill with a forstner to get my depth, one hole per cavity, then use my router to do the rest. A couple of pointers: Build a jig, buy or build a template, or use some kind of fence, to use as a guide so you don't route outside of your cavity area. Don't try to free-hand it, especially if you have little experience with a router. Practice on some scrap before attacking your good wood. Cut small depths, and make several passes, to get to your final depth. Don't try to go too deep on a single pass. Wear safety glasses, goggles, and/or a face shield, and maybe some hearing protection. Wear a mask if your cutting exotic wood. Be prepared to be covered with pieces of material as it REALLY flies when using a router. Snoop around this site and you'll find all kinds of good advice and tutorials. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitman32 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 You do one of 2 things. If you have a plunge router, you can gradually take the depth away by adjusting the cutting depth in small increments. This method presents a problem, however, in that when you are routing a cavity from such a shallow depth, your template needs to be quite thick in order for your bearing to be able to still follow it (I assume you will be using some sort of template and a template router bit for this). The other method entails using a hand drill or dill press with a forstner bit to take out most of the material and depth, then using the router to clean up your work. This method, in my opinion, is the most favorable, and yields clean results so long as you take into account the tip of the porstner bit when drilling. Hope this answers your questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitman32 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Also, I would recommend going to Sears. They have a good selection of quality routers at good prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 here is a cheap good router that I am selling... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMESE%3AIT&rd=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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