User01 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 i want to put a new cavity in the back of my guitar for a 9v battery box for my emg active pickups. i have everything, the pickups are installed and working, i have the battery box...but the only thing that is stopping me is i dont know how to route the cavity in to the back of my guitar. what do i need? what tools and materials? i dont have a lot of money to spend on tools so i guess this thread is really dedicated to finding out about cheap tools to get my routing work done. please help me out, im a n00b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 hammer and chisel... practice on a scrap piece, you are going to ruin your finish unless you buy a router... and bits.. and figure out how to use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 (edited) The next step up from hammer and chisel would be drill and forstner bits. If you want precision then a drillpress does a better job. Use smaller bits for the corners and a larger bit to hog wood out of the center. And then refine with hammer and chisel. Edited August 4, 2005 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User01 Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 cool would a cordless drill suffice? i would try and use the drill press at school but its closed for the summer holidays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 (edited) If all you have is a cordless drill, do it like this: -Put some masking tape over the area you want to remove wood from -use a pencil to outline where the cavity will go. Do not mark the whole perimeter of the battery box, only the part that actually goes into the guitar. -Now use an exacto knife to cut on the line, through the tape, and through the finish. Make sure you get all the way through the clear and paint. This will minimize any future damage to the finish when chiseling. -Use a bit that has the same radius as the corners of your battery box to drill the corners of your cavity. -Use a large bit(a forsnter would be advisable) to hog out most of the wood in the cavity. Make sure you use tape(or a collar, if you have one) on your bits to mark your final depth so you don't come out of the face of your guitar. Try to keep about 1/8" in between the edge of the bit and the outside edge of your cavity. Don't go all the way to the edge with the bit. -Use a hammer and some sharp chisels(sharpen them if you must, having sharp chisels means everything) to take away the remaining 1/8" around the edges. -Drill the holes for the screws for the battery box. -use an extension bit to connect your new battery box cavity to the control cavity of the guitar -have a beer and gaze in pride at your achievement Edited August 4, 2005 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 (edited) i want to put a new cavity in the back of my guitar for a 9v battery box for my emg active pickups. i have everything, the pickups are installed and working, i have the battery box...but the only thing that is stopping me is i dont know how to route the cavity in to the back of my guitar. what do i need? what tools and materials? i dont have a lot of money to spend on tools so i guess this thread is really dedicated to finding out about cheap tools to get my routing work done. please help me out, im a n00b ← get a pro to do it, it will be cheaper than the cheapest tools, and you cant stuff it up then. Edited August 5, 2005 by rhoads56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Have a look heretoo. http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=18146 About pickups, but its generaly the same. Good luck Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X1TX Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 If the cost of a router is a major issue, don't buy one. Go to a tool rental place and rent one for a long weekend. Get some pieces of wood and practice on several to get the feel of what you're doing. Just be careful. A router can really do a number on your fingers if you get clumsy. And wear eye protection as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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