Control Cavity Issues

[matthew bryan]

Hello all,

I am in the process of making my control cavity on a prototype guitar. The cavity is rectangular in shape with rounded corners. The size of the cavity is known and an MDF template has been made to this size. I drew out the outline, double stick tapped the template down and routed away. I then took a rabbiting bit in the router to make a ledge for a recessed cavity cover. My next step was to take a piece of paper put it over the hole and trace lightly around it to get the shape and size of the cavity cover to make another template. NOTE: once I make these templates the cavity will be the same on any more of these type of guitars I build.

So with that said it seems to me that I am doing this the hard way....fitting....tracing...fitting....etc. I was wondering....

1. Does my current method sound sane to you?

2. What other ways are there to doing this? NOTE: this control cavity is not in the standard areas electric guitars are known to having them and it is not a common shape that I have found.

I was looking for an easier way to make coustom cavity covers without the paper tracing step.

Thanks for all your help

[Southpa]

You could make the plate first and then design/rout your cavity based on the dimensions of the plate. Seems like an easier option.

[Mickguard]

Since you already have your template, you can use a guide bushing for most of the depth of the cavity. That way you leave a gap (you choose how wide) between the template and the edge of the cavity.

Use your template/bearing bit only at the very top, where the cover will fit.

Use a follower bit and the template to shape the cover.

No tracing required! And since you plan on building more than one, you should have all these bits already anyway.