al heeley Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 I've had no luck searching the forums, I need some advice about pickup cavity routing from the experts. I'm very new to routing and finding it hard to get a really nice clean edge and corners. Do you guys have any advice and tips for a quick jig you can alter the dimensions of, for routing pickup cavities and similar rectangular areas? Any tips on securing the jig to prevent movement, without denting the guitar body? Thx in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mammoth guitars Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Are you using a template now? What is your method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted August 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 I'm cutting out a template from a MDF sheet or similar scrap bits of wood. I'm doing it by jigsaw, hacksaw or stanley knife, it's not a great straight edge or true square corners. I'd like something truer and adjustable. I don't know if there are any tricks to it but what I'm doing at the moment is a pain and the end result is not satisfactory. There must be a better way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaxination Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 get something like this... click here or this... click here of course, the above are humbucker templates, however, there are templates for other type of pickups available too. $6 can save from making scrap out of good tone wood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted August 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 that will do for the pup holes, but I need a UK source... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 PM Simo, he sells router templates in the UK, and is a good bloke too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted August 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Thx setch, pm sent. Fingers crossed. Are these sort of templates the usual method of routing these cavities then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Pretty much, be it a purchased template, or a home made one. I make my own, using this technique: http://home.asparagine.net/ant/blog/?page_id=15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 (edited) I'm doing it by jigsaw, hacksaw or stanley knife, it's not a great straight edge or true square corners. I'd like something truer and adjustable. I don't know if there are any tricks to it but what I'm doing at the moment is a pain and the end result is not satisfactory. There must be a better way! Patience and sanding paper. The sides of the a MDF sheet are nice and square, you could use them as guide for the template bit. This results in nice square edges of your pup cavities. Draw pup cavity shape on piece of MDF. Dril hole in middle, stick jigsaw in hole and rough saw with jig saw. Stick nice square MDF (or other piece of wood) on top of MDF on the marked line and route nice square edge in template. Continue with procedure till all sides are nice (and square with nice 1/2" corners). Just some sandpaper to really dress it up and you're ready to go. Trick is to miss-use a straight edge to create another straight edge. Edited August 21, 2006 by RGGR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRossitter Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 Also... Don't use a laminate trim router. Make sure you have a nice 2 handed variable speed router with a small diameter bit. 1/4" would give you a nice tight corner. And it may go without saying, but I will say it anyway. Many shallow passes with the router will yeild a better result than few deep ones. Let the router do the work, dont force it. Good luck with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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