How deep to router a cavity?

[pour bleeding me]

im going to router the cavity for the volume and such soon but how much wood do you leave for the pots to go through? thank you (the guitar is a gibson explorer replica if needed)

[Brian]

To save some life on your router bit's I'd recommend routing out the cavity in two stage's of depth. When it comes to how much to leave that can very depending on the type of pot's your going to install since they come with different shaft lengths.

I'm pretty sure sooner or later somebody may come along with the exact thickness but if not I'll try to measure out a typical rear mounted electronics body in the morning when I get up.

[daveq]

I usually look at the pot with the knob attached and measure. To be safe, leave the route shallow and route deeper (in small increments) as needed. Sorry I can't give exact dimensions but you should be OK without them.

[tsl602000]

It depends on the pots....

I always use CTS pots and leave 2.5 mm of wood... that is 0.1"

good luck!

[pour bleeding me]

thanks for the response...i am going to use the pots that come with the zakk wylde emg set...the short shafts...but when measuring a pot...am i measuring the threads on it? and just leave it a little thinner than the threads length? is that a good way to determine it?thank you

[krazyderek]

if the set also came with the long pots i'd say use those instead, it means less routing for for you and you'll be leaving more wood so less chance the wood will break around the holes. Yes you are correct, measure the threaded shaft on the pot. for emg pots that's the brass colored part. I usualy measure the distance from the washer on the bottom with the teath to the nut at the top.

[westhemann]

here is what i do...i rout until about 3/8 " is left...then i rout a hole just large enough for the pot the rest of the way.all this really does is leave more wood and a stronger top...but it makes me feel secure.

but to fit it i just keep going deeper until a test fit shows it is right.

oh forgot to mention...before i rout anything on the control cavity i decide on the placement of the pots and drill the holes for them...all the way through the back.....all that really does is allow me to know exactly where to rout so i can make the tiniest control cavity possible

am i making sense?

[krazyderek]

oh forgot to mention...before i rout anything on the control cavity i decide on the placement of the pots and drill the holes for them...all the way through the back.....all that really does is allow me to know exactly where to rout so i can make the tiniest control cavity possible

am i making sense?

great minds think alike i've always done the same thing

[pour bleeding me]

haha i also did that, i chose where i wanted them positioned and just drilled the correct size holes all the way through, then drew my cavity outline about an 1/8" around the pots. so i guess im going in the right direction. next im going to drill out the cavity as much as possible then just clean it up with a router. i will use the long pots as suggested. thanks alot guys!

[Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars]

yeah, general consensus. I do that too. But when I route, I leave the 3/8" or so and then, rather than routing more, I tane a 2" Forsner bit and backdrill. Plus if you recess the knobs, do that FIRST! then you just backdrill, or route deeper until the desired depth is achieved. And the long shafts are the better choice.