Alternative To An Electric Wood Planner?

[bvalentine]

I got my body cut out & the neck is just about finished. The problems is my body is thicker than I want it to be. I need to take 1/4" maybe even a 1/2" off of it. It's too wide to turn it sideways and run it through a band saw (of course). I guess I could take my hand plane and start widdling it down. But that's a lot of wood and I doubt it'll come out straight. ANy ideas?

p.s. I used wood from a hardwood dealer... not stewie-mac pre-cuts.

[bvalentine]

I probably should have thought about this before cutting the body out. Oh well... first time ya know... I expect mistakes. But other than this... everything is looking better than I thought.

[Supernova9]

Search these forums for a 'router thicknessing jig' It'll be exactly the solution you need.

Or click here if you don't wanna search

[MzI]

Another option is a thickness sander or better yet turn it into a carved top.

MzI

[prs man]

you might try and find a small wood shop or a school that might help you out with getting it to thickness for you.

a lumber yard that sells hard wood is another thought. [not home depot]

good luck

Edited December 31, 2006 by prs man

[Prostheta]

Easy. I presume you have a jointer?

Cut it along the centreline (or make one!) with a fine kerf bandsaw unless you can afford to write off 1/16" with a table saw, and individually thickness each half with a "common width" thicknesser. Rejoint and reglue. Much more painless than using the phone or worrying about what to do next. Rip that sucker up and give it hell man!

[verhoevenc]

you mean like a usery relationship? Those are good always nice to have friends with tools hahaha.

Chris

[Desopolis]

thickness planer?

[SwedishLuthier]

If you have access to a pillar drill the Wagner Safe-T planer is an excellent alternative. No limitations to widths there.

Or just use that trusty hand planer and a lot of elbow grese

[guitar2005]

Hand plane if you really want to have it the "correct" thickness. Keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with a thicker body.

[Prostheta]

Not according to my wife :-D My beer belly is testament to that effect!

[DigthemLows]

Build a jig for your router.........I did this for my neck and the headstock. Worked fine.......get it within an 1/8" and sand or hand plane from there.......