Razorback

[Conflagration]

Has anyone here made one from scratch? I'm trying to build one, but I don't know how I'd make the bevels. The problem with them is that they go up to ridges, as you can see there. They also don't follow the profile of the flat part, which would be tricky to do without a CNC machine.

[westhemann]

i did the same thing on my beast guitar but i used a beveled template router bit.that looks like what they used there too,excdeept on the fret access cutaway you would do the "blend in" by hand

http://westhemann.com/my%20music/pics/esp%...tures%20076.jpg

http://westhemann.com/my%20music/pics/esp%...tures%20098.jpg

[Conflagration]

So what would I use to blend it in? Would I carve it by hand then sand it? Or cut away part of the beveled edge and smooth it out?

[westhemann]

i use a rasp.then sandpaper.it's just really careful work.

but i say that because from the pic you posted it looks like a straight bevel.if you wanted to fade it smaller as it goes up the body i think you would need to either create a template for the bit to follow(rather than the body itself) or set up a jig to vary the height of the router as you move it,if you see what i mean

[Conflagration]

So the jig would be angled? Like this? /| (Excuse the bad diagram)

[westhemann]

that is how i would try to do it...but i have never done such a thing...mine followed the contour of the body,as you can see from my pics

[Conflagration]

Yeah, anything that follows the contour of the body is pretty easy to do. It's hard to do the spines though, since they stick out.

[Prostheta]

For using a hand router, yes it is very difficult. I would use a router table.

[Conflagration]

I have both, but thanks for the advice. Anything else I should remember?

[illpantera]

heres mine the floyed is goin in 2 weeks

http://www.bolt.com/madman01/photo/picture_023jpg/3139931

all hand bevelled with a wrasp and files its bout 90% done and sounds awesomeim a huge dean fan and have a dime razorback v in progress

Edited March 24, 2007 by illpantera

[Conflagration]

That looks really great! Would you be able to help me out with a template? Also, I was thinking of making the flat part of the body (not the beveled part. I'm bad with terminology ) mirror the overall shape, including the bevels. It would be easier to make it accurate by just using a template and a router table. I'm sure this would come out alright. Anyone disagree?

Edited March 25, 2007 by Conflagration

[pmarlin]

I bought a couple of plans from this place, and they have the Razorback body template.

http://www.guitarplansunlimited.com/Body%20Templates.htm

[illpantera]

first of all u need a few things before u start like a neck u need scale length to set the trem in the right place mine is set at a 25.5 scale 22 fret the strings r tight in standard tuning so i use very low tuning for bending i just went to deans web site stared at the rust razorback for hours got a doner guitar and took off the measurements off that mine not very accurate i should have made the body 5 inches longer past the trem u defenatly need to bevel the edges man thats what a razor is man ive got like 40 hrs in mine all by hand and was worth every minute im sure that dime guitars are a short scale like 24 1/4 if your not to sure on what in talkin bout do some research trust me my scale is out 1/2 an inch and my intonation is so so. im a noob and didnt reasearch near enough before i started

[illpantera]

I bought a couple of plans from this place, and they have the Razorback body template.

http://www.guitarplansunlimited.com/Body%20Templates.htm

dude i wish i had seen that before i started i spent hours on razorback research

[Xanthus]

I bought a couple of plans from this place, and they have the Razorback body template.

http://www.guitarplansunlimited.com/Body%20Templates.htm

dude i wish i had seen that before i started i spent hours on razorback research

Seconded, hahaha Oh well, live and learn... and learn... and learn.

I did the bevels on my Explorer by hand. They didn't come out fantastic, but now that I know the method I'll be able to do them much better next time.

http://public.fotki.com/xanthus/

Check out the pics. For the convex curves I used the flat side of a file, wrapped in some coarse sandpaper. Because my file/rasp/thing really sucked. You'll be able to get a decent amount of work done with one sheet, because the surface area is quite tiny. I used the rounded side of the rasp for the concave curves. I'm trying to envision in my head how a jig/template would work for getting graduated bevels. I imagine that it would have to either follow a different outline than the body outline, or increase/decrease in thickness to compensate for the intended bevel shape.

Damn, I don't know nearly enough geometry-type things to work it out in my head Whatever path you take, good luck!

[sowhat2]

I'm a first time luthier wanting to make a Razorback V. However I want a 25.5" scale, 24 frets, 2 volume and 1 tone knob and a 3 way switch. Would I be able to use the Razorback plan from http://www.guitarplansunlimited.com/Body%20Templates.htm and use that as a rough template to make the V shape?

[Conflagration]

I think I've made my decision. I don't really mind if it isn't EXACTLY the same as a Dean one - I'd actually prefer it - so I'm going to make the overall shape of the body the same by using a template, then I'll use a router to go around the edges with a template that mirrors the overall shape, like westhemann's Beast. All I really care about is whether the overall shape is the same, whether it has bevels, and that it looks good (emphasis on the third). I'm going to SamAsh on Sunday to measure everything and find the amount of wood I need for it. It looks like it would need a bigger blank than the ones Warmoth has, but I might be wrong. Does anyone have a definite answer? Also, if I need a bigger one, where could I get it?