Router Bits?

[CrazyManAndy]

Hey,

What is a good assortment of bits to have for doing all the routing necessary on a electric guitar build? I tried searching, but couldn't really find anything.

CMA

[Kammo1]

Normally I use 1/2 diameters for getting the body shape done and a 3/8ths diameter for all the routing for pick-ups,cavity and trems hope this helps.

[thegarehanman]

Some bits with a guide bearing on the shank side, probably one 3/8" diameter bit and one 1/2" or 3/4" diameter bit would suffice. You'll want the larger one to have a fairly long cutter, so you can route out the full profile of your body using a template without maxing out the depth adjustment of your router. You may also want some roundover bits and/or binding bits(available from stewmac.com and lmii.com) depending on certain features of your build. Finally, you'll probably need a 3/16" or 1/4" bullnose bit to route the channel for you truss rod, depending on what type of rod you plan to use.

[CrazyManAndy]

That's great. Thanks guys!

CMA

[j. pierce]

I like to have the bits Garehanman mentions in shorter lengths as well as longer ones - lets me use thinner templates and make my first shallow passes without worrying about the blade of the bit running afoul of the template.

[Jon]

I use:

Chamfer 45 degree angle for pickguards

1/2", 1/4", 1/8" Roundover bits for rounding bodies and headstocks

3/8" Stewmac straight router bit w/ ball bearing for the pickup routing and small areas such as chambers

3/4" Straight router bit w/ ball bearing for jobs that require the removal of a fair amount of wood

1/8" Straight router bit for steel reinforcement rods (rods are from warmoth)

.0225" Fluted router bit for routing the truss rod channel

[Acousticraft]

I have one, and would recommend you buy one of those assorted router bit sets that come in a case and are very cheap to buy. If you bought them individually they would cost about 5 times the price. They have a range from about 1/4" up with various bits with guide bearings fitted. There is about 10-12 bits from memory in the set I have.

[j. pierce]

While I have found good deals buying router bit sets, I always try and make sure I'm buying a reputable brand - I don't like the idea of cheaping out on something spinning around that fast (which is probably just my paranoia) but I have found that using a higher quality bit pays for itself in the long run. (I only mention this because the mention of the router bit set brings back nightmares of my first router bits, a similar set from Sears that proved absolutely abysmal.)

[Rick500]

I use Whiteside bits whenever I can, though I have a couple Freud bits too.

[thegarehanman]

I like to have the bits Garehanman mentions in shorter lengths as well as longer ones - lets me use thinner templates and make my first shallow passes without worrying about the blade of the bit running afoul of the template.

Makes sense. To get around that I just make all of my templates out of 3/4" plywood or 3/4"mdf. If you need extra depth and the template gets in the way, just max out your depth with he template and then remove it and use the newly routed cavity to guide the bearing. I like this because it eliminates the need to have a short bit in the router to start out with and then a longer one in to finish a deep cavity off.

I also keep some forstner bits and standard router bits(no bearings) on hand for taking out the bulk of the wood from larger cavities, just to make the pricier bearing bits last longer.

[CrazyManAndy]

When you say long (bits), how long do you mean?

Great thread by the way, ought to be stickied.

CMA

Edited June 6, 2007 by CrazyManAndy

[MiKro]

if you want to use a martin style truss rod from stewmac then get a bit for 1/2" plywood not a 1/2" bit. they are 1/32" less that a half inch and exactly the right size for the rod.

MK

[thegarehanman]

the 3/8" dia. bearing bit I use is the stewmac bit. I think the cutter is about 1/2" long, short by most standards. The 3/4" dia. bearing bit I use(mostly for neck pockets and routing out the body profile) has either a 1.25" cutter length, and a pretty long shank too...probably about 1".

[ethan073]

edit. mistake post.

[ethan073]

specifically, for routing a cavity for a floyd rose trem, what bits do you guys suggest?

there are a lot of different types to choose from... http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Routing_bits.html

i just bought a new Hitachi router having never used one before so i really don't know what kinds of bits to get for it.

i see 3/8" size coming up, but will that be the only size i need? and i dont know what type of 3/8" bit to use.

[Jon]

First you'll want to hog out some of that wood with another tool, like a drill press or a drill. It will make the passes on the router simple and clean. The slower the router goes, the higher the chance of burn marks. You will need a straight router bit with a ball bearing for this task. You will probably be using a strong double-stick tape to hold the template in place, and the router will rest on top of the template while the ball bearing follows the template to route the floyd rose trem. It is not a complicated task, but when done incorrectly it can be dangerous to yourself and your work. Practice on scrap. Don't take off more than half of the depth of the router bit in one pass, you'll put too much stress on the bit and you will get tear-out.

3/8" or 1/2" will do.

[Setch]

if you want to use a martin style truss rod from stewmac then get a bit for 1/2" plywood not a 1/2" bit. they are 1/32" less that a half inch and exactly the right size for the rod.

MK

Nice tip Mike - I'll look into that. Getting sick of taking two passes with a 3/8" bit...