YDoesGodMockMeSo Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 I just cant afford a router. Would a drill + wood drill bits + chisel/hammer(?) + sand paper be a substitute? Like....i drill away most of the wood, chisel out the rest..and sand it nice? like the guy in the Les Paul the hardway tutorial did..but.....sans router to finish it off: ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 That's the way so many have done before you and also before the introduction of the router into their wood shead Actually before the plunge router most people drilled into the wood so the bit could have a place to start anyway. You need to do that if your going to use a $19.99 Trim router.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 i have 2 routers and still drill out my cavities exactly like that and chisel quite a bit, saves the edge on the router bits, and there's less chance of a "woopsie", maybe i'm just odd, but as fancy as a router is i like using my chisels when ever possible.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YDoesGodMockMeSo Posted October 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 That's the way so many have done before you and also before the introduction of the router into their wood shead Actually before the plunge router most people drilled into the wood so the bit could have a place to start anyway. You need to do that if your going to use a $19.99 Trim router.... heh ok.. So..i guess i'll do that. But what the hck is that trim router used for? I can prolly afford one of those hmm that 1hp router is pretty cheap......why? they're like $70+ around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 Forstner bits are good, but if you want a pro look on a solid-body, you need a router. Or you can do the 'old world crafstmanship' way and use chisels, but it will take you at least a few years to know how to use them in a way that won't require a bunch of wood-filler to cover all your mistakes. How can you afford all the rest of the stuff to build a guitar and not the router ? I wouldn't go diving into a nice piece of wood, until you got the stuff to do it right. Starts with good reference tools (straightedge, ruler, calipers, squares) If you can only afford a fraction of the tools it takes to build a guitar, then you should stick with fixing already existing guitars for now, and get the tools needed for that, because those same tools are ones you'll need for building as well. Don't let God's damn mocking make you do things backwards ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YDoesGodMockMeSo Posted October 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 i cant. I have to do it in steps. I'm getting enough cash this weekend to buy the body blank. I already have a buncha power tools (not the RIGHT ones...but ones that i can hope to make work for this' jigsaw, drills, sander) I'm raping my Jackson for its floyd/humbuckers/etc. The neck will have to wait til after xmas probably. And that I"m outsourcing from a member here. So no tools needed there. ANd he's cheap....i hope . I did have enough to buy what i needed (for the most part)...but i had to get new brakes installed on my car....so now its baby steps in the guitar building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 harbor freight has routers for $30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YDoesGodMockMeSo Posted October 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 harbor freight has routers for $30 yeah i saw. but why are they so cheap? am i "getting what i paid for"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 i have one...it does what it is supposed to.only thing is it doesn't have a depth guage...but it does the job better than a drill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YDoesGodMockMeSo Posted October 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 n odepth guage? so what? you have ot like measure it w/ a ruler? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YDoesGodMockMeSo Posted October 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 That's the way so many have done before you and also before the introduction of the router into their wood shead Actually before the plunge router most people drilled into the wood so the bit could have a place to start anyway. You need to do that if your going to use a $19.99 Trim router.... can you explain more about a trim router? and a regular router? and a plunge router? For $20bucks..i might could afford that there trim router. HEck..myabe even that $30 router in a couple of weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 trim regular (minus the right handle) plung .... pictures are worth a thousand words Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 i've seen the 2 1/2 HP models on ebay for 35$.... that might be the best bang for buck if you're just starting out in the router world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YDoesGodMockMeSo Posted October 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 obviously.. but whats the difference between them..other than aesthicately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 oh, ok, well the trim router is alot smaller so it's going to be alot less powerfull the regular and plung's, the regular routers are good, and powerfull but you have to have a predrilled hole in something for routing, or get creative and move back and forth when you begin routing and hope to god the router doesn't fly out of your hands, the plug router slides up and down on those 2 metal poles, so you have a nice secure plug to desired depth. Other then the base plung and regular routers are identical, in fact some of the pricier routers come with interchangable fixed and plung basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted November 1, 2003 Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 Don't forget about bits ! CARBIDE tipped bits. Forget about getting your money's worth out of hss bits. Hardwood just wears them out in no time. I do fine with my Craftsman 1-1/2 hp router, which I very seldom even look at the numbers on the depth gauge adjustment. If I had to do it over, I would want something better than a Craftsman, although it has been doing me fine for over 10 years now. I especially like using it as a planer with a 3/4" carbide tipped bit, with the router up on supports and the wood piece to be planed, held firmly below, on a flat table underneath. A contracter I work with has a Ryobi that he hasn't even had that long, and the bearings are shot , and he hardly ever uses anything other than soft pine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YDoesGodMockMeSo Posted November 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 can someone point me to those 'flush trim router bits" ? the one that makes a copy of the template. I see some..but i think they're for the upside down/table routers. Becaus the ball bearing is at the end of the bit..a nd...i dunno maybe i'm just confused on how they work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 1, 2003 Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 you aren't confused..the type you are seeking is much harder to find......try woodcraft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannoG Posted November 1, 2003 Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 The ones with the bearing at the top, above the cutter, are called pattern bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YDoesGodMockMeSo Posted November 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 nice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisllub Posted November 2, 2003 Report Share Posted November 2, 2003 can someone point me to those 'flush trim router bits" ? the one that makes a copy of the template. I see some..but i think they're for the upside down/table routers. Becaus the ball bearing is at the end of the bit..a nd...i dunno maybe i'm just confused on how they work? The best way to a good routing job is to make yourself a template. Plunge routers have template guides which are like a barrel that the bit protrudes from that will follow the inside of a template. Get a piece of MDF and draw the exact shape you want then trace outside the shape exactly the distance between the cutter edge and the outside of the template guide. Cut this shape out of the MDF with a jigsaw. Sometimes you can even do this with the router on a table. Clamp this template securely where you want to rout and you can do a professional looking job. Make sure the clamps cannot fail. Use more than 2. I made this mistake the first time I tried this. I used a cheap clamp and it broke leaving a gouge in a bed rail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 I have a Ryobi I got at Home Depot for $100. I reccomend it. Its a plunge. I also reccomend forsner bits. The chisel idea will work but BE CAREFUL!!! This cannot be stressed enough. Also, how would yo cut out the body? A bad saw will work as will a jig or scroll saw. But get a router Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted November 25, 2003 Report Share Posted November 25, 2003 I use this little unit. 2 speed (20,000 and 30,000 rpm) comes w/ plunge router base, 2 freehand bases (1 w/ handle - 1 w/out), circle cutting base, and cable extension for dremel work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckguitarist Posted November 25, 2003 Report Share Posted November 25, 2003 cool, in canada i see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEdwardJones Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 I use this little unit. 2 speed (20,000 and 30,000 rpm) comes w/ plunge router base, 2 freehand bases (1 w/ handle - 1 w/out), circle cutting base, and cable extension for dremel work. I have that same tool, only the 6 speed Black & Decker version. They call it a "rotary saw" basically it's a heavy duty Dremel with a built on router base and handle. If you ever want to re-grout some tile, lemme tell you that's the best tool in the world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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