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Cavity Routing Template


daveq

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I have a couple of those "ESP" looking control cavity covers. I have tried several ways to make my own routing template for them but I'm not happy with them. Does anyone know if they are available in forms similar to what stewmac sells?

If not, what would be your method of making one of these bastards?

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what's so special about them that you can't just use a flush trim bit? trace the shape with some paper then ruff it out on a peice of ply wood then stick it on the guitar, and line up the bearing on the bit with the cavity wall, and for the cover, stick it to a peice of wood and same thing.... use a bearing bit... and take your time routing into the grain of the wood, or avoid that problem and just make your templates out of acrylic

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Derek, I can't understand what you are talking about. What are you proposing I do with the flush trim bit? I don't want to make a copy of the cover - nor do I want to make a template for the cavity. I'm trying to make a template for the cover plate itself.

What I have tried so far is making a 3/8" smaller copy (for an outside edge template) of the plate and then used that to route into a piece of mdf (to make an inside edge template). Each attempt has been close but not very accurate. It could be the tight turns (I may need a smaller dia. bit) and/or the way I made the 3/8" smaller copy in the first place.

I don't think these templates exist so I guess I will continue on with trying to make my own.

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I don't want to make a copy of the cover..... I'm trying to make a template for the cover plate itself.

What I have tried so far is making a 3/8" smaller copy (for an outside edge template) of the plate and then used that to route into a piece of mdf (to make an inside edge template). Each attempt has been close but not very accurate. It could be the tight turns (I may need a smaller dia. bit) and/or the way I made the 3/8" smaller copy in the first place.

ummm..... the first bit is..... umm...... well the quote speaks for it's self :D making a copy is the same thing as a template in my books.. ??

and i don't follow what you mean in the second bit, can you take some pictures maybe to bring me up to where you're at? and what you're trying to copy??

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derek: I think he wants to make a template to make cavity covers. IE a template with which he can duplicate the actual cavity cover.

sorry, i'm tired, don't know if what i'm writing makes any sense...... zzz....zzzzzz gotta....zzzz go t...... to zzzz school.......

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OK, let me try this again:

I have a couple of plastic electronics cavity cover plates that I want to use. BEfore I do anything with the body of the guitar, I want to be sure that I can rout a ~1/16" outline to match the shape of the cover plates (so that the cover plates will sit flush with the body).

ummm..... the first bit is..... umm...... well the quote speaks for it's self
- well, it doesn't speak anything to me.

Using a flush trim bit or a pattern bit would get me a copy of the cover plate. This does not help much in getting me a template to route the outline of the cover plate since the resulting cut would be the router bit dia. too large (3/8" in my case). In other words, the hole would be too big. I need to make a copy of the cover plate but it needs to be 3/8" smaller than the original. That's where I'm having a hard time.

I hope the clears it up. Sorry for the confusion.

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After trying several other people, I think I have a plan now. It involves the use of some straight bits and some bushings to make two routes. The second route results in a template that hugs the outer edge of the cover plate as I wanted.

I'll post some more info if it all works out.

Thanks,

Dave

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