jay5 Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 I dont have a bandsaw and really dont have access to one. What options do I have for cutting out the body. I do have a jigsaw that I could get a long blade for but it is very important to me that the sides are at 90 degrees and I am not sure if this saw would give me exactly that. Could I cut the rough shape and then route the rest off with my table router and a template? What bit would I want? Any ideas? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Yes that would work, and you would want a template bit. Home depot has a $99 bandsaw...9" one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted March 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 HMMMMMM, considering the possibility of tear out and what not maybe the investment is warranted. Somthing to think about, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Pay $15 or $20 and get an hour or two workshop hire at your local technical school, or wood work craft school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted March 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Pay $15 or $20 and get an hour or two workshop hire at your local technical school, or wood work craft school I didn't know that tech schools did that. I'll look into it, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Pay $15 or $20 and get an hour or two workshop hire at your local technical school, or wood work craft school I didn't know that tech schools did that. I'll look into it, thanks. Rather than spend $5000+ on surface planers, thicknessers, etc, i got the essentuals, and pay $27 (aussie dollars) an hour at a local wood work school. I only need an hour a month, maybe two, and i got the keep another $5000 in the bank . ****, when im real busy, for an extra $10, they do all the machining themselves... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krizalid Posted April 1, 2004 Report Share Posted April 1, 2004 i cut my body with a jigsaw. yeah, you read it right, a jigsaw. but you'll have to give some extra space for the final size of your body design as it can be a bit tricky on the rounded side and plus, it will somehow angled downwards when it cuts, so, the upper side and the lower side will not be exactly at the same size. but it's an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted April 1, 2004 Report Share Posted April 1, 2004 Jigsaw here as well. I usually cut about 1/8" outside the line when roughing in and then fine tune it later with a palm sander, rasp, handsanding etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 1, 2004 Report Share Posted April 1, 2004 I love this forum... Just when I have a question that needs answering, it turns out that someone else is already asking it! $99 for a budget bandsaw? That's something I'm going to look into. Only after I contact the school I do most of my supply teaching for, though-- I know they have a shop, but I'm not sure how fully equipped it is. Another option I'm going to consider is calling a few of the local cabinet-makers. They've GOT to have a bandsaw, but it might be a strange request, so I'm anticipating some "You want to do WHAT? I don't even know how much to charge you for that...." Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levendis Posted April 1, 2004 Report Share Posted April 1, 2004 I just found out yesterday that my training partner at the gym has an uncle that owns a cabinet shop. He said that they spray Nitro there too.... He said, "come by anytime"....he he he he Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krizalid Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 gee... you are such a lucky guy lavendis.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 Bah. Our Home Depot isn't carrying the 9" bandsaw for $99 bucks anymore. I was flipping through the Canadian Tire catalog and saw one for $149. Then I noticed that for $199, I can get a kitted-out "spin saw" which as far as I can tell is just a Dremel on steroids. But I'm wondering if such a saw would have enough juice to cut through a 2" thick hunk of hardwood. Has anyone used one? It can also be used as a rotary tool, disc sander, and has the flex shaft for dremel-type stuff, so it might be a bargain anyhow. But it sounds almost 'too' good... and it probably does NONE of those jobs particularly well. Anybody out there used one? Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bounty Hunter Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 I picked up a Delta single speed scroll saw for $45 US (new; it was a closeout model) a few weeks ago. It will cut up to 2" stock with no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 GregP, I have the Mastercraft spinsaw minus the disc sander. Works good, pretty strong but the freehand attachments are so so, made of plastic. I like the remote cable attachment for dremelling. I was doing some routing the other day and found that the bit kept slowly sliding out so I guess the collet inside is wearing down. I will have to buy extra 1/4" collets. And it works best for routing at the higher speed setting, ie. 30,000 rpm. I wouldn't use it for initially cutting out a body shape, but its good for edging, cavities, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 Thanks for that. Incidentally, I already have access to a scroll saw, but looking at the blade, I thought it would be too flimsy...? Am I incorrect? Maybe I have the tool I need already! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 It depends, every tool has its use. The optimum for cutting a body blank out of a 2" slab is a fast, strong bandsaw with a relatively narrow blade for getting around tight curves. Using other tools like jigsaw, scroll saw, belt/roller sanders etc. depends on how good you are with them and whether or not you are in a rush, it WILL take a little longer and you MIGHT have to do some squaring and levelling to correct imperfections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 I could take a week cutting a body and be fine with it... rush, schmush. As long as the tool's up to the job if done slowly, I'm fine with that. But if a tool's not up to the job in general, I don't want to break it. Gotta look into the bandsaw, though. For $149 I'm scared that it'll crap out after one use, but if I can get even 3 guitars and 3 bodies out of it, I'll be content. Not happy, but not furious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREGMW Posted April 3, 2004 Report Share Posted April 3, 2004 Rather than spend $5000+ on surface planers, thicknessers, etc, i got the essentuals, and pay $27 (aussie dollars) an hour at a local wood work school. I only need an hour a month, maybe two, and i got the keep another $5000 in the bank . ****, when im real busy, for an extra $10, they do all the machining themselves... Where abouts in Australia is this woodwork school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 3, 2004 Report Share Posted April 3, 2004 Luckily, I bumped into a fellow teacher who's my friend's brother. As it turns out, he's now teaching shop. Bandsaw access is mine! Er.. That doesn't help the original poster much. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynamesucks Posted April 3, 2004 Report Share Posted April 3, 2004 I used a jig saw to cut out the shape of my guitar it took about two hours, going through a 2 inch slab of maple is hard going and it left a lot of burn marks luckily it will be painted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted April 3, 2004 Report Share Posted April 3, 2004 I used a jig saw to cut out the shape of my guitar it took about two hours, going through a 2 inch slab of maple is hard going and it left a lot of burn marks luckily it will be painted. umm...you should sand the edges to bring them to a 90 degree angle anyways..so that should take away the burn marks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit Posted April 3, 2004 Report Share Posted April 3, 2004 I asked at the MIMF forums a while ago about building with simple tools (have a look, thread should be on the first page of the "Solidbody and Semi-Hollowbody" bit. www.mimf.com click on the "MIMForum" sign). They said that a router is really the only essential tool, and even then, its not essential, its just far easier to make things accurate with one. It is perfectly alright to cut body with a hand saw, should you be particularly tool-deficient. On the downside, it wouls take a while. On the upside, as someone on my thread said, you end up with arms like "The Rock"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jehle Posted April 4, 2004 Report Share Posted April 4, 2004 Thanks for that. Incidentally, I already have access to a scroll saw, but looking at the blade, I thought it would be too flimsy...? Am I incorrect? Maybe I have the tool I need already! Greg You have to go slowly with the scroll saw. I've done 2 guitar bodies (roughed out) with mine and have gone through at least 4 blades. If you try and force it, the blade will break and you have to spend time replacing it. I've also experimented with a hand held jig saw. There's a lot of slop in it so I cut as far out at 1/4" from the line. Since I was going to route the body shape with a template anyway that was really good enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLS Posted April 4, 2004 Report Share Posted April 4, 2004 If you have a template i guess you could try this. http://www.guitarbuildingtemplates.com/buildingtips.htm Not sure if it works well becuase i havent tried it yet, but it looks like his attempt wokred good so ill probably try it soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 4, 2004 Report Share Posted April 4, 2004 I'll definitely be using a router for the body. It's a bit of a catch-22, though... because my body design is 'unique' (it's not spectacular, there are just no commercial templates for it) I have to make a template first. So I still need a tool to cut the template. I have access to that bandsaw, but if scroll saw bits aren't TOO expensive, maybe I can just go through a few of them. <grin> I have some extra MDF around, so I was thinking of using MDF for the template... thick enough for the ball-bearing guide on the router, yet workable enough that I can sand rough spots down to shape first. I wonder how much guitar template guy would charge to laser cut one from a CAD file if I send it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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