mynamesucks Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I have got to the stage on my guitar where i need to think about routing my neck trem and pick up cavities. my question is can you stil get precise routs using a router free hand and chissel or is it really messy. I dont particulary want to buy a bit wit bearing as they seem to be around £40+ locally. Any sugestions would be greatly appreciated Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 Routerbits They have $19 template bits. Why wouldn't you order one?? S&H is only $10 to Europe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 If you rout free hand, the bit will grab. If you extremely lucky, you will only destroy your guitar, if you are unlucky, like a fellow at one of my previous jobs, the router will flip and tear straight through your wrist, taking all the bones, veins, tendants, and flesh with it. Of course, you would have saved 40 pounds, but you wont be able to play guitar any longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I agree with Rhoads. Why build a guitar and try to save $30 on something that's pretty much manditory to use on a guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Bell Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I've tried routing freehand with the guitar clamped to my table. It is possible but it is very difficult to get anything close to a straight line, it takes ages too. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPL Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I've routed freehand with a dremel. I scribed, well more like cut a deep outline around the template. Then I routed close to the line to get rid of the bulk of the wood. next was to use the shank of the bit as a template guide along the scribed line on the wood. Would I do it again? @*$&% no!!! The cost in time, stress, and wear and tear on the dremel was far more than the cost of a proper bit and it did a barely passable job. Buy the bit, it's money well spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I've done some freehand routing, in a fashion. For straight edges its no problem to clamp down a piece of wood to act as a fence for the router. Predrill your starting hole. When you hit the end of the edge you are cutting just stop. Leave the router in the hole while shutting it off. Don't try to pull it out when its still spinning. Then move your fence to the next edge and do that side, etc, for all straight sides. Radiused corners can be drilled out if you are worried about router control. When all the edging is done then just eat out all the wood in the center. I use a 2 speed spin saw that runs at 20,000 and 30,000 rpm. The slower speed WILL grab and tear out wood, so will dull bits and moving the router too fast. But its definitely do-able, remember, measure twice and cut once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I've done some freehand routing, in a fashion. For straight edges its no problem to clamp down a piece of wood to act as a fence for the router. Predrill your starting hole. When you hit the end of the edge you are cutting just stop. Leave the router in the hole while shutting it off. Don't try to pull it out when its still spinning. Then move your fence to the next edge and do that side, etc, for all straight sides. Radiused corners can be drilled out if you are worried about router control. When all the edging is done then just eat out all the wood in the center. I use a 2 speed spin saw that runs at 20,000 and 30,000 rpm. The slower speed WILL grab and tear out wood, so will dull bits and moving the router too fast. But its definitely do-able, remember, measure twice and cut once. thats not free routing. Free routing is with no fences, or templates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 thats not free routing. Free routing is with no fences, or templates Yes, I agree thats a form of madness. If you can draw a perfectly straight line without the aid of a straightedge then have at 'er, but I wish you luck. But the methods I described don't require the use of a template bit. Thats the point I was making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I think part of what they're trying to say is that if you're going to try to do something 'free hand', you might as well go all the way and do it completely manually, ie. with the chisels. ;-) Of course, they're very subtle in their responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynamesucks Posted April 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I thought id have to buy a template bit that will be a couple of weeks saving up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 OR, Buy some MDF, which is really easy to work, and make your template using other tools, like a drum sander (just as an example). Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPL Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 The other option is to get a template guide like these. They fit into the base of your router and follow the template with the lip sticking out. You will have to resize the template to make up for the difference in size between the guide and the bit. It should work fine but I've never used them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 The other option is to get a template guide like these. They fit into the base of your router and follow the template with the lip sticking out. You will have to resize the template to make up for the difference in size between the guide and the bit. It should work fine but I've never used them. they're pretty good, although i don't use them for anything that i want to be accurate on, i find there's a bit of play on my router, it moves ever so slightly to one side and then the other, so the bit isn't perfectly centered in the hole, i use it for pickup routing though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPL Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 The other option is to get a template guide like these. They fit into the base of your router and follow the template with the lip sticking out. You will have to resize the template to make up for the difference in size between the guide and the bit. It should work fine but I've never used them. they're pretty good, although i don't use them for anything that i want to be accurate on, i find there's a bit of play on my router, it moves ever so slightly to one side and then the other, so the bit isn't perfectly centered in the hole, i use it for pickup routing though. Good to know Derek. You may be krazy but you sure are smart. As for me I'm just too plain lazy to resize the template. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 ... As for me I'm just too plain lazy to resize the template. just use the same template for making your guitar with those guides and then just call it the jumbo model!!! seriously though, i think if you have a good sturdy router the router bit may stay more centered in the whole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted April 27, 2004 Report Share Posted April 27, 2004 No, I don't do freehand unless I absolutely have to. BTW, a great investment for those who don't have a variable speed router is a speed controller. About $20 at Harbor Freight. Works great, and I hardly ever rout anything at full speed any more. Also works well on a random orbital sander to slow it down to buff / polish with Abralom and stuff like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted April 27, 2004 Report Share Posted April 27, 2004 Yo Derek...did you ever post that routing tutorial? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLS Posted April 27, 2004 Report Share Posted April 27, 2004 http://www.accesswave.ca/~derekn/routertutorial/ Thats derek's awesome tuturial! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 all 4 pages, yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.