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Posted

Hey, you know those litle dincky LOOKING (I could be wrong) "Dremel Proffessional Rotary Tool"s you can order from stewmac and add a routing base to to make it into a router... is that router going to be strong enough, and have the depth required to outline cut a guitar body with a template and to dig 1.5" deep control cavities, etc.? Or do I have to buy ANOTHER bigger router?

Chris

Posted
is that router going to be strong enough, and have the depth required to outline cut a guitar body with a template and to dig 1.5" deep control cavities, etc.?

would you cut your frets with a knife? No, a dremel is not suitable to route a guitar body, unless you're willing to work on it for a week or so.

Posted

Damnit, my home shop is getting So expensive!!! I'm up to $1699 WITHOUT this big router!

Chris

Maybe I'll just use my Dremel for cavities and stuff, and then just band-saw then beltsand the body to shape..... that's what I did for the one I just built.

I can't afford a nice big router.

Posted
Maybe I'll just use my Dremel for cavities and stuff, and then just band-saw then beltsand the body to shape..... that's what I did for the one I just built.

I can't afford a nice big router.

then why do you ask, if you don't want to hear the answer? A router ain't that expensive. You have a cheap router for $40

Posted

What did you spend $ 1699 on exactly? :D

That's a big chunk o' change, but on the other hand, the price of a basic plunge router isn't really going to make or break you if you've spent that much already...

Posted

I spent that on one of each tool I used the FIRST time I built a guitar.... that would be the guitar listed here :

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=7731

The tools and prices are:

JET Bandsaw: $329

Delta Disk/Belt Sander: $109

Delta Press Drill: $119

DeWalt Planer: $379

Makita Hand Sander: $52

Makita Table Saw: $339

Dremel Proffessional Rotary Tool: $107

Dremel Base: $49

Bits, Templates, Digital Calipers: The rest of the $$$

That's what it took my to build my last guitar... so I figure that's what it'll take this time... (plus some hand tools I already have).

(all things bought from www.stewmac.com or http://store.yahoo.com/toolsplus)

And I actually haven't bought them YET. Won't for another month to be exact, HOWEVER this IS what I PLAN to buy. (I use caps to emphasize words, not yell, don't wanna be like Snork (just read that thing!) I love you guys! I woulda DIED on my last guitar without this forum and ya'll).

Posted

So should I just forget the dremel all together? it doesn't seem like it'll be doing much for me.....

And also... why do stew mac sell it with a router type base to be used as a router if it doesn't do jack?

Posted

I have a B&D router, a cheap ass drill press and a some non-powered handtools.

again, a router is essential. Forget the hand sander, planer and table saw ( buy body blanks instead) and buy a damn router!

Posted

Did you buy the tablesaw yet? If not, I'd skip it and put the money towards a router, either a decent plunge router, or a simple router table. Table saws are very usefull, but in a workshop with a bandsaw they are a luxury, unless you're doing a lot of preparing timber from it's rough state - essential tool for a cabinet maker, joiner etc, but not at the top of the list for a guitar builder.

Posted

a dremel is a handy tool. I only use it for inlays though.

How many guitars have you built? Probably nothing yet. Why don't you first buy a router and give it a go before you buy all those expensive power tools.

btw, where are you located?

Posted

No hand sander?! I spent HOURS on my last guitar sanding that thing, especially after my school sh*t router scratched it up. I can understand the no planner if I get blanks...... but how do I build A neck without aligning the sides of it with a table saw?

Posted

remember tsl, we've gone over htis, I have a dutch name, am dutch, but live in singapore (where I made the nice ribboned mahogany neck thru in my woodshop class?) I recently moved from brussels to here. remember?

Posted

Maybe you should do a little bit more research before buying your tools.

A neck with a table saw? hmm.. well.. it might be possible, but I really don't see how you could use a table saw on a neck without the appropriate jigs...

Guess how I make my necks?

Posted

Oh, I just use the table saw to make sure that the sides are even and parallel and the width I need it to be.... other than that I don't use the table saw (I DID use it to do my truss channel, but I wanna route that next time).

How do you make your necks? post a pic of one of your guitars too, lets see what ya got goin'!

Posted
remember tsl, we've gone over htis, I have a dutch name, am dutch, but live in singapore (where I made the nice ribboned mahogany neck thru in my woodshop class?) I recently moved from brussels to here. remember?

no... sorry... :DB) maybe I was stoned? or drunk when you told me.. :D

seriously, you can ditch most of the power tools if you're on a budget, but do buy a router

Posted

I've got a printout of all the things I want to buy and I can't see HOW to do without them...

Bandsaw- cutout shape

Belt/Disk Sander- Sandout bandsawing to right body shape

Planer- turn a chunk of mahogany into a body blank (stewmac only has ash and alder)

Press Drill- input jack hole, t-o-m peg holes, dot inlay holes

Hand sander- final sanding before finishing.

I'm SO confused..... I did all the reasearch and now lmy life it turning upside-down?!

Posted

okay, here's what I do: I only made and probably will make, a few guitars.

To plane my wood, I go to a wood shop and pay a small fee to have my wood planed.

I use a jig saw ( I forgot to mention, I also have a jig saw) and a rasp to cut the body to it's rough shape.

With the router I route the body to it's final shape with the help of a template.

I do all the sanding by hand. I really don't see the absolute need for a hand sander. I understand there's lotsa tools that make life easier, but they're not essential.

Posted

The only power tools I have are a drill and a router. I got all the wood joined and planed at a schafferij (whats that in english??) and the body cut with a friends bandsaw. Neck was entirely shaped with files and spokeshave.

Do you really want to spend all that money just for a hobby???

Or are you planning on becoming a luthier? if so, get some experience slowly while you SLOWLY buy a piece of machinery at a time, might be better on your wallet.

Posted

And maybe try to buy some of those big tools used, so you can then probably sell them again and not take such a big loss (cuz it sounds like you have to pack up and move quite a bit)

I also just have a drill press and router for power tools, and could make a guitar from scratch with what I have. I could plane down a whole guitar top with the router if I made a router planing jig big enough (I have one that's big enough to plane down wooden strat pickguards).

On the MIMF site, someone came up with a clever jig for routing their Les Paul type bodies, with their router riding on a metal rail fixture above the guitar body.

I have a stack of these 'String Instrument Craftsman' magazines, which had a few articles called 'Making the best of it- making a guitar with a router as your only power tool'. So it's not a stupid way of doing it.

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