Carving with Angle Grinder

[kench]

Hello. I was thinking of using an angle grinder with a sanding disk to carve the maple top of an LP style guitar. It will surely be a fast way to carve but one thing that worries me is that I might lose the beautiful flame figure on the maple or causing some little scratchs or lines on maple. Those lines come up everytime I sand the maple even when I (think I) sand it through the grain direction. Or am I using very coarse sand papers? (it happened with 80-120 grit papers)

I am planning to use the sanding disk through the grain direction but should I use it through the direction of the flame figures?

How can I do this with an "angle grinder" without losing the figure and without causing scratchs and lines?

btw- I don't have a router or finger planes.

[Scott Rosenberger]

I wouldn't use an angle grinder, the speed is too high which could cause burning of the Maple. You can use a Random Orbit Sander in the same fashion as the grinder. You'll have more control and it will be alot safer for you and the guitar

[skibum5545]

The scratches will go away once you get to 220 and higher.

[rhoads56]

Scott, i do all my carving with a sanding disc in a grinder. Ultra quick.

[Jehle]

post deleted.

[Scott Rosenberger]

Scott, i do all my carving with a sanding disc in a grinder. Ultra quick.

I didn't say don't do it, I said I Wouldn't do it

[rhoads56]

Scott, i do all my carving with a sanding disc in a grinder. Ultra quick.

I didn't say don't do it, I said I Wouldn't do it

haha, thats because you have a duplicarver right? Well, i'll have one also within a week or so.

You do have to move quickly, and be very careful using an angle grinder with sanding attachment. Its easy for a novice to make a big mess, very quickly.

[daveq]

Wes used an angle grinder on one of his guitars. Try a search on grinder and it should turn up. It was a while ago.

[kench]

Thanks for all responses. I tried the angle grinder on scrap maple today. With some 80 grit flap disks (aka Fan Sanding Disks... looks like a fan blower). I couldn't find any higher grit for this type of disks. Then hand sanded a little with 220 grit sand paper. But those little brown lines still exist. I also found out that those are actually burnt lines because of the disk. They only go away after I use a chisel.

I think I can do it with an angle grinder. I think I will have to do a lot of hand sanding after I shape the body with the disks. Or I might use my drill with a sanding disk instead of angle grinder. So the speed would not be that much. (2000 rpm). But then it will be hard to control the process with a drill.. (ergonomy) I don't know yet.

Btw... I've seen some posts on MIMF about using lancelot disks with grinders... But those looked very scary to me.

How do you guys use angle grinders? With what kind of disks? Which grits? and what should I do after the angle grinder process? More importanty.. How can I prevent losing the flame figure?

Can anyone give me the step-by-step details of this process?

[Curtis P]

Why not do stairstep style router?

if your doing a 3/4 inch carve, carve the edge so 3/4 inch, then go up very slightly until your at the top of your carve and sand the rest of it

Thats how i would do it if i went carved top

Curtis

[litchfield]

Because he doesnt have a router

[Curtis P]

ohhh, i guess i didnt see that

My bad

Curtis

[rhoads56]

You need a standard sanding disc, not a flap disc, i use 60 grit, then 220 grit. Move the disc ACROSS the grain, but with the wheel spinning WITH the grain, then when you have the roughed out final shape, move to 220 grit, go WITH the grain, but with the disc spinning ACROSS the grain. You cant just sit the disc there and watch it sand wood away, you need to be constantly moving the disc.

If it burns, you were going too slow.

Flame doesnt "wear out", it is there throughout the piece of wood.

[Dr. Jabsco]

How long does it take to use spoke saft and chisel, compared to this method?

[rhoads56]

How long does it take to use spoke saft and chisel, compared to this method?

On the mimf forum, a few guys were discussin the enjoyment they got from spending 8-10 hours carving a top, stuff that!! Ive got it down to 45 minutes for a carved top now, from flat to ready to finish sand. It then gets left until i start final sanding before lacquer, and that takes a few hours for the entire guitar.

[kench]

Thank you very much Rhoads!!. That's what I needed to know.

But the grain of the maple is not the flame figure, right? Because the grain and the flames are perpendicular to each other.

So what I'm going to do is... first take a 60 grit disk and carve the body with disk spinning parallel to the lenght of the body and moving the grinder perpendicular. Then I will do the opposite with 220 grit.

I just drew something to show you what is in my mind. Tell me if there's something wrong.

btw- what does "Flame does "wear out", it is there throughout the piece of wood" mean.. my English isn't that good..

[KTLguitars]

I use these on an angle grinder for carving doesn't burn, and works fast - please hold tight with both hans!!!! Works as well in maple as in spruce - Then I finish with 40grit then 80grit on the angle grinder before orbital sanding.

In Norway I buy them here Clas Ohlson a Swedish chain. They are made by Toolbox in Sweeden - drop them a mail on info@toolboxsweden.se and ask if they have a reseller. (They are closed in week 29 and 30, two next weeks I think, for summer holyday)

[Scott Rosenberger]

That thing looks like a Chain Saw on a disk

I'll stick to the Random Orbit Sander and Duplicarver

[KTLguitars]

Yeah, its a chain saw, but you quickly gets used to it! Due to the high RPM of the angle grinder it removes material several times faster than a regular chain saw! A hollow-body arched top is just 20 minutes both sides...

[rhoads56]

Thank you very much Rhoads!!. That's what I needed to know.

But the grain of the maple is not the flame figure, right? Because the grain and the flames are perpendicular to each other.

So what I'm going to do is... first take a 60 grit disk and carve the body with disk spinning parallel to the lenght of the body and moving the grinder perpendicular. Then I will do the opposite with 220 grit.

I just drew something to show you what is in my mind. Tell me if there's something wrong.

btw- what does "Flame does "wear out", it is there throughout the piece of wood" mean.. my English isn't that good..

Sorry, i meant DOESNT, not does. Ive editted my post.

There is less chance of the wood burning when you go across the grain. dont really think about it while im doing it, but yeah, you'll have to go in two directions, to smooth it all out, eg: across and with the grain. Try and go across as much as possible though.

Also, the more you tilt the disc, the tigher the carve. The more you have the disc horizontal, the flatter the carve.

[daveq]

I think this is the lancelot tool someone mentioned earlier. I saw it a while ago at my local woodcraft and always wondered if it would work for a carve top.

For those who can't find the part that KTL mentioned, this might be a good alternative (maybe?):

Woodcraft Carving

[a bicycle made of anarchy]

i live in fear of asking this question, because i KNOW there has got to be a tutorial somewhere.. but is there a tutorial on carving a top, start to finish?

[litchfield]

Yes, Setch did one, but it was on a different site, and was somehow deleted.

Also, on the main site, the Les Paul the hard way has one

[a bicycle made of anarchy]

thanks litch, i've read that les paul the hard way but i'll re-read it over

[a bicycle made of anarchy]

apparently i hadn't read it.. man, that guy is sure creative with some of his solutions!