routing using templates

[Guitar1Jesse]

I have not actually seen this set up or done, so I may be missing something very obvious, but my question is: When you set up your template and then rout it out, doesn't the router bit eat up the edge of the template? or do you just need to be that precise? or doesn't the cutting edge of the bit touch the inner edge of the template? also, how do you attach the template to the wood body?

[krazyderek]

there's a bearing on one end of the router bit,

you attach the templates with some good double stick tape.

Router Tutorial

[Guitar1Jesse]

so do you just use a drill for the first 1/2" or so? So then the bearing will line up with the edge of the template?

[Guitarfrenzy]

so do you just use a drill for the first 1/2" or so? So then the bearing will line up with the edge of the template?

If your talking about the routing of the cavities, then you really should drill out most of the wood with a Forstner bit if you have any, that way you can make the full 1/2" plunge to begin with. Either that or plunge down and freehand inside the template until it gets to the point where the bearing rides on the template and at that point you can route close to the template and all the way around without any problems. This is not the best way though, since you have to have a steady hand, one false move and it's goodbye template. It's better to use the drill press and cleanout the 1/2" as close up to the template as you can for easy routing. If you have the luxury, make or buy your templates out of 3/4" plywood since you won't run into this problem, then when you route down far enough, the template can come off and the rest of the routing can be done with the cavity as your template.

[Engineer]

My pickup routing templates have the holes in the proper place so I can attach them with screws. Then the mounting rings screw into the existing holes.

As with anything else, PRACTICE ON SCRAP. You can practice a bunch of times on chunks of pine that only cost a few cents each. It's best to get your routing technique down on cheap wood before you mess up a guitar.

[krazyderek]

so do you just use a drill for the first 1/2" or so?  So then the bearing will line up with the edge of the template?

yes, as frenzy said, i pre drill as deep as possible (but don't to to deep) get as much wood out of there as possible, so that on my first pass my bearing on the template bit is able to line up with any template weather it's a 3/16" acrilic or 5/8" plywood, without routing to much wood on this pass and burning everything all to hell.

Guitar frenzy did an excellent job demonstrating this in his "building a strat" pictorial

[Guitarfrenzy]

yes, as frenzy said, i pre drill as deep as possible (but don't to to deep) get as much wood out of there as possible, so that on my first pass my bearing on the template bit is able to line up with any template weather it's a 3/16" acrilic or 5/8" plywood, without routing to much wood on this pass and burning everything all to hell.

Very true, if you try to route too much in one pass then your probably gonna either, burn the wood, have tearout, or put alot of unneccessary wear on the expensive bit. Usually all of the above. Here is a picture if you decide to just route without predrilling out, but be aware that if you make one wrong move you could ruin your template or worse.

You can see I freehanded this first pass, just in the middle of the template, and repeat until I achieve enough that your bearing can ride along the template. I still recommend you reading Derek's great tutorial on Router's and how to use them, it's a great place to start if you haven't already read it.

[Guitar1Jesse]

Thanks guys, I think I know what to do now