Routing Top and Back Flush
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Re: Routing Top and Back Flush
I agree - be careful. If you have a fine coping saw, you might very carefully use that to trim back the widest overhang on the back, supporting the wood as you cut. Better than breaking a beautiful back! Bruce W.
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Re: Routing Top and Back Flush
Great suggestions and feedback.
I think I'm going to trim down the sides by sanding or files ( what ever works best ) to less than 3/8" and buy a 1/2 inch flush router ( the the bearing on the bottom ).
Also going to build a mock guitar top and sides out of scrap wood and practice a lot before I turn the router on the real thing.
I think I'm going to trim down the sides by sanding or files ( what ever works best ) to less than 3/8" and buy a 1/2 inch flush router ( the the bearing on the bottom ).
Also going to build a mock guitar top and sides out of scrap wood and practice a lot before I turn the router on the real thing.
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Re: Routing Top and Back Flush
Off topic, but gotta be a Robbie O’Brien fan. That’s his favorite luthiery joke.Kevin Sjostrand wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 7:12 pm It can grab in a heart beat and tear off a chunk with the grain. That happened to a friend of mine once.
On topic - definitely get the bulk of that material off before firing up the router.
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Re: Routing Top and Back Flush
If it were my build, I'd use a saw to take that large overhang off, not the router. The chance of the router grabbing is too high. A fine coping saw, like a jewelers saw, would be perfect. A fine blade would work.
Regardless of saw, I'd lay it on its back, on the bench, with the overhang protruding off of the bench. Try to keep the back and overhang supported, so that the saw can't pull the wood away from the guitar. With support, it won't break very easily.
Regardless of saw, I'd lay it on its back, on the bench, with the overhang protruding off of the bench. Try to keep the back and overhang supported, so that the saw can't pull the wood away from the guitar. With support, it won't break very easily.
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Re: Routing Top and Back Flush
Spent the morning sanding.
Used 60 grit on the rosewood.
Took awhile but I think I'm ready for the router once I get some practice under my belt.
Thanks again for all the helpful input and saving my butt yet again.
There are so many ways to mess this up.
By the way, a shout out to John Hall for his quality kit, jigs etc. and input.
Sanded the top down so I could attach the neck and take a quick look at alignment.
Neck was perfectly aligned ( right down the center and perfectly angled so with a straight edge from the neck (without the fret plate) to the bridge location was almost exactly 1/8 inch off the top ).
Amazing!
Used 60 grit on the rosewood.
Took awhile but I think I'm ready for the router once I get some practice under my belt.
Thanks again for all the helpful input and saving my butt yet again.
There are so many ways to mess this up.
By the way, a shout out to John Hall for his quality kit, jigs etc. and input.
Sanded the top down so I could attach the neck and take a quick look at alignment.
Neck was perfectly aligned ( right down the center and perfectly angled so with a straight edge from the neck (without the fret plate) to the bridge location was almost exactly 1/8 inch off the top ).
Amazing!
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Re: Routing Top and Back Flush
Great job!
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Re: Routing Top and Back Flush
Looks like you’re making good progress. You are smart to take your time and to be super careful doing procedures you haven’t done before.
Kevin Doty
Kansas City
Kansas City
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Re: Routing Top and Back Flush
Thought you might be interested...
Taking everyone's advice to practice before taking a router to a real guitar I built a mock guitar top to practice on.
Made a cut out of the guitar on 3/4 inch plywood and then ripped some pine strips about 3 inches wide and 0.1 inches thick and glued them to the top with the grain running in the right direction and with overhand so I could practice trimming the top flush.
I then got up enough guts to do the real thing and success!!
Thanks again for all the help.
Scamp
Taking everyone's advice to practice before taking a router to a real guitar I built a mock guitar top to practice on.
Made a cut out of the guitar on 3/4 inch plywood and then ripped some pine strips about 3 inches wide and 0.1 inches thick and glued them to the top with the grain running in the right direction and with overhand so I could practice trimming the top flush.
I then got up enough guts to do the real thing and success!!
Thanks again for all the help.
Scamp
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Last edited by scamp on Sun Apr 24, 2022 12:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Routing Top and Back Flush
Nicely done!
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- Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:43 pm
- Location: Kansas City, MO
Re: Routing Top and Back Flush
Good job! I took practice runs routing my binding channels. You definitely will need do many test routes dialing in your adjustments.
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Kevin Doty
Kansas City
Kansas City