I had the same thing happen when I was making my bass body last summer. The bit just started coming out slowly and went right through the body before I noticed. Like Cagey said, you're lucky it didn't come out completely because that thing can go flying and really hurt somebody
Maple/Mahogany thinline Firebird; DONE!
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ihavenothingprofoundtosay
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Actually, I was quite aware of how dangerous routers can be, and had that on my mind much more than screwing up the build. I didn't know enough to feel the difference from when the bit was just going through the maple to when it had gone all the way through - but live & learn. I'm quite glad not to be injured, though. :glasses10:
I knew it was loose once we took it apart & put in a new bit, and I realized I could have got almost another half turn of the bit holding assembly, but my friend explained it was easy to get looser with the harder wood & longer passes - both of which cause harder & stronger vibration on the whole assembly. It tore right through the test scraps so easily (which were all at the same depth, which is why we didn't suspect it was loose) that I wasn't sure it was working, but I felt it with every sliver of the maple, even after a new bit & much tigher set up. He still should have checked, and I still should have tested everything much more. C'la vie - but I'm not going near one of those things again without making sure everything is very tight.
We put in a new bit after that, and cleaned out the part of the router that held the bit with compressed air, tightened much more. More tests (even more carefully), and after that, everything went fine. The end result is kinda nice, and I'm sure once we have the conrol cover worked out, I'll be much happier for the accident, but for now.... :doh: to the max.
Cagey said:
I knew it was loose once we took it apart & put in a new bit, and I realized I could have got almost another half turn of the bit holding assembly, but my friend explained it was easy to get looser with the harder wood & longer passes - both of which cause harder & stronger vibration on the whole assembly. It tore right through the test scraps so easily (which were all at the same depth, which is why we didn't suspect it was loose) that I wasn't sure it was working, but I felt it with every sliver of the maple, even after a new bit & much tigher set up. He still should have checked, and I still should have tested everything much more. C'la vie - but I'm not going near one of those things again without making sure everything is very tight.
We put in a new bit after that, and cleaned out the part of the router that held the bit with compressed air, tightened much more. More tests (even more carefully), and after that, everything went fine. The end result is kinda nice, and I'm sure once we have the conrol cover worked out, I'll be much happier for the accident, but for now.... :doh: to the max.
Cagey
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Understanding the danger of a thing is different from being familiar with it. Chainsaws and guns fall in that category, for instance. Everyone knows they're dangerous. Fewer are familiar with them.
I've seen it happen (and this is easy to do unwittingly) where somebody was using the two wrenches to tighten the router's collet, but didn't extend the motor past the base so they could reach both the flats on the armature shaft and the collet nut. They just reach through the side opening in the router base and try to tighten it that way. Problem is, you can easily turn the wrenches to the point where they hit the sides of the opening in the base so you're grunting on the things and they're not going anywhere. So, you assume it's tighter than... something very tight. Then, the bit wanders or falls out and you're calling 911 and/or inventing new cuss words <grin>
I've seen it happen (and this is easy to do unwittingly) where somebody was using the two wrenches to tighten the router's collet, but didn't extend the motor past the base so they could reach both the flats on the armature shaft and the collet nut. They just reach through the side opening in the router base and try to tighten it that way. Problem is, you can easily turn the wrenches to the point where they hit the sides of the opening in the base so you're grunting on the things and they're not going anywhere. So, you assume it's tighter than... something very tight. Then, the bit wanders or falls out and you're calling 911 and/or inventing new cuss words <grin>
ihavenothingprofoundtosay
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Here she is: as you can see, it's kinda bad, but not impossible to hide with a panel. I'll need to draw out a shape for the control panel (the LP one doesn't quite work), but we shall see.
Oh thats bummer ...
Just looked in here for an update, to see how this was going & saw this.
All I can say is.... i'm glad that wasn't your leg or hand ... you are bloody lucky.
But ... overall i'm sure you'll be able to work over this hurdle.
Thats the bad bit outta the way, so the rest should be (I hope) plain sailing !!
:icon_scratch: Uummm ... may-be you should stick a lucky charm (of sorts) in your pocket. Or a lucky hat or even wear your lucky undies :icon_jokercolor:
Just looked in here for an update, to see how this was going & saw this.
All I can say is.... i'm glad that wasn't your leg or hand ... you are bloody lucky.
But ... overall i'm sure you'll be able to work over this hurdle.
Thats the bad bit outta the way, so the rest should be (I hope) plain sailing !!
:icon_scratch: Uummm ... may-be you should stick a lucky charm (of sorts) in your pocket. Or a lucky hat or even wear your lucky undies :icon_jokercolor:
Cagey
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Lotta burnt wood in there. Your Forstner bits may be spinning too fast (or they're dull) and your router bit is almost certainly dull.
Forstner bit that size shouldn't be spinning any faster than 500-700 rpm in hardwood.
If your router bit is carbide, it can be resharpened. If not, it's time to toss it, and replace it with a carbide bit. They cost a little more, but regular steel bits will go dull and burn in hardwood pretty quickly, so it's false economy to buy the cheaper bit. You'll just end up buying them by the pallet load.
Forstner bit that size shouldn't be spinning any faster than 500-700 rpm in hardwood.
If your router bit is carbide, it can be resharpened. If not, it's time to toss it, and replace it with a carbide bit. They cost a little more, but regular steel bits will go dull and burn in hardwood pretty quickly, so it's false economy to buy the cheaper bit. You'll just end up buying them by the pallet load.
ihavenothingprofoundtosay
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Cagey said:
Done on the spot - only that one long pass with the tear through was done with the old steel bit. My buddy had a brand new one for this router (he normally uses a bigger machine with different bits), slapped it in, tested it thoroughly, and the rest of the work was done with that - no burning. I'll get a shot of the remainder of the cavity when I get a chance.
Updown said:
I am indeed! It helps that we had the body clamped down to a work table, which had a sheet of particle board over steel. Mine were not the first gouges to be added to that surface. Even if the bit had come out all the way, than it still wouldn't have been a problem. . . unless I'd been dumb enough to lift the router up while it was still spinning!
I present my still being alive to type this as evidence that I am not that dumb. :icon_jokercolor:
ihavenothingprofoundtosay
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Ok, I seem to be failing at photo resizing tonight - can't seem to get them small enough for the uploader to accept them.
:dontknow:
The neck (Firebird headstock, SuperWide, Fatback, Mahogany/Pau Ferro, 6130, no inlays) got here last week, and 3 coats of TruOil have been applied - finished 600 gritting the whole thing tonight, though I think the headstock could stand a bit more satiny-ness.
I know, useless without pics, but I'm not dealing with computers any further this evening. I bid you all farewell & sweet dreams of the PERFECT neck profile fitting into your hand with a smoothness & satisfaction that makes you wish you hadn't dawdled all that time away getting the body finished....
:dontknow:
The neck (Firebird headstock, SuperWide, Fatback, Mahogany/Pau Ferro, 6130, no inlays) got here last week, and 3 coats of TruOil have been applied - finished 600 gritting the whole thing tonight, though I think the headstock could stand a bit more satiny-ness.
I know, useless without pics, but I'm not dealing with computers any further this evening. I bid you all farewell & sweet dreams of the PERFECT neck profile fitting into your hand with a smoothness & satisfaction that makes you wish you hadn't dawdled all that time away getting the body finished....
ihavenothingprofoundtosay
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. . . or I could just post the pix & let you figure it out yourselves!
Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!
Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!
ihavenothingprofoundtosay
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A few more.... these are actually a bit old: obviously prior to me gluing the top on. Took a few tonight with the wife's camera, but the settings were off, and the pics are lame. Tomorrow & the sun! The giant neck - checkout that GORGEOUS PF - is done* & ready to be bolted on. . . once I've actually routed the neck pocket. It's hard to wait on this thing, though: every time I touch that neck I think "wow - this feels AMAZING".
* Three coats of TruOil varnish, then 2 coats of beeswax/butcher block oil (mineral oil) on top of that - a very nice satin feel!
* Three coats of TruOil varnish, then 2 coats of beeswax/butcher block oil (mineral oil) on top of that - a very nice satin feel!
reluctant-builder
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I apologize if this is an exceedingly stupid suggestion, but have you considered making a bottom for the guitar? Making a sandwich out of it, instead of trying to put a control cavity cover over the router mishap, because there's not a lot of room to countersink the cover.
I've got three Mahogany body guitars, two with transparent finishes. As a tonewood, I think it's great, but its grain always looks to me like graphite pencil smudges.
This thread is great. I look forward to seeing the build proceed. Good for you for soldiering on ... and I'm glad you survived, unscathed, the router disaster.
I've got three Mahogany body guitars, two with transparent finishes. As a tonewood, I think it's great, but its grain always looks to me like graphite pencil smudges.
This thread is great. I look forward to seeing the build proceed. Good for you for soldiering on ... and I'm glad you survived, unscathed, the router disaster.
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reluctant-builder said:
Yeah, exposed Mahogany grain and/or color can look good, but it doesn't always look as good as it could. Gibson has put opaque finishes over much of their Mahogany since day one, even though they purportedly use "premium" woods. Or, at least everyone would like to think so, given what they charge for their products.
ihavenothingprofoundtosay
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reluctant-builder said:
I have, actually - but I went this way because the maple was one big, thick piece, and it was easier to hollow out. I'm actually planning on doing a mandolin with a top & back, though. I'll be using pieces left over from this & a mahogany guitar cut from a body blank. My next project for later this winter... :glasses10:
Oh, and: the only stupid question is the one that's never asked. :icon_thumright:
Cagey said:
It does have a lot of variation. This top is Honduran Mahogany; Warmoth uses African mahogany in their necks & bodies. They look sorta similar, but different enough when put side by side. This was, admittedly, just a "back" for an acoustic, so I wasn't expecting crazy figuring or chatoyance, but it's a little plain compared to the neck. I'm a big fan of oiled/varnished mahogany, though. Some of it looks ... yeah, like graphite pencil smudges, but some of it looks incredible. YMMV.
ihavenothingprofoundtosay
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From this afternoon....
DangerousR6
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Very nice... :icon_thumright:
ihavenothingprofoundtosay
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An update: I'm just about done, but I chickened out on routing the neck pocket. A friend showed me how to make a router template for the neck, and I did that, but since the template I made was made out of wood (as opposed to the clear plexi templates that Stewmac sells), I couldn't be certain I had it lined up correctly with the centerline. Even after a few tests with scrap blocks, I wasn't certain I could get the placement right, so....
Off to a luthier. A bit of googling pointed me to a Tommy's guitar shop as a reputable establishment relatively nearby, so the neck pocket & bridge placement will be done, then a quick pass with the router to get the pickup in (not so worried about getting that one wrong), wire it straight to the jack, and it'll be rock'n rollin'! Pics as soon as I get it back, but there's a good chance I'll be playing it before you see it.
:dontknow: :evil4: :headbang1:
Off to a luthier. A bit of googling pointed me to a Tommy's guitar shop as a reputable establishment relatively nearby, so the neck pocket & bridge placement will be done, then a quick pass with the router to get the pickup in (not so worried about getting that one wrong), wire it straight to the jack, and it'll be rock'n rollin'! Pics as soon as I get it back, but there's a good chance I'll be playing it before you see it.
:dontknow: :evil4: :headbang1:
