Routing Question

[slashgnr88]

how hard would it be to rout a neck humbucker into a single hum guitar body. the body is basswood and warmoth finished. would doing this mess up the finish??

 

[Cagey]

It's not hard. You just need a pattern-follower bit or two, and a template. I'd recommend at least a 1/2" cutting length pattern follower with a 1/2" diameter; you can do 98% of what needs doing with one of those. Any longer, and you're hogging out too much wood at once, any shorter and you have to make too many passes. If you want tighter corners, you'll want a 3/8" diameter 1/2" length bit of the same type. Templates are available at Stewart-MacDonalds for $5-$6.

Like one of these, for ~$18​

Get some double-sided sticky tape, get the template positioned and held down with that, and you're ready to wreck your body.

Real routers move at a pretty high speed, and fresh carbide bits are pretty sharp, so finish damage isn't as big an issue as you might imagine. At least, it hasn't been for me. Doesn't mean it can't happen, but it's nothing to lose sleep over. You can always put down some masking tape along the edges of the cut lines, and that might mitigate some chipping, but I wouldn't count on it. The forces involved make the tape's adhesive strength look pretty silly.

 

[stubhead]

All that above depends on, do you know how to use a router? You kinda/shoulda/oughta wanna tear up a pile of pine scrap wood before you lay into Ol' Bessie.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

With that bit, you'd need to start stacking ball bearings or get a thicker template to make several passes.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Start in the very center of the desired cavity using the stewmac templates listed above.
Move in very small clockwise circular patterns, slowly widening up the hole to the point that your ride the bearing up against the perimeter.
This will ensure smooth, even walls.
Going in a clockwise pattern will ensure that the router bit doesn't try to "climb" the wood by grabbing it & trying to ride counter clockwise & make the router skip & hit the template or the cavity wall too hard, potentially damaging either the template, guitar, or both.

 

[Cagey]

With that bit, you'd need to start stacking ball bearings or get a thicker template to make several passes.

I think that picture is of a 1/4" cutting length bit, which you're right - it would be too short. 1/2" is much better. And you don't need to stack bearings or use a thick template with that style bit. Once you make the first pass, the bearing will ride on the route you just made. I just did it the other day using a 1/2" x 1/2" bit and this template on the Strat I'm working on in this thread. Took two passes to make a 3/4" deep cavity expansion.

 

[nexrex]

With that bit, you'd need to start stacking ball bearings or get a thicker template to make several passes.

I think that picture is of a 1/4" cutting length bit, which you're right - it would be too short. 1/2" is much better. And you don't need to stack bearings or use a thick template with that style bit. Once you make the first pass, the bearing will ride on the route you just made. I just did it the other day using a 1/2" x 1/2" bit and this template on the Strat I'm working on in this thread. Took two passes to make a 3/4" deep cavity expansion.

True, i used this technique years ago to route the controls for a custom arcade machine. it definitely will work.

 

[SkuttleFunk]

you should -

- protect the guitar top with masking tape
- trace the pickup route outline
- rough out most of the wood with a 5/8"D Forstner bit on a drill press, staying 1/4" shy of finished depth
- accurately place template
- score finish with razor knife
- use pattern bit to detail cavity, finishing with 33/8"D bit to cut corners
- carefully remove template and tape

all the best,

R

 

[stubhead]

Hey, Mr. Skuttle. Do you re-clamp the body between each penetration of the drill press? Or move it around as the press is running... I have done something similar, in my woeful caveman way - just drill a bunch of (depth-controlled) holes with a hand drill, then connect them with a hand chisel, then finish it with a combination of hand chiseling and a Dremel sanding drum. CAREFULLY....

Isn't the router supposed to be able to do this job without the drilling at all? I though you weren't supposed to put side-pressure on a drill press's bearings & motor? I don't own or have room for major power tools, but I can go over and use anything at a friend's ridiculously well-equipped "hobby" shop. Guy's got a furniture factory in there.... but I need to have my processes straight before I get there.

 

[Cagey]

The router will do the job on its own, no problem. It's designed to do that kind of work. But, you don't want to hog out too much wood at once, or you may burn things. That's not as big a problem in the guitar as it is for the router bit. You'll dull it up faster, and router bits are expensive. That's why hogging out the major stuff with a Forstner bit or something like that isn't a bad idea. You do have to move the workpiece, though. You can't go sideways with Forstner or twist drill bits. The other thing you can do is forego the drilling business, and just take shallower passes with the router. But, if you need to follow a template, you usually have to go to the cutting depth of the bit so the bearing can ride the template for the outside dimension of the cavity. Otherwise, you run the risk of hitting the template with cutting portion of the router bit, which will make you invent new cuss words, and heavily exercise the old ones <grin>

 

[Thomas3D]

All that above depends on, do you know how to use a router? You kinda/shoulda/oughta wanna tear up a pile of pine scrap wood before you lay into Ol' Bessie.

I do recommend practicing on scraps,
In my experience,  it'd be best to practice on the same wood as the body that your actual going to be modifying if possible.
The router will 'feel' different ie cut quicker or slower depending the hardness of the wood.