Using Routing Patterns

[Cagey]

Yeah, that was kinda surprising out of them at the time. I remember 100 years ago when the Beatles first showed up and stereo was still a little bit of a novelty, some of their stuff was recorded with some pretty distinct channel separations. It was like the engineers were saying "we got two channels to play with here, and by god we're gonna prove it!"

I can't help but think there was a bit of collusion between the studios and the hardware manufacturers to motivate album and home stereo purchases. I know the first time I hear "Paperback Writer" in stereo over headphones, I was flabbergasted. Figured I was getting a rig like that if it was the last thing I ever did.

 

[rgand]

I thought about that, but I actually like the Faction special hardtail. I think it kind of fits and adds nicely to the guitar. So if (more probably - when) this project will come about I thought I'd have Kevin put a tuneomatic bridge there together with that tailpiece.

There you go. I also like the Faction hardtails. TOM, not so much, though.

Hard to believe that tune was recorded in '78. Still kicks ass.

That's for sure.

 

[Cagey]

Not a huge fan of TOMs myself. When the urge hits, this solid brass Wilkinson w/ locking roller saddles is a somewhat better solution...

...and they're only $25 here. They work better, feel better under the palm, sound better, won't fall off when you're changing strings, and cost less. What's not to love? Well, one thing - the saddles are not intrinsically height-adjustable. But, it's doable. You just have to drink a beer and make shims out of the empty can. It's win-win-win! So much winning! You get to drink a beer, you get to do some recycling, and you match your bridge radius to your fretboard. Life is good.

 

[rgand]

Sometimes I think GFS is underrated. That's a fine bridge. If I ever need that style, I'll know where to go for it.

What brand of beer works best for the shims? :icon_biggrin:

 

[Logrinn]

That Wilkinson is really nice. I've had my eyes on just such a bridge. There's another one on Stew Mac called golden age roller bridge:

Schaller makes one as well but that one requires that the bridge post are angled.

(They're all TOM to me)

 

[Fat Pete]

Any Wilkinson branding on the ones GFS sells, Kevin? There are identical-looking ones all over ebay for quite a range of prices. Some of the cheaper ones fess up to being 'zinc alloy', others... don't.

[edit] Those Schaller ones are nice, but they come off the posts even easier than a regular TOM. Without strings on I believe they will actually jump off and land sharpest corner first just to spite you.

 

[Cagey]

What brand of beer works best for the shims? :icon_biggrin:

I don't often drink beer, but when i do, I prefer the crisp, clean taste of Canada's Molson Golden. Made from pristine arctic ice melt fresh from the tundra, Molson has a taste that really satisfies. Hardly any moose piss, so you know it's not only good, it's good for you.

 

[Cagey]

Any Wilkinson branding on the ones GFS sells, Kevin? There are identical-looking ones all over ebay for quite a range of prices. Some of the cheaper ones fess up to being 'zinc alloy', others... don't.

Not that I've noticed, and you're right - they do show up all over the place. I've not seen one claiming to be zinc, but some don't mention a material so it's anybody's guess. The one's I've gotten have been fairly heavy, so I've never questioned the brass claim, although I probably should at that price. You can't die-cast brass, as far as I know, and to machine a piece like that seems like it would be expensive even coming from Deepinahearta, Pacific Rim.

 

[BigSteve22]

Yes, I know. For that eventual Jagstang Done Right I probably would go with this hardtail, since I'm no fan of the Jaguar tremolo:

Are you sure this is the plate you want? That one has the reversed string termination, (at the front of the plate, close to the bridge).

If you want to make those "cool behind-the-bridge noises", like EVH, you may want to consider the standard plate.  :icon_scratch:

 

[Logrinn]

Yep, the "short" one with the steeper break angle is what I want. The other one is the equivalent of the Jazzmaster/Jaguar trem with the very long strings behind the bridge - and more shallow break angle. The shorter one is still longer than that of a Les Paul (probably what Eddie used on that track - so good enough for me)

 

[BigSteve22]

Yep, the "short" one with the steeper break angle is what I want. The other one is the equivalent of the Jazzmaster/Jaguar trem with the very long strings behind the bridge - and more shallow break angle. The shorter one is still longer than that of a Les Paul (probably what Eddie used on that track - so good enough for me)

If you're happy, that's all that matters! Can't wait to watch the build.  :icon_thumright:

 

[rgand]

Can't wait to watch the build.  :icon_thumright:

That makes two of us.

On another note, I routed the working patterns for the body and neck pocket today. I set the table up on a couple sawhorses outside the garage so it wouldn't make a total mess of the garage. Boy am I glad I did that. What an efficient way to turn wood into dust.

My bits are 1/2" diameter and the corners of the neck pickup are a slightly tighter radius, perhaps 7/16". I can't see any reason to buy smaller ones but if anyone sees a reason to do so, I'll do that and clean up the corners. It shows in the detail pic I took.

 

[Cagey]

I'd say the deciding factor is whether the pickup fits the hole. If it does, you're done.

 

[rgand]

I'd say the deciding factor is whether the pickup fits the hole. If it does, you're done.

Oh, now this is waaay too logical. :icon_thumright:

Actually, I was thinking of any future replacements and how they might fit. I guess I could always make more dust if I decide to change things.

I just checked the pickup I have and there's about 3/8" clearance at the corners so I think I'm fine. If I can't fit that into there, I have other issues. :icon_biggrin:

 

[Cagey]

If the future brings a pickup that won't fit, then you buy the smaller diameter bit and get to work. The only advantages to doing it now would be that you already have an impressive mess made, you're already set up to do the work, and the instrument is already disassembled (or, not assembled yet, if you prefer). All of which sound like arguments for doing it now, unless money is so tight you can't afford the bit, but you also have to consider what the likelihood is of needing that clearance. No sense in spending time/money doing work you'll never need done.

 

[Logrinn]

Can't wait to watch the build.  :icon_thumright:

That makes two of us.

On another note, I routed the working patterns for the body and neck pocket today. I set the table up on a couple sawhorses outside the garage so it wouldn't make a total mess of the garage. Boy am I glad I did that. What an efficient way to turn wood into dust.

My bits are 1/2" diameter and the corners of the neck pickup are a slightly tighter radius, perhaps 7/16". I can't see any reason to buy smaller ones but if anyone sees a reason to do so, I'll do that and clean up the corners. It shows in the detail pic I took.

This is looking better and better. I like what you're doing a lot.
I really hope Aaron - and everybody else - sees this. You've got a killer guitar there, Rgand.

 

[rgand]

If the future brings a pickup that won't fit, then you buy the smaller diameter bit and get to work. The only advantages to doing it now would be that you already have an impressive mess made, you're already set up to do the work, and the instrument is already disassembled (or, not assembled yet, if you prefer). All of which sound like arguments for doing it now, unless money is so tight you can't afford the bit, but you also have to consider what the likelihood is of needing that clearance. No sense in spending time/money doing work you'll never need done.

I'm with you on not spending time/money for something I may never need.

This is looking better and better. I like what you're doing a lot.
I really hope Aaron - and everybody else - sees this. You've got a killer guitar there, Rgand.

Thanks, I'm really looking forward to putting this one together. It's been fun to plan. Now I get to make it a reality. I'll start a thread on it when the body is started.

 

[rgand]

I finally finished my router table and work stand. It's fully functional now. Today I finished making the 3/4" working patterns for the body and neck pocket. As a last minute inspiration, I also added the pickup routes and the Tele bridge holes to the neck pocket pattern also. In theory, I can get the pattern askew and the neck would bolt right in, align and intonate. Alternately, I could route a bare plank for the neck, pickups and bridge. It just seems to be something that may be useful sometime.

The bridge holes are only drilled 1/4" into the pattern just to locate them. Would it be a good idea to drill them all the way through, perhaps using something like your ferrule locater pin idea, Kevin? OR, is it better to just locate the bridge after the body is done and the neck can be mounted?

The next thing will be to route on the actual body. Once that is going and there's something to show, I'll start a build thread.

One last question about using routing patterns. For the cavities that don't go all the way through the body (neck, pickups, controls), is it best to route by hand from above or carefully do it on the table from below? I'm thinking it could get dicey doing it where you can't see what is happening.

Here are the patterns ready to go.

 

[rgand]

Oh, yeah. I picked up a router speed controller to slow the 28K 2hp router down so it doesn't burn the wood or get hot and dull the blades as fast. In addition, I won't need to buy another $182 side window for my truck (The damn thing can get away from you wide open, as I found out while testing it the other day ).

 

[Cagey]

Somehow, I'm not clear what you're asking about the bridge locator holes. Perhaps a rephrase?

As for routing by hand from above or following by pilot from below, sometimes that's a matter of comfort level. Routers are wicked, powerful beasts, and you can make a helluva mess or do a helluva lotta damage in a hurry either way. The advantage of face-down routing is there's less chance of the piece getting away from you than there is of the router getting away from you on the top. But, you can't see what you're doing, so you have to sorta envision what's going on, planning your moves so you cover all the ground you need to. Of course, if you don't get everything out you want out, you can always go back at it. Just have to be careful about your handling.

As for taking out truck windows and/or the neighbor's cat, I've lived in constant fear of that since the first time I powered up a router. Beasts, I'm tellin' ya! The damned things are beasts! But, you can mitigate that possibility to a great degree by swearing off 1/4" shank bits wherever possible. They're just too tiny. Bloody router is screeching along at 33,000 rpm, and you wanna entrust a finely sharpened piece of carbide to stay on the end of a little thing like that? Begging for trouble, if you ask me. Laws of physics, and all that. If your router won't take 1/2" shank bits, buy a new router. They're cheap, relative to emergency rooms. Might not be the truck/cat that gets hit next time. Might be your son's carotid artery, or your wife's eye, or your dick!  :laughing7:

As for slowing down the router, that's not usually the reason you're burning things. Good machinists are those who know about "speeds and feeds". That is, how fast the the cutting tool moves vs. how fast you give it material to cut. We're talking about wood, but the same principle applies. If you try to feed material faster than the cutter can cut it, you will build up heat due to friction. Wood burns at a fairly low temperature, so that starts happening first. If you ignore it, the tool will get pretty hot as well, and if all it does is lose temper, soften and dull, you're lucky. All that does is cost you money. If it flies apart and puts a hole in your roof, well, it serves you right and you should count your blessings. Could've been your femoral artery. You can have the router running at full-tilt boogie, and as long as the tool is sharp and it can spin without slowing down due to load, it's unlikely you're going to burn anything.

Not that slowing down is a Bad Thing. Some material can't be cut quickly. Plastics, for example. Some of them heat up fast and melt at low temperatures. Some want stretch rather than cut. Some are more brittle. But, that's a different discussion.