Routing tips?

[Richard]

I'm going to do some pickup routing soon so I figured I'd ask for some tips. I'm going to make my own templets and practice on some junk wood before I let it go on a guitar. I'm usualy really good at stuff like this but it never hurts to ask. Where do you guys buy your bits and what kind do you like to do cavity work?

[bruce bennett]

Re: Routing tips?

I used bits from Stew mac, Woodcraft, Home depot and even Ace hardware.. a good bit is a good bit period.. the thing you often run into is, that you can't find the right "type" of bits.. for a first timer. I do recommend the Stew mac pattern bits as they make it a 1 stop shop deal.

Otherwise it can take you a while to find the bit and the perfect sized bearing with the right depth of overall cut and shank length... you'll find those details to be important as you learn more about it. also Stew mac gives you some tips on routing with their bits..

[Ayrton]

Re: Routing tips?

I prefer Whiteside bits, but have others. Whiteside are the best you can get, and if you shop online, you can get them quite reasonable.

I normally buy them from Edge of Arlington.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A17DCYO7QD7QRE

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Routing tips?

X2 for Whiteside.

Route "downhill"

Make every other step in your process "look at my fingers"

Gloves and goggles

[butnut]

Re: Routing tips?

My choice for 'routing' pup holes is the RotoZip or spiral saw. Way more precise and finesse control. Did 2 of my TeleGibs with one...

[xntrick]

Re: Routing tips?

My choice for 'routing' pup holes is the RotoZip or spiral saw. Way more precise and finesse control. Did 2 of my TeleGibs with one...

that is interesting as i have a rotozip and would luv to have a neck pickup in my frankenstrat..how long did it take you?

[uOpt]

Re: Routing tips?

I have the stewmac bit and a couple bit from Ebay and from Amazon. Not really a large difference as long as they are good quality.

[Richard]

Re: Routing tips?

Thanks guys... But what about the actually routing. Is there a "best" way. Is it better to start in the middle and work my way to the templet or make the templet outline and the take out the middle?

[AlexR]

Re: Routing tips?

I've never tried routing with a template.....mainly 'cos I was cheap when I was doing it (borrowed the router too!). I found that you can hold the router steady if you just take off a small amount. Push it a bit and the bit will dig and go off in a different direction.

The other point worth noting is if yo do the middle of the route first you will have a better idea of how the machine works by the time you do the edge. The second point here is that the very last little bit of wood left if you do the edge first will as likely be torn off as not - not very neat at all.

[Ayrton]

Re: Routing tips?

Use a drill bit to remove most of the material, and then clean up the edges with the router.

Some help here...

http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f18/rg521-makeover-part-1-a-106337.html

[post toastie]

Re: Routing tips?

Dremel Tool is what i use.

A drill is too big and clumsy and routers are too big for the delicate work of a guitar especially if itīs already finished.

i will route cavities and place holes for knobs, but i will not route for bridges or pickups. those placements must be very precise. iīll leave that to a luthier or pro. i will however enlarge an existing pickup cavity...for example, i have an Aria Pro II that had an active single coil that was absolutely straight...meaning that it didnīt have the diamond shaped part of the baseplate. so i had to enlarge it a bit when i switched to a passive standard sized Strat pickup. the Dremel tool will allow you to do that delicate work very precisely by hand. i just use the sander attachment. itīs pretty much all iīve needed to drill pot / swich holes as well as the cavities themselves.

the Dremel will cut and shape pickguard material too. i did a back door cavity and plate with the Dremel. i also installed a battery box in THAT door. i have never cut metal with it, but supposedly it will do that too. there are many attachments that will handle just about anything. check some of the Dremel work on YouTube.

start at the center and work your way out to the edges of your template (or outline). that way you an get the hang of how the Dremel reacts to your particular slab of wood. yes, it is indeed a good idea to practice on other pieces of wood first, but also know that all wood (or other surfaces) are different, so start in the center and work your way out to the edges of your cavity.

when you get close to the edge of your cavity, constantly check your fitting with the actual item or a dummy (to avoid getting it saw dusty), because in my experience the outine never matches where you actually need it - NO MATTER HOW PRECISELY IīVE MEASURED. and iīm very anal about measurements. thatīs why i wonīt do pickups or bridges.

if you decide to use the Dremel, be sure to get one with at least two speeds. generally use the slower speed for more delicate work and the faster for just getting rid of unwanted material that is not in a place that needs to be so precise. but that is not a hard and fast rule. use whichever speed works best for you in a given situation.

[butnut]

Re: Routing tips?

that is interesting as i have a rotozip and would luv to have a neck pickup in my frankenstrat..how long did it take you?

Once I penciled in my pickup shape, took a couple minutes...

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/52686162WRAIEv