I started another adjacent thread a while back, but what are the minimum tools I need to build a guitar from lumber?
Things I've got so far
Router (1/2" and 1/4")
Router table
Drill press
6" jointer
#6 and #4 hand plane
Compact circular saw
Circular scribe guage
Work bench with built in clamps
Many clamps
Winding rods
Power sander
Things I will need for a neck
Probably a bunch of specialty files and jigs?
Things I could use to make the process easier
Band saw
Jig saw
Planer
If you buy your lumber from places like stewmac you can get away with not having a planer, thickness sander, etc.
What I think you do need:
* versatile router that has various collets in various sizes. I use a Festool 1010 for 95% of my work, and it takes a 6.35mm (1/4 inch) and an 8mm collet; my large festool, the 2200, takes 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, 12mm, and 8mm, but that thing is a tank, so I have that only in my router table. I find that having a router table makes life a lot easier and safer. I have collected almost 20 router bits of various sizes to do the job. it's a combination of length (up to 35mm for an 1/4" collet and up to 45mm in the 1/2" collet!!) and diameter. Sometimes you just want to rout narrow corners to make pickups or backplates fit nicely.
* handheld drill. Makes sense. I use a corded drill but a cordless drill is a lot more convenient. Not strictly necessary cordless, just a good drill.
* disk sander, 30cm diameter. This machine takes off material FAST, and is indispensible in my workflow.
* spindel sander. the one that has various spindles bolted to a center spindle that rotates and moves up and down. These things are great to sand the inside corners of a guitar if you don't want to do a lot of hand-sanding. Also, great to sand the shape of a headstock close to dimension.
* bandsaw. I wish I knew how important a proper bandsaw is for an electric guitar. a jigsaw is just not nearly as good.
* oscillating rotating palmsander. I use two: the Festool Rotex 150 and a Mirka Deros 125/150. I sometimes borrow a Rodac pneumatic sander that does not oscillate, for tiny parts, and a Mirka Deros 77, for small things on a guitar as well as sanding finish. Grit 80, 120, 220, 320, that's enough. I also have an angle grinder. I use that to rough carve a neck, and also to rough carve a top, and you have no idea how often you need to process some metal parts in jigs, templates, fixtures, etc etc.
* pillar drill: good purchase if you find one that is deep enough for a guitar body. Size and power are extremely important. At work we have a 2HP machine because it's so huge and has enough torque to work through tough materials. Amazing machine. Smaller is often just... a compromise.
As far as handtools are concerned, I use not that many files or rasps. I have a set of 3 files to do my fret ends (a tiny one to chop out the corner, and a slightly larger one for the round-over, and a slightly larger one for the crown), and I use a leveling beam for fretboards and frets, with 3M Stikit sticking sandpaper. I also have a custom tape by Sia, and Sia Speed 1950 purple sandpaper, going through the grits (up to 400), and then I use 3M sponges (fine, superfine, ultrafine, microfine) to burnish the material. I have another file exclusively to make the nut shelf, and a butt load of handsaws.
The amount of drill bits and router bits I own, it's staggering. I have various types of 22mm bits for example (forstner, speed, bradpoint), for various means for example,
Oh, and a dremel for 100001 mini jobs.
A Rupes Mini to polish the finish.
A whole slew of screwdrivers, pliers, tongs etc etc.
Don't start with this hobby. It never ends.
