Guitar making tools: Which router?

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blaumph2cool

blaumph2cool

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I am planning on starting my first guitar build and i am starting with a telecaster and eventually want to do a les paul and others.

What type of router should i get fixed base or plunge?

I am basically starting from scratch tool wise. I have a dremel and and a hand drill. Hoping to make some jigs for the router.

Hoping JCH or mutty and any other experienced guys can give some feed back.

thanks,
-Chris
 
ALWAYS get the best tools you can possibly afford. Especially when buying a tool you will get a lot of miles out of and you will need to do many jobs with such as a router. Also consider enrolling on a night class covering howe to use them safely and properly if you have limited experience with them. You can cause a lot of damage with a router and not only to the work piece...

That said, definitely a plunge router. You will need to consider the collet size as well. I have a bunch of routers in different sizes each one gets pulled out for different jobs. You will also want a variable speed router and if possible look for slow start/stop. That definitely makes handling them easier. Micro adjuster is good too and make sure that the accesories suchas the fence and top hat bearings are solid and available.

It may be best if you post up a model or two you are considering and we could give you some idea on how suitable they may be.

My go to routers are Elu but they stopped making them years back when they were bought out by Black and Decker and DeWalt.. They cost about £300 20 years ago. A similar router is on the market now made by Trend who originally imported the Elu routers. I believe they are nearly as good. One day I will have to find out.
 
I'm not sure I would buy anything from Harbor Freight. Having said that, I did buy a Ryobi router from Home Depot which might be on par with anything from Harbor Freight.

2HP, 1/2 and 1/4 inch collet. Variable speed. Plunger and micro adjuster. For the occasional router work, I think it strikes a balance between quality, budget and availability. It's probably exactly the same thing as the Black and Decker you linked.

I never used a router before a couple of months ago. It was easy to use, but I did a lot of reading and YouTubing before I ever plugged it in.
 
I bought a Ryobi fixed base router for $60 from home depot and so far it's been great, though I've only churned out a couple of bodies so far.

You can do everything you need to with a fix-base... but I'm sure a plunge will be easier for some jobs. Ideally, you'd have both a fixed base & plunge available for the router. That being said, I will be tackling a neck soon, and I do wish I had a plunge for the truss rod channel, but I'll make it work.

I built myself a 36x24" rock solid router table for arond $50. It doubles as another work bench. I'd suggest doing this as well, since it keeps the router locked in. These things spin at 25,000 rpm, so you need to be extremely careful when you're working with them.
 
blaumph2cool said:
after looking a few routers i am leaning toward the Black & Decker Plunge Router RP250.

I also considered these from harbor freight but quality is a concern there: 1-1/2 HP Variable Speed Plunge Router and 2-1/2 Horsepower Plunge Router

The black & decker only has a 1/4" collet. even though i'd like to have a 1/2" i think i can make do with 1/4".

Budget is a major concern so i want to get the best quality for value.
Click to expand...

I have never been a fan of black and decker despite my British background. In that price bracket go with bosch everytime next up Makita.. Even then don't expect top draw...
 
Should have added that I have probably spent more on the bits than the routers over the years. Always factor in decent cutter bits. The cheap ones let you down all the time. Thaey are the part that does the cut so don't scrimp.
 
muttley600 said:
No you can't.
Click to expand...

After re-reading what OP has for tools, you're right. I have seen people build on the TDPRI forum with nothing but basic hand tools.. You can do the pickup cavities with a chisel if you're so inclined. But, I guess it also depends. I like to NOT use the router generally, so I have used the drill press a lot, which was necessary for pickup cavities, ferrule holes & control cavities. I don't think the OP has one of those, so you're right - without a drill press I couldn't have gone along with just the fixed. I just don't know how well you could trust the depth stops etc. on a $60 black and decker. On the fix base it is locked in tight, so I know where I set it will be accurate, even though mine as well is only a $60 router. I would like to have both, but I need a new drill press first.
 
blaumph2cool said:
I read up on the Ryobi and i like the options on it. It can take 1/2" or 1/4" Collet and the micro adjuster sounds handy. The Bosch and Makita are a bit out of my price range.

Now for bits should i just go ahead and my my bits from StewMac or is something like these viable.
Diablo 1/2 in. x 1 in. Carbide Flush Trimming Router Bit

Also, I am going to need to find a bit and bearing(s) for binding channel as well.
Click to expand...

Ha, I just bought that very bit earlier today. But that's not the one you want for routing out cavities. The one you linked is for edge trim work, counter tops, pickguards etc. You need a bit either with the bearing on top (if you want to use a template) or no bearing at all (for freehand work).

I did my cavities freehand. It came out okay.

This one is more useful for template work.
Diablo 1/2 in. x 1 in. Carbide Top-Bearing Flush Trim Router Bit-DR50102 at The Home Depot
The problem with this specific one is your cut depth is at least 1 inch. If you want less, you have to find a shorter bit.

Hopefully, someone with more experience will add more.
 
EricIndecisive - Yep, i don't have a drill press and probably won't get one anytime soon. so it's gotta be a plunge router.

Chili- thanks. i've seen about 100 youtube videos where they are routing but they don't go into detail on the bits and bearing they use.
 
LOL, I couldn't imagine using a drill press to cut out cavities. That would take forever. A router is the perfect tool for that stuff.
 
Chili said:
LOL, I couldn't imagine using a drill press to cut out cavities. That would take forever. A router is the perfect tool for that stuff.
Click to expand...

It's actually not too bad - Just throw a big forstner bit on there, they take out a lot of material. It's probably not as fast as a router, but like I said, I don't like to use that as much. I've been doing all the router work with the bit that Chili posted above.

First, make a good set of templates, there are plans all over the internet. I found a full size PDF, and print it off my regular printer over multiple pages. Then just line them up and stick it on some MDF. What are you planning on using for wood? Unless you want to build a router planer-sled, you should get them planed to an even thickness. IMO this is essential for having a good starting point.
 
EricIndecisive said:
After re-reading what OP has for tools, you're right. I have seen people build on the TDPRI forum with nothing but basic hand tools.. You can do the pickup cavities with a chisel if you're so inclined. But, I guess it also depends. I like to NOT use the router generally, so I have used the drill press a lot, which was necessary for pickup cavities, ferrule holes & control cavities. I don't think the OP has one of those, so you're right - without a drill press I couldn't have gone along with just the fixed. I just don't know how well you could trust the depth stops etc. on a $60 black and decker. On the fix base it is locked in tight, so I know where I set it will be accurate, even though mine as well is only a $60 router. I would like to have both, but I need a new drill press first.
Click to expand...

The collet on a router is likely to drop the bit before the base moves even on the cheap ones. If router bed cannot be secured properly the router would not get a safety cert. The bit and collet are the parts that are under strain and usually the part that dont hold bad on cheap routers. That and the bearings.
 
Chili said:
Ha, I just bought that very bit earlier today. But that's not the one you want for routing out cavities. The one you linked is for edge trim work, counter tops, pickguards etc. You need a bit either with the bearing on top (if you want to use a template) or no bearing at all (for freehand work).

I did my cavities freehand. It came out okay.

This one is more useful for template work.
Diablo 1/2 in. x 1 in. Carbide Top-Bearing Flush Trim Router Bit-DR50102 at The Home Depot
The problem with this specific one is your cut depth is at least 1 inch. If you want less, you have to find a shorter bit.

Hopefully, someone with more experience will add more.
Click to expand...

You move the base to give the depth of cut.

You can profile cut off a template with either at top bearing or bottom bearing, it depends where you put the template. To cut cavities you need a top bearing or a top hat fitted to the base and an oversize template aperture to accommodate the difference in diametre of the two.

Later today I will post a few pics of what I would consider an essential router setup for guitar building along with some bits cutters that I think would be indispensable.
 
blaumph2cool said:
EricIndecisive - Yep, i don't have a drill press and probably won't get one anytime soon. so it's gotta be a plunge router.
Click to expand...

A small cheap drill press is about as essential as a router and you don't have to spend big on one of those. Generally you don't put it through as much stress but you will use iot as much. One of the most used tools in my shop is a small 4" reach one I got for about £35. I have a floor standing all adjustable one for bigger more precise stuff but only turn to it for things like through body holes or angle bores.


Chili- thanks. i've seen about 100 youtube videos where they are routing but they don't go into detail on the bits and bearing they use.
Click to expand...

Thats where we come in. Just ask and we can explain.
 
Chili said:
LOL, I couldn't imagine using a drill press to cut out cavities. That would take forever. A router is the perfect tool for that stuff.
Click to expand...

Best way is a combination of the two. Hog out the waste with a forstner, auger or brad point bit and hit the router with a template to finish the edge and bottom. A drill press will remove a tone of stuff just as quick and you can set it to stop at a certain depth.
 
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