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Topic: What Do You Use To Cut Out Body? |
James Honberger
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2015 8:56 am |
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Cutting out the body shapes by hand is getting old for me. Obviously there is more sanding/scraping involved as well. What are you builders here using for cutting out the body/neck. Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced band saw that does a good job?
JH
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Jim Myers
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2015 9:16 am Cutting out the body shape.
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Most any 14 inch band saw will work if it is set up properly. Since you're in Pennsylvania you might want to check out Grizzly, they have a showroom in Muncie. They have a lot of instrument making machinery and the owner has built a few acoustic guitars. Jim
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George Piburn
From:
The Land of Enchantment New Mexico
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James Hartman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2015 10:39 am Re: Cutting out the body shape.
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| Jim Myers wrote: |
| Most any 14 inch band saw will work if it is set up properly. Since you're in Pennsylvania you might want to check out Grizzly, they have a showroom in Muncie. They have a lot of instrument making machinery and the owner has built a few acoustic guitars. Jim |
A company called Woodcraft (woodcraft.com) has stores in several parts of PA. They have a showroom where you might be able to actually try out, or at least see and perhaps have demoed, a variety of smaller bandsaws suitable to the home shop. Do some serious comparison shopping before purchase.
Steer clear of the small/cheap "hobbyist" bandsaws - the motors are weak and stall easily, making many jobs difficult. Also, the less expensive bandsaws often have flimsy tables, making accurate work nearly impossible. |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Posted 30 Jan 2015 3:12 pm
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Hard to beat a good and well setup bandsaw with an emphasis on the well setup part. As was mentioned, 14" is a good size and if you keep your eye on Craigs list, you can often find some great deals.
That said, a good bandsaw is only one piece of the woodworking puzzle. Its a great tool to have, but keep in mind that it does not make finish cuts and there still will be tons of sanding, routing, and planing that needs done.
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2015 8:57 pm
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if i only was able to have two machines.....band saw and a 6" jointer. you can just about make anything you want in regards to a lap steel with those. radial arm would be next. i dont like table saws.
you should be able to find an import 14" bandsaw for a $100. heck, i have bought some rockwell ones for that.
example. i just googled craigslist bandsaw. here is a $50 machine that would be perfect! http://baltimore.craigslist.org/tls/4870578202.html |
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Don Poland
From:
Hanover, PA.
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Posted 31 Jan 2015 8:37 am
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| James, after seeing the George Board video's, I think I'd take George up on his offer to cut/route them for me. Unless you are going to be making large quantities of these, it is hard to recoup the cost of good equipment for a shop. |
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Greg Moynihan
From:
Bremerton, Washington, USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2015 10:05 am
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Rough cutting on the bandsaw, then finishing with a router and a template is SOP for a lot of builders.
While I have a router, I'm often deterred by all the planning, set-up, and safety logistics. I discovered this oscillating belt/spindle sander a few years back, and it is so quick and casual, it has become my favorite bench tool. It removes saw marks, rounds/chamfers edges and corners, and is handy for grinding a bit of metal here and there:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-120-Volt-Oscillating-Edge-Belt-Spindle-Sander-EB4424/100061671
Similarly, a drum or spindle sander head on a cordless drill or die grinder should help for finishing edges, and at some point I want to try a hand-held belt sander and/or angle grinder to make some large contoured shapes... |
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James Honberger
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 4 Mar 2015 5:19 am
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Thanks everyone for the input, and excuse me for taking so long to reply. I have been trying to catch up on my projects, which seems to be never ending.
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Founder and CEO of The National Council of Stragglers |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 6 Mar 2015 3:56 pm
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| I do it like Greg said...rough cut on the band saw, and use a template & router table. Even did a Corian guitar that way.. |
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John Ehrensperger
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2015 7:34 pm Bandsaw
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| Rikon makes a little 10" bandsaw that should work fine for this application so long as you don't rush it. Highland Woodworking sells it for $200. I also have a big 18" Steel City, but this little Rikon is very handy and doesn't take up much room in the shop. |
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James Honberger
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 16 Mar 2015 6:17 am
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Thanks John, I appreciate your input. Don't know which way I'm going with this yet, so for now I'll keep doggin' it.
JH
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_________________
Founder and CEO of The National Council of Stragglers |
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