Official Luthiers Forum!

I’m curious how many rout out their soundhole after final thicknessing of the top, vs other techniques? I’ve read somewhere of someone routing it out befor final thicknessing (obviously only the back side) and the cut out falling out after a certain thickness vs depth of cut is reached.

After thicknessing for me. I install my rosettes in a .070 channels. I use the same bit in the same router to cut the sound hole. First cut is still .070, then flip the top and route the rest of the way through from the back…

I inlay the rosette, thickness the top, glue on a 'doubler' around the hole, and then cut the hole through the doubler and the top at the same time. The doubler and the braces around the hole go out as far as the edges of the rosette to reinforce the top there.

- Thickness the top
- Install the rosette and soundhole binding
- Level the rosette and soundhole binding
- Rout out the soundhole

_________________
Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

After final thicknessing here too.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Sometimes I do this thing where I inlay a solid ring as the sound hole binding. I do this before final thickness when the top is at ~.140. I make sure the ring is around .125 which will be thicker than the final top. Once the ring is inlaid I cut the sound hole which is a smaller diameter than the ring by .060 leaving a .030” sound hole binding.

Sounds difficult but it’s just difficult to type. Here are a couple pics.





Otherwise, after final thickness. I learned the inlaid sound hole binding here. I can’t remember who shared it, maybe Terry Kennedy, cannot remember.

Actually, here is where I saw it, from Jay and he attributed Rick Davis - viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=49844&start=25

Brad


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

_________________
Insta - https://www.instagram.com/cbcguitars/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cbcguitars

Where does that leave you top thickness? Obviously at least a little under .140” (3.5mm), maybe more.

And perhaps this is a rough thickness snd your final is even less? Thanks

always well under .140…