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I am going to cut a small elliptical soundport in guitar I am working. The sides are quilted maple and I have reinforced the area to be cut with four (4) layer veneer sandwich lamination.

What cutting device do you folks use?

I use a dremel with a fishtail bit to rough it out and them use a sanding wheel to edge up to the line. All by hand with the stewmac base. I'm assuming you could do some fancy fixture, but freehand worked for me.

I use a 1-1/4" brad point forstner bit, then shape with files or whatever's handy....

I do it like Mario
A drill bit then files....but mine is a dogprint soundport

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Mario, which side do you cut from?

Z...I print out the shape I want and just glue this paper template onto the side... then I use a forstner bit that matches the radius of the ends of the ellipse, to drill a hole in each end. Then just connect the dots with a coping saw blade and files. I do all this after the body is built.

long

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

Just retrofitted one in an existing guitar. Again, same as Mario, 1 1/4 forstner for starters, shape with whatever. For my design, I did some further freehand with a Dremel and router base, then finished with sandpaper wrapped around a short length of 1/2" pipe. My first soundport, and I really like the effect!

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

Mario, which side do you cut from?

You've lost me... ?

??

I'm pretty sure Anthony doesn't have the back or top glued on the rims yet, so he's asking what side you drill from: outside or inside.

Anthony, I think what ever you do make sure you have a backing board to take care of any possible chip out from the bit cutting through the exit side. Make an inside block like the spreader blocks, drill from the outside in. The convex curve on the outside will more easily hold the tip of the fostner bit where as the inside concave bend will not contact the tip first rather the outside edges of the bit.

I seem to recall that Howard has a hole in his outside mold for guiding his drill for cutting his soundports.

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

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(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

I am sure its buried in the archives, but a few months back I posted the jig I use .... template of the port shape with a clamping rig under it, which clamps against the top and back .. or the edges of the sides if they arent on yet. I dont cut them in now until the guitar is ready for pore fill round 2. Besides, the Luthier tool purfling cutter jig will fall into the hole if done any earlier.

So, the jig, then a lam trimmer with a guide collar, you pick the size and that determines how big the port will be, and a 1/4 inch downcut spiral. I have cut ports into finished guitars with this rig, and not even chipped/marked the finish (Z - I recently made the Dragonfly port larger ... not a scratch). When doing this, I finish the edge of the hole with some danish oil.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

AZ .. check the Rod True post .. I posted the jig pic in there.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I use a drill-piloted hole saw, then files. After sawing and before the filing I add laminate reinforcment on the inside.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Not me. I usually don't build with the sides in a mold. I bore freehand from the inside, holding the outside against a backing block (an outside mold can be the backer). Helps to have an angle drill for working in a tight space.

If you are using a Forstner (or its sawtooth variants) bore from the inside. Seems counterintuitive at first; usually you want to enter a bore from the side that shows, since the splitting is on the exit. But that's for flat pieces. The important thing here is that when you bore from the inside of a curved piece, you are cutting downslope to the grain, while from the outside, you hit the grain cutting upslope. I was surprised at first that I had more chipping boring from the outside until I thought about it.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I'm ramping up for my first build and this topic is really interesting to me. All of you seem to be cutting the port after the sides have been bent. Why is that? It seems that it would be much easier to make the cut and then bend the wood. I suppose there's an increased risk of breakage doing it that way but I would think that keeping the wood damp enough would guard against that.

Oh and thanks for the great forum, I've been lurking for a while I've studying up for my first build.

-Jim

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-Jim Wick

well Jim .. if you saw my jig in use, where it takes all of three minutes to set up and make the cut .. I cant possibly see how its any easier. Plus if you do it before you bend, you better have the sides marked out exactly for the waist, and where the port will be, and centred top to back etc .... then hope its where you want it afterwards. Not saying it cant be done, but its certainly not easier.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Ah yes I see your point. I will now be adding that jig to my build list. Thanks for the response.

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-Jim Wick

Gents, thank you all for your timely and helpful replies. I am now torn between using a forstner bit or making a jig as Tony showed in Rod's thread. Decisions...decisions all of which made easier with the guidance provided. I really appreciate the help.

Cheers,
Anthony

AZ, make one of those jigs like Tony's, we can try it out on Grace next weekend when I'm out there

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Rod -- better idea -- why don't we just borrow Tony's

Who is Grace?

Actually, Tony's jig got me to thinking of making one that will do soundports and end-grafts with just a change of routing templates.

Your right, we'll borrow Tony's

Grace is my latest guitar which I'll be bringing with me, hope there's room at the inn with all the great guitars at your place for her.

I think that's a great idea, to make one for muti use end grafts/sound ports.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I pencil my design/shape on the guitar after the body is done and free hand it with a dremel. Then I finish it with small files and sandpaper. I reinforce it with veneer after the sides are lined.
-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

I use a nice sharp drill that is less than 1/8" and drill many holes around the inside of the perimeter. Then I cut out the hole with a home made saw and sand to shape with a 3/4" sanding drum.
Make sure your drill and saw are sharp, especially the saw, or you can split the wood.
Don't ask me how I know this.

Here is a picture.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.