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Man, that's a cool idea. Wonder if you could use an electric motor instead of your router? Love the casters idea to help keeping it straight.

_________________
"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

I don't see why not. If I build one into my work bench I was going to use a slow rpm. motor with a drive roller McMaster Carr. You would need to make a motor bracket with a spring tension adjustment something like on a contractors table saw. I also planned on putting the drive roller in one of the corners instead of one of the casters. I think it would make for a clean look and remove one less caster. I'd also step up the casters to have bearings.

Chris,
Great idea. Wonderful tutorial.
I'm working on building one of these right now.

This link to help anyone doing the with the math.
http://www.1728.com/circsect.htm

Really the circle calculator has helped me for a couple years in figuring all kinds of cool stuff related to the various radii on the guitar.

Dave

Thanks for adding the link here Dave. That will help. Here also is a spread sheet that Massimiliano Monterosso made up.
http://www.maxmonte.com/utilities/radiusing.xls

What do you use for the abrasive? What rind of sand paper will conform to the convex geometry?

You can glue on strips across the dish or buy 24" sanding disc that are used for sanding wood floors or get them from Blues creek guitars. The radius of the dome isn't that small to affect the paper as it conforms with no problem.