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Good stuff Chris!

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Thanks Rod.

Chris,

Another good one. I like how in this video you mentioned what type of blades you were using. For the Plexi, is there any specific kind you use? I see several varieties available. Does it matter for what we are doing?

Also how far outside of the line do you bandsaw the plexi before you trim it to the final dimension with the router?

John

Great stuff Chris..I've followed all of your tutorial videos and made the Tony/Karol precision router base, the binding router jig and I've just finished making the jig for cutting the curved pieces of abalam this very evening. It took a lot of setting up but I got there in the end doing practice cuts on some thin plywood. I don't have a 3/16th blade on my bandsaw but it worked fine with my 3/8th, and 6tpi blade.
I've also made the centreline finder which I copied, some time back, from Luthier Supplies' website.
Your tutorial on inlaying the abalam purfling I find most valuable and I intend to use your method
for my first abalam inlay .

Regards,
Bill

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Dream to be a luthier

Bill, I'd get the smallest and most teeth per inch blade you can for cutting the shell. A 1/8" blade would be ok. Although I have a 1/32"blade on mine. Olson quict making them as they called them scroll blades so I ordered the last 2 that I could find. When they break I'll have to step it up to 1/8" if I can't find someone who makes them. The thinner keft the better too as shell is becoming pretty costly and the less waste the better. Also make sure you vacuum the dust up as you cut it. That dust is not good for you and have a micron filter on the vacuum so the fine dust doesn't just get blown around the shop and in your lungs.
John, I have always used carbide toothed blades to cut Plexi on the table saw and the more teeth the better and less chipping I guess. That blade I have on the saw now is a blade for cutting 2 sided malamine and finish plywood. Freud and was a $120 blade but I've used other 80 thooth blades in the past. You can google plexi glass or Acrylic and get information on working with it. As far as the bandsaw I think that 3 or 4tpi works alright. The more tpi will get jambed up with melted acrylic and just melt it. I might have been better off slowing the speed down too. But it works ok the speed it is and I don't have to hassle with changing the setup. I cut as close to the line as I can without hitting it but don't like to get any more 1/16"- 3/32" if I can help it. The less there is to remove then the less chance of the router bit grabbing it and the less wear on the router bit. And it's good practice to try and hug the outside of the pencil line. An 1/4" or 3/8" blade would have been better also but I don't like to have change the blades unless I have too and the 1/2" has been on there for awhile. I might change it to a 1/4" tonight as I'm making another bending form.

Another fine quality Paulick video. Thanks Chris, you're a real treasure to the forum.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

I'll second that motion

Hey Chris,
Can you show us how you make a side template?

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

What do you mean by a side template? One that is flat used for pre profiling a side before bending it? Or one bent in plexi to layout for ribrest or armrest or soundports? The first one I made by putting craft paper to the side of an guitar like I was building ,in my case my J-45 and tracing it. Sorry, but I cheated.
There are some tuts here on that subject. Making side templates and not cheating.

A 4' X 8' sheet of 1/4" or .220" polycarbonate goes for $140 from my plastic supplier. But I buy the cutoffs when they are available and depending on what I'm going to use them for. I don't like anything under the .220". The thin stuff is alright if you are just going to trace a pattern but pretty useless for routing and I'm always routing. I would have used the polycarbonate for the body template but there wasn't any cutoffs that wide so I figured the plexi would work for this case. When it gets down to it then it's always a matter of cost ,use and availability. Even the plexi is a step up from the 1/4"mdf.
As far as finding a supplier. The samething is true about a metal supplier. I finally found one a 1/2 mile from the plastic supplier. Cutoffs are a good thing.

But the .090" would be good for these tracing templates and brace layout templates. Thanks for the note Todd.