Saw the top rim off?

[viento]

Somehow I always get the top rim overhang off.
So far I used a flexible japanese saw.
But maybe someone has another even better idea for this?



Btw,I put the tapes on the sides against the drops of fish glue that keep creeping down if I´m not watching.

[TomB'sox]

Can't you/shouldn't you use a router with a flush bit for this?

[viento]

Yes, that would be another solution and could be more clean.
I´ll have to be very careful that I don´t make any tear outs.

[BradHall]

Yes, you do have to be careful, but it is not difficult to do so. You need to make router passes in the proper direction. There is a diagram somewhere I’ll try to find and post later. Personally I never leave that much overhang of the top plate. I see no advantage and the possibility of snapping a section off by accident is increased.

[Fathand]

There are diagrams that show you doing downhill and climb cuts on different parts of the guitar that seem to work and minimize "runaway router" on the climbing portions.

https://www.woodmagazine.com/tool-re...ting-explained

I find using all climb cuts works for me. That is running the router clockwise around the guitar so the blade is always rotating in the direction where it already cut so there is little wood to grab, starting at the far side of the waist and moving towards the lower bout first. I was able to rout for 1/16" binding and 1/8" purfling at the same time with a combination bit with no tear out this way.

I have even less problem with runaway router since I built a binding cutting jig, same principle as the LMI version. I can hold on to the whole guitar with both hands far away from the router.

To minimize overhang, I cut the top and back only about 1/4" oversize by tracing around my template with a pencil in a washer about 1/2" diameter. Sometimes you can cut off some of the excess overhang on the bandsaw.

Using smaller dia. flush cut bits like 5/16" takes a smaller bite to minimize tear out and you dont have to take it all off in one pass.

Good Luck

[mirwa]

I would, flip it upside down and bandsaw it closer to the edge, i then follow up wih a router for a flush or recessed edge

I would not attempt to route that as is, to much risk of tearing the top out regardless of experience

Steve

[nikpearson]

The suggestion to get your plates just slightly oversize in the first place is a good one, and the washer trick around a template a fast way of doing this.

If you have a bandsaw then you can cut the plate much closer with little risk. If not you could use a fret saw to achieve the same result. I try to use my palm router as little as possible - it’s noisy and not a little scary - so tend to finish off with a sharp chisel and small block plane, taking note of the grain direction.

[viento]

Thank you very much for your suggestions,
especially for the link: https://www.woodmagazine.com/tool-re...ting-explained

Very interesting information!

Btw, my bandsaw hasn´t got enough passage height (12cm/4,72")...it´s a smaller multifunction one but normally sufficient.

[viento]

The routing was successful.
Next routing will be for the stripes of linings, abalone etc.
Maybe I´ll have to get a new router bit as the old one isn´t very sharp anymore.

[phavriluk]

I've done as Mirwa suggests to trim back the top and bottom plates on my builds.I use a handheld HF router with a flushcutting router bit permanently installed. Router's not much good for anything else and it does this nonprecision job just fine and it's dirt cheap, less expensive than any rotary tool.

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by viento

Btw, my bandsaw hasn´t got enough passage height (12cm/4,72")...it´s a smaller multifunction one but normally sufficient.

I removed the upper blade guide on my bandsaw that had 6.5" capacity. I installed a home made hardwood guide inside and can now re-saw up to 8.25"

https://flic.kr/p/2n3Rhqa

[viento]

Removing the upper blade guide would gain me 2" or 3" I´ll have to try that.
But for this time everything is done.

[redir]

I use a chisel to get it close then a flush cut set up on my Dremel.

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by BradHall

Yes, you do have to be careful, but it is not difficult to do so. You need to make router passes in the proper direction. There is a diagram somewhere I’ll try to find and post later. Personally I never leave that much overhang of the top plate. I see no advantage and the possibility of snapping a section off by accident is increased.

Here's the one from StewMac. Basically you have to make climbing cuts in a few spots to avoid tearout. Though, I'd probably trim it closer than the pic you shared before I went at it with a router.

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by phavriluk

I've done as Mirwa suggests to trim back the top and bottom plates on my builds.I use a handheld HF router with a flushcutting router bit permanently installed. Router's not much good for anything else and it does this nonprecision job just fine and it's dirt cheap, less expensive than any rotary tool.

This is a $26 Cdn. Router purchased from amazon, does a great job of cutting precision binding ledges. All the precision is in the pattern bit.