O'Brien Guitars - Luthier Tips du Jour- Drill Press Router

[Diesel415]

Robert! Thank you so much for this tip which I applied in another way when I was in a bind. I needed to route a truss rod channel but I didn't have the correct router bit, 7/16" (I order from a new supplier). I modified an old bolt in the manner you described in this video and hardened it. I chucked the 'bit' into my press and slowly routed the truss rod channel, making 6 passes with the bit depth slightly lowered on each pass. I'm amazed at how well this worked! Thanks again for the tip!

[OBrienGuitars]

@Diesel415 Glad it worked for you. Happy Building!

[guitarslf132]

How does Grinding the edge make it cut wood? And does it have to be a decent drill press because i tried this once and the drill just stopped?

[OBrienGuitars]

@guitarslf132 Putting an edge on a piece of HSS makes it cut. I have a small bench top drill press and it works fine.

[Bernhardinho]

can i use this technique to cut out an electric guitar body?

[OBrienGuitars]

@Bernhardinho I guess so but it would take a while. I prefer a router or bandsaw

[Heisenberg85]

How do you become a luthier

[OBrienGuitars]

@Heisenberg85 Put in your time and pay your dues. Just like any other profession, learn your craft well and folks will seek your services. Remember though that just having a pen doesn't make you a journalist. Having tools doesn't make you a luthier.

[TomDodsonMusic]

This is what I love about luthiery, small tips which accumulate to make the whole guitar build run so much smoother, easier and faster, without sacrifice to quality :)

[alvin10388]

what a brilliant idea.thank you so much..

[TonyAab]

An aspect of this technique that i prefer over using a router is the visibility of the cutting action, though i should learn to trust in the router someday!

[martinaxman]

Brilliant. Routers do cut FAST and I have had more than one occasion where it either burnt or fragged. This is a great tip. Thanks.

[cjmabry]

Why would yo use a router or this method? Couldn't you use a bandsaw or jigsaw? Sorry if the question seems stupid I'm still learning haha. I'm guessing it's because you could't cut the curves?

[OBrienGuitars]

@cjmabry you can get more precise cuts with the router. However, you can't cut tight radii with the router bit. I prefer the method I show in the video for safety and tighter radii.

Happy Building!

[troysrob]

cool, thanks!

[themurkar]

Many thanks! Much appreciated, I love your videos. I'm attempting to build my first guitar and these videos have come in VERY handy - I'm attempting to cut out the headstock in the next couple of days so I'm going to try this method on some spare wood pieces and see how it works.

[OBrienGuitars]

@themurkar Thank you for the compliment. I am glad you are finding my videos useful.

[NickedBlade]

Thank you for the truly amazing tip!!!

[OBrienGuitars]

@NickedBlade no problem. I am glad you found it useful.

[HamerFanMan]

If I'm not mistaken, your bit is very much like an engraving bit...one cutting edge..and run at about the same speed that engraving machines usually spin.

[JustWonderingHowToDo]

Why is using a router so dangerous for this task?

[OBrienGuitars]

If you are not careful the router can grab and throw the neck, especially when going across the grain at the top of the peghead

[OBrienGuitars]

I have no experience with this set up. Try it and see if it works.

[OBrienGuitars]

Absolutely. Sometimes I even use it to cut out bridges.

[OBrienGuitars]

I buy drill bit blanks and then grind the angle on the end of the bit. You can use a regular drill bit and grind the solid edge to the correct angle.

[Joropero]

These drills come your way or the changes?

[OBrienGuitars]

Jorge,

Você está falando do video sobre contratensores né? Bem que achei estranha essa palavra mas o pessoal me falou que estava certa. Pois é.

um abraço e Happy building!

[jnacev]

ROB, Jorge aqui do BRASIL exelente mas troque a palavra fundura da tradução por profundidade.só isso tá ótimo.

[OBrienGuitars]

You can certainly try that but my experience has been that it likes to tear out and chip if the bit is close to the edge.

[eggzy43]

why not firstly bandsaw up the the template edge leaving, say a 2.5mm overhang then the chips will have no 'trough' to get trapped in to

[oxtaxordos]

thanx man!

[remedyshade]

if you do it a lot,instead of stopping to remove chips you could also aim a piece of airline at the drill bit with a valve between it. You could even combine it with a vacuum system to keep a clean workspace. (and lungs)

[Papachulo57]

Way to go Robbie. And yet another brilliant idea. I'm putting the binding on now which is my first acoustic guitar. I got some mahogany from Hibdon Hardwood and OM plans from Michael Payne for my second guitar. Can't wait to start it.