What Small Router for guitar and pickups routing?

[Durrant Pickups]

Yeah I always like to say it's not machinery that hurts people it's people who aren't fully focused on the machine that hurt themselves. A guy I used to work with was a woodwork teacher and told me a student used a docking saw with the grain parallel to the blade itwas hard wood and the the blade followed the grain pulling his hand in and cut half way up his hand. Also another guy was using a jointer and hit a knot, he had his hands above the blade when it kicked the wood out and he lost 3 fingers.

[David Schwab]

I always use pushers when working with jointers, etc. Keeps your fingers out of harm's way. He must have been taking very deep passes to have that happen. Plus there is a blade guard on a jointer.

[SonnyW]

I actually own a Sears Craftsman router that I bought back in about 1980 that sill works great.

David, don't feel like the Lone Ranger, I have one of the 1HP Craftsman Routers also and it is about the same age and still works great too. I use it in a router table 90% of the time. I have a dremel set up for plunge as well that I hardly ever use.

Here are mine: The attachment on the Craftsman is for dropping it into the router table. The same table also can accept a skill saw and a saber saw. It is pretty handy for my small shop.

[ken]

I have three Craftsman routers a little older than David's myself. I use one with a light installed on it for routing pickup pockets and neck joints in bodies, and two others with 12" diameter round acrylic plates bolted to their bases for routing the body edges on Teles and Strats.

They are dependable and still relatively easy to find at estate or garage sales, but they are sorta fiddly when you want to rout a very accurate depth. Luckily they are usually so cheap that if they do finally break I can just cannibalize them for parts and throw them away.

Now if i can just find parts for a thirty+ year old Bosch 3 HP? industrial router, I'd be a happy man indeed.

ken

[David Schwab]

Lots of old routers still in use! I have a Dremel I bought back in '95 or so that still works great.

[Joe Gwinn]

Yes, ALWAYS unplug a power tool and have the end of the plug in view when you change cutters. Ah, routers are NOTHING after you have used a jointer. That's like looking into the jaws of hell. lol (and that says nothing about trying to change blades in those things… enough to age you a few years)

Jointers are bad, and shapers worse. The sound is terrifying, and the bit spins so fast you won't feel it trimming your hand. It's when you notice the spatter of blood and look that you'll know.

But more people injure themselves on table saws, probably because they are so common. But my theory was always that the terrifying sound of a shaper kept people alert and focused.

[copperheadroads]

I had 3 craftsman routers from the 80's & 90's & all 3 went in the dump

[David Schwab]

Jointers are bad, and shapers worse. The sound is terrifying, and the bit spins so fast you won't feel it trimming your hand. It's when you notice the spatter of blood and look that you'll know.

But more people injure themselves on table saws, probably because they are so common. But my theory was always that the terrifying sound of a shaper kept people alert and focused.

I've never had a table saw, but my friend does, so when we had it at the shop he always operated it. I did have a very large shaper. You have to keep you eye on where you hands are at all times.

As scary as the jointer was, I actually thought it was fairly safe, as long as you were not pushing small pieces with your hands.

I've injured myself on my belt sander more times than anything else.

[Joe Gwinn]

I've never had a table saw, but my friend does, so when we had it at the shop he always operated it. I did have a very large shaper. You have to keep you eye on where you hands are at all times.

As scary as the jointer was, I actually thought it was fairly safe, as long as you were not pushing small pieces with your hands.

I've injured myself on my belt sander more times than anything else.

I've nicked myself on sanders and bandsaws too.

I also have an industrial lathe - they can be fairly quiet, but can be very dangerous if they catch your clothing (or hair, if you have long hair - I don't) and pull you in.

[walcen]

Thanks Andrew, I've been hunting around for one lately and you are correct, InternationalTool.com do have what I want at a reasonable price. Now I just need some one to buy it for me and send it over because it seems International Tool only ship Internationally if you reside in the US or CA. I've just emailed them and we'll see what comes of it.

regards

Walt

Hi Walcen

Yes they do Bosch GKF 600 060160A100 220V 1 Hp Palm Router

But I am well happy with my Makita RT0700c

Cheers

Andrew

[John_H]

This is the biggest router jig I've ever built. I want to take my guitar building to the next level, and this should get a lot of use. The router is the first plunge router I ever bought. A Ryobi from the mid 80's.

[ken]

This is the biggest router jig I've ever built. I want to take my guitar building to the next level, and this should get a lot of use. The router is the first plunge router I ever bought. A Ryobi from the mid 80's.

Neato jig. I wish I would have thought of that when I made my chambered Tele. Have you had any issues with the Ryobi's plunge feature?

I'm trying to get to 'the next level' too, but right now I'm working on truss rod fixtures.

ken

[John_H]

Neato jig. I wish I would have thought of that when I made my chambered Tele.

Thanks ken, I copied it from a picture I saw, but I came up with the adjustable mount. It can be rigged at a very precise taper, and adjusts without any shimming.

Have you had any issues with the Ryobi's plunge feature?

I bought that old Ryobi in about 1985 when I had a bunch of stairways to build. It's a kickass tool, really heavy duty. The motor on it burned out about 20 years ago when I was working in Beverly Hills, and I had it rebuilt by a shop in Santa Monica. Other than that I've been using it for nearly thirty years. I'm sure it'll outlast me. I have a newer Ryobi also. It's a decent tool, but I don't see it lasting 25 years.

I'm trying to get to 'the next level' too, but right now I'm working on truss rod fixtures.

ken

Cool, I've got a simple solution if you want to see how I do them. I make my own single action truss rods. I don't think there is anything else as stable.

[big_teee]

Thinking of pulling the Trigger on one of these.
Shop DEWALT 2.25-HP Variable Speed Combo Fixed/Plunge Corded Router at Lowes.com
or maybe this one?
Shop DEWALT 2.25-HP Variable Speed Combo Fixed/Plunge Corded Router at Lowes.com
Your thoughts?
T

[SonnyW]

I recently got the compact 1.25 hp version of that second combo, Model DEP611PK. I really have liked it so far. I don't use the plunge attachment much, and I also got the round sub-base attachment and the centering cone. I think the 1.25 hp is plenty and I like the variable speed for routing out templates. The ratcheting type of spindle lock for tightening the collet is pretty nice once I finally figured it out. I don't do all that much routing, but when I do it is usually with the round sub-base. I like to use the Porter Cable type of inserts sometimes, and they don't fit in the D-shaped sub-base, but they do fit in the round one. I have a set of the steel Porter Cable inserts, but what I like better is the inexpensive brass ones from Harbor Freight because I can grind them down to the thickness I need to match my templates. Here's s few pics of it in action on the next to last job I did with it. I don't have a photo, but the last job I did with it was a Gibson type truss rod cover so it is pretty versatile.