Chambered and Capped

<p><a href="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/02-body08.jpg"><img width="180" vspace="10" hspace="20" height="135" align="left" class="trigger" alt="" src="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/large_02-body08.jpg" /></a></p> <p>&nbsp;With the maple cap glued up and drying, it's time to jump onto the main walnut body for the tele style.</p> <p>I grabbed the ever hated router with the most hated bit - a rather nasty 2&quot; cutting depth <a href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000029795051&amp;pid=36296&amp;adurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rockler.com%2Fproduct.cfm%3Fpage%3D18720%26utm_source%3DGoogleBase%26utm_medium%3Daff%26utm_campaign%3DGAN&amp;usg=AFHzDLszbhaEOr52HXl0y3zFumJ9LCFiPg&amp;pubid=21000000000279522">Freud flush trimming bit</a>.&nbsp; It's 3/4&quot; in diameter, has a 1/2&quot; shank, and is a serious bit - I&nbsp;love Freud tools, I've always been impressed with their quality.&nbsp; This bit really belongs in a router table, but my router table is too pitiful to handle such a manly thing.&nbsp; I'm not afraid to tell you, using this bit freehand scares the bejeezus outta me...&nbsp; but then again, I am more of a hand tool guy.</p> <!--break--> <p><a href="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/02-body09.jpg"><img width="180" vspace="10" hspace="20" height="135" align="right" src="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/large_02-body09.jpg" alt="" class="trigger" /></a></p> <p>&nbsp;So, I screwed the template to my cutout, and clamped the whole affair to my bench and went to work.&nbsp; I&nbsp;would be remiss if I didn't also point out the mistakes along the way...&nbsp; There will be many, I'm sure, but hopefully readers can learn from them as much as I...</p> <p>It went pretty well except for the one spot - a usual trouble spot when using such a testosterone-laden chunk of carbide and steel.&nbsp; It's not too bad - I can sand some of it out, and fill what's left, more on that later.</p> <p>&nbsp;So - the walnut I have is OK, but it's rather heavy.&nbsp; I decided I would chamber the body - remove wood where it's not important to the function of the guitar.</p> <p><a href="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/03-tele01.jpg"><img width="180" vspace="10" hspace="20" height="135" align="left" src="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/large_03-tele01.jpg" alt="" class="trigger" /></a></p> <p>&nbsp;There is a precedent - Fender produces a line of guitars known as &quot;Thinline&quot; that are essentially hollowed out in the same manner, with an F-hole carved through the top on one side.</p> <p>&nbsp;I'm not going to do the f-hole, but I will be chambering the body.&nbsp; I first mark out the body, and drill out the majority of the waste with a forstner bit.</p> <p><a href="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/03-tele02.jpg"><img width="180" vspace="10" hspace="20" height="135" align="right" src="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/large_03-tele02.jpg" alt="" class="trigger" /></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;A router with a pattern bit finished up the job, and the body is ready for the top to be glued to it.&nbsp; For that. I use Franklin's hide glue - I would use hot glue, but the extended time the bottled stuff allows is nice once in while.&nbsp;&nbsp; That - and lots of clamps:</p> <p><a href="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/03-tele03.jpg"><img width="180" vspace="10" hspace="20" height="135" align="left" src="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/large_03-tele03.jpg" alt="" class="trigger" /></a></p> <p>&nbsp;Once the glue dries I'll trim the&nbsp; maple cap flush with the walnut.&nbsp; It's at this point that I realized I'd forgotten to route the wiring channels (to run wires between the pickups and control cavity) before gluing on the cap.&nbsp; No big deal, it just would have been an easy thing to do, but now I'll just have to drill holes in the same manner as one would normally on a solid body with no cap.</p> <p>&nbsp;Next up, I&nbsp;routed the outline of the strat body to the template.&nbsp; Same basic procedure, but no cap, I just have to route the body to the template.&nbsp; I screwed the template to the body and went to work:&nbsp;<a href="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/04-strat01.jpg"><img width="180" vspace="10" hspace="20" height="135" align="right" src="http://norsewoodsmith.com/files/images/casters/start/large_04-strat01.jpg" alt="" class="trigger" /></a></p> <p>It went better this time - I took a little more care and prepped it a little better, using the oscillating sander to sand the body as close to the template line as I dared.&nbsp; In hindsight, I wonder if using the behemoth pattern bit is really that wise - it might have been better to make several rounds by taking a little bit at a time with a smaller, less aggressive bit.&nbsp; Or to use a decent router table instead of freehanding it.</p> <p>Anyway, in the next post I'll route the control and pickup cavities for both bodies.</p>