Official Luthiers Forum!

have the Dewalt trimmer for routing binding ledge but was wondering about using it for the rosette channels as well.

Thinking i could somehow use this LMI tool if i can figure out how to attach it to the Dewalt base...
http://www.lmii.com/products/media-gift ... attachment

Other than that, anyone have a suggestion for a circle cutter that can be used with this trimmer? I'd like to keep it sub $200

in lieu of that, i'll just use the hand cutter and a chisel...
http://www.lmii.com/products/tools-serv ... cle-cutter

And while we're at it... any other suggestions for handy-dandy jigs for that trimmer would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I like the Dewalt, you can get a low runout collet from precise bits.
I bit the bullet and ran down a Porter Cable PC310 and a Bishop-Cochrane base, it was worth every penny.

Congrats on choosing a trimmer!

Sylvan Wells makes a great circle cutting jig. I used one before getting the Bishop Cochrane base, and it worked great.

I made a copy of the Wells-Karol circle cutting jig and love it. It was pretty easy to make (took a couple hours if that) and has great accuracy and precision when using it with my colt router and a precise collet. You can see a video on making it here
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9oRqUK-CMIo
Or I believe Wells has some for sale on his website if you want to go that route
http://www.wellsguitars.com/Available_Instruments/Luthier_Tools.html

Making it is not a bad option though I would not use UHMW plastic again but would go with a tougher substance

Kent

Circle cutter:

Saddle mill:


Both with zero-backlash micro-adjusters, both shop-made.

_________________
Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

So this is actually the blessing and the curse of this place... Somebody like me with the minimum skillset can actually look at what you post and think..."hey... i just might be able to DO that!"... but now i got to go make one...

So while the wells' cutter has a great price... you guys have inspired me to give it a go. kjaffrey, thanks for the link to Chris Paulicks videos. Those really were the deciding factor.

Trevor - thanks for the pictures, truly worth the thousand words, but i'm having some difficulty figuring out how your circle cutter works.

It looks to me like the router, and the two narrow blocks are all screwed down to the acrylic base. that means the larger block moves back and forth and so the center pin must be attached to that. I am guessing there's a piece of acrylic that fits in the large slot and its attached to the moving block and the pin is set into that somehow. I see what looks like a screw inside the router viewing area. Is that the pin? Do you have a picture of the underside of this rig? I also see what appears to be a notch in the underside of the block nearest the router. If that's to allow the center pin to pass through that block, then i am wrong about the screw in the viewing area being the set pin. So i am missing something.


So i can see me making some version of these two... mainly because i am unsure whether a drill press is adequate for drilling the aluminium and where i would get blocks that size, So i will probably use hardwood blocks.

Thanks again for the ideas!!

Yes.

Yes. The large aluminium block rides in linear bearings (overkill).

Yes.

Its an M6 countersunk cap screw that holds the 10mm diameter pivot pin in place. The pivot pin can be relocated so that extra-small or extra-large circles can be cut

That's just a hole which acts as support for that end of the screw adjuster.

Sorry!

It's pretty precise!

_________________
Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

Got It!
No need for "sorry", This is perfect!

Now the problem will be to do it justice!

Thank you all again!

Rob

Sorry this is off topic, but I'm trying to wrap my head around this one. . .

Just for the hell of it here's another. Charles Fox showed us this when I took his course in 2004. I made one and it served me very well until I sprung for a Bishop Cochran base a couple of years ago.

_________________
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Used in conjunction with this jig:

The fence rides between the rails...

The jig on the guitar can also be used clamped to a bench with a bridge blank in the "letterbox". That's how I make classical bridges.

Copious detail, more pics etc. in the book.

_________________
Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

Terrence, thanks for those pics....

I had come up with something similar that I am in the process of building. For a second I thought you stole my thunder because I also eliminated the rails and setscrews etc., but what I have will keep the micro adjustment of the Wells-Karol jig and the simplicity of the Fox base. Of course, with all the maniacal engineers on this site, I am sure there's 12 other variations out there.

Now I just need some bench time...

Yup, plan on getting the book - let me clear some ukes. . .

And I thought mine was slick with the back angle caul. I like how the fence is in the rails - surprised you didn't over kill with the linear bearings there. . . Hmmm.