How can I make a template from an object for copying?

[Justin Cavender]

I just bought a cheapie fender guitar that I want to take apart and make templates out of how would I go about that without damaging the guitar?

[Justin Cavender]

Is there no guitar makers on here?

[Brian Kent]

Guitar makers are still asleep from their Saturday night gigs.

[Phil Phelps]

A cheapie? What did you get and what is cheap? Taking it apart without damage is not a problem. Putting it back together, properly set up, can be. You can actually trace the guitar outline on paper and make a profile. You'll see where a router is needed and you can trace the outline of that, too. If it is a contour body, you can measure the thickness, length and width and transfer those to the new stock.

[Justin Cavender]

it is a thinline squier telecaster I want hard patterns on either acrylic or mdf I have been setting guitars up for years so that is not a problem the goal is to have a pattern that I can use flush trim bits off of. and I paid 225 for it.

[David Keller NC]

Justin - One thing to think about is that if the guitar is for you, no problem. If you're copying it to sell to someone else, you could potentially get into copyright issues.

Anyway, one way to do what you're asking is to rig a light fixture that is relatively diffuse (ie., a fluorescent strip light rather than a halogen point source) above the object you want to copy, prop the piece up 4", and place a wide piece of white paper on the table surface. Tracing the shadow cast by the object is then quite easy.

[Julian Nicks]

Just trace the guitar onto a piece of paper, then attach it to a piece of hardboard for a template, and cut it out, sand the edges smooth. I don't see what is so hard about what you are asking?

[Peter Stahl]

If you trace it, cut close to the line then tape it or clamp it to the guitar. Use a bottom bearing bit so you are riding on the nice new flat MDF. As cheap as MDF is it's worth trying verses the tracing, cutting and sanding. Flush cut router bit would be way easier, at least for me. Never made a guitar, what's it cost for working parts to make one.

[Bill Huber]

I am not sure this would work for your needs but here is how I make my templates, I use 1/2 inch MDF.

1. Take brown paper and trace the original to it.
2. Us 3m spray glue and glue it to some MDF.
3. Cut the template out with the band saw, close but not on the line.
4. Sand and get all edges smooth and right to the line.
5. Check and make sure it is just like the original and sand more if needed.

To make a part.

1. Use 2 sided tape and attach the template to the wood I will use.
2. With a band saw template pin (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18055&filter=band%20saw%20pin) cut it out, leaving about 1/16 inches.
3. With an flush trim bit finish it up.

[Doug Shepard]

You might be able to directly make a template from MDF without the paper tracing first. I would blue tape any portion of the guitar edge that would make contact but a bearing guided bit in a router could cut the outside. As to the cavities, if you have all the parts out, you could fill them with graphite then turn everything over and tap/shake it against the MDF to mark the outlines then vacuum out the powder afterwards. This all assumes that the top surface of the guitar is flat. Not too sure but I think a Tele is flat. Clamping the MDF to the guitar so it doesn't move while you're doing this would also need be done carefully so you dont damage anything.

[Chip Lindley]

Justin! You picked the easiest profile ever to trace! Telecasters have square(not Squire) edges and flat tops/bottoms. NO 3-D profiling at ALL, but for the recesses for controls, pickups and the neck. Your pattern should be traceable by laying the guitar *FLAT* on the medium you wish to draw on!

(Edit) Bill Huber has the best suggestion for tracing and laying out to make a template. DO NOT try to tape anything to the guitar or use a guided router bit along its edges! This is JUST NOT DONE! Have some respect in memory of Leo Fender!

As for copyright infringement, there are Zillions of Telecaster and Stratocaster body-shapes wearing other makers necks. The Fender trademark must be the shape of their tuning heads. IF Fender body-shapes were copyrighted, the whole Music World would be liable!!

[Justin Cavender]

no chip it is a down line fender squier brand. lots of good ideas though. Thanks everyone:)

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

a pencil & cardboard.

Hey~!! It's an electric Guitar~!! It's all about locating the pickups buying the right ones and the neck and string action.

Dey ain't no templerumates fer dat sort o' ting

[Justin Cavender]

I beg to differ cliff guitarbuildingtemplates.com check that out this is what i am trying to come up with I bought two sets from him and they work great see my avatar but it takes around three months to get them from him. What would be the possible dangers in the blue tape flush trim idea of making these It is a relatively nice guitar for what I paid for it and I dont want to mess it up.:D

[Brent Gamble]

I've built several Tele and Strat-style guitars. I bought my pickup cavity and bridge/trem templates from Stewart McDonald. They are made from lexan, are durable and in my experience dead accurate. Just another way to go.

[Dan Gill]

It's not square or a squier. It's a Squire. I think tracing on a piece of paper or cardboard, then transferring that to hardboard or MDF is the way to go. You can use spray adhesive to attach the paper.

[Billy Chambless]

It's not square or a squier. It's a Squire.

http://www.squierguitars.com/


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squier

[george wilson]

I have made a simple tool for tracing objects that do not lay flat,like gunstocks. Light is not the answer,as it diverges,making your "traced" object larger,or distorted.

Take a piece of wood 3/4" X 4" X 4". Clamp the piece of wood the tall sides up in a drill press vise. Drill a hole diagonally from one corner down to come out NEAR the bottom of the other side. This hole will be over 4" deep,and should fit a pencil pushed through it,or plane the pencil to fit the hole snugly.

On the edge where the pencil will come out near the bottom of the block of wood,saw the vertical edge of the block into a "V" shape,that coincides with the center of the pencil's lead.

When the pencil is sharpened,it should be in line with the vertical "V" shape in the side of the block,and also touch the paper it is laid upon at the same time.

As you pass the V shaped edge around your object,holding the bottom of the wood down against the paper nice and flat,the pencil will draw the true shape of the object upon the paper.

This makes sense,I hope.

[Dan Gill]

http://www.squierguitars.com/


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squier

Sorry. My bad. Don't these folks know how to spell?:D

[Billy Chambless]

Sorry. My bad. Don't these folks know how to spell?:D


Probably not.

Now you've got me wondering how they came up with that spelling of that name. Maybe it was a typo that got out of control?

[Chip Lindley]

Your Squier is Square!! (Proper nouns can have any spelling! In this case poor spellers get a break!) Check out the *flat* sides intersecting the *flat* top and bottom at a 90deg. angle!!

Some things never change. The CLOWN holds a new Fender Squier! Other photo is of my personal Fender Custom Telecaster which was *Wayy Used* when I bought it in 1967!

[Justin Cavender]

so Will a flush trim bit against the actual body with tape were the bearing will ride damage the body I also want to do a neck template. I know I am making an easy task complicated. But the difference in the guitars I made before I bought the cnc templates off the guy on the web and after is day and night. But I dont want to buy from him again because of the long waiting time and poor customer service. But my cousin wants me to make him a tele, And he said if it is to his liking he will pay me an obscene amount for it. Buy the way here are some pics of the first one off of templates

[george wilson]

I have been making guitars since 1954. DO NOT run a router bearing against the body of a guitar,period. If the bearing damages the lacquer because it got hot,or stuck,etc. ,you will pay dearly for the damage it will do to the lacquer. The bottom of the router might also scratch the guitar,plus,you'll have to completely strip the body of all parts so the router can pass around it. The device I TRIED to describe is easy to make,and works on objects with rounded edges,like Strats,or gunstocks. If you cannot figure out what I have described,email me,and I will try to get a picture posted.

I do not see what is hard about just tracing a Tele body anyway. Are you thinking you cannot cut it out accurately? If so,can you cut out the body accurately? I'm not sure what the problem is.

[Justin Cavender]

I got one simpler George Take a pencil cut it off 1/4 in in front of the metal holding the eraser put the pencil in the vise and plane with your favorite block plane until flat and into the graphite now you have a flat edge against the graphite to follow whatever your tracing. Also it has a poly finish I don't know if that helps. I want exact pickup placement and so on I can cut it out just fine actually that is one of my favorite parts is bandsawing bodies.

[george wilson]

How can a newbie be sure he is holding the pencil's flat side vertical?

[Justin Cavender]

Is that a joke george?:D