Climb cuts in ash?

[Jim Becker]

As Jim and Glenn say, a single bit with top and bottom bearings can do the job with one template. I do like that idea, but only for work less than the thickness of the cutting length.

You can buy double bearing flush trim tooling that will handle quite a bit of cutting depth. It's rare for a solid body guitar to be thicker than 46mm. There are a bunch of them listed on Amazon with a quick search including a nice Yonico with a 2" cutting height for $18. I have several of their cutters including a really long single bearing flush trim that I use for slab table ends. While these are made overseas, the company's US operation is in Lakewood NJ and folks anecdotally have said customer service is good.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Thanks, Jim. I see I didn't do my research before the fact. I paid much more for the single-bearing 2" bit than for this one from Yonico that 1) cuts longer, 2) has two bearings, and 3) is 3/4" diameter! It's breaking my heart. Just look at the images showing guitar work:

https://www.amazon.com/Yonico-14135-..._t1_B009WSDWRY

I blundered into a lot of unnecessary work. Thanks for setting me straight.

[Jim Becker]

Don't sweat it, Bob. "Stuff" happens. The good news is that it's a whole lot easier to get useful tooling these days for stuff like this and it can also be somewhat economical when the tooling isn't something that's going to be used constantly. The only reason I mentioned that brand was because I've had very good luck with them for these unique needs and have now been buying the more common spiral cutters that I use regularly for CNC work from that brand or similar because I can not feel guilty about choosing to use a new, sharper cutter more frequently. I've had to learn to treat most router bits as "commodities" now.

BTW--related to guitar body work, although not cheap, the StewMac binding cutter with the many available bearings is excellent if you plan on doing any binding work, if you don't have it already. The cutter itself is probably OEM from a brand name, but what sets them apart for this application is the "virtual plethora" of bearings to match up the binding recess exactly to the material that will be stuck into it. You may also want to check out the TDPRI forum; specifically the "Tele Home Depot" area. THere are some amazing folks there who are as warm and woodworkers here when it comes to helping folks. While the forum in general is pointed at Telecasters, tha area I mentioned features pretty much anything including some folks who do amazing builds of their own designs. Prashun and I have been benefiting from that for our own forays into guitar building. I believe there's at least one other 'Creeker there, too. Note, I'm not suggesting shifting anything from here; just that there's an additional resource I've found useful for guitar building specifically.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Wow. Ask and the world opens up. Had I only known. That's what my nephew gets for enlisting the aid of a dilettante.

[Mel Fulks]

I didn't know I had caused so much heart burn until I saw the mob on my lawn. Their pitch forks glinting from their
safe impact proof flash lights....safe mobs never use real torches ! There are some things where a climb cut is neccesary. Many
have gotten hurt while using a fork and being spooked by a loud noise from a dangerous boom box. That 's what MY
volunteer group is focused on. Wounds are sometimes caused by flying pieces of wood ....that are flying because some
one failed to use a small climb cut first. But never use a climb cut on a large bolection mould. Oops, I thought I was the
target. Maybe I wasn't. And sharing target --ship IS a form of sharing!! This has been a drill ,had this been a real......

[William Hodge]

A shaper works better for me when template shaping. With everything being more stable, there is a lot less whip in the spindle, and the work piece will vibrate less than working with a router. The result is less need for climb cuts.

I have done well with a Freeborn cutter, and a rub bearing. There is a fair bit of exposure with this cutter, and covering it up with a stock feeder makes a decent guard.

22_064_c7a6328c85e6f36bbd66ede5fe1396cf.jpg
IS-22-064 Freeborn Spiral Cutter 4" OD, 1-1/4" Bore, 4" Height, Alum Body, 4-Wing

[Jim Becker]

William, for this particular operation, there are often areas that are smaller than a shaper spindle in diameter, so you'd need to use a router spindle and tooling in the shaper to do the work anyway. But I do agree that for pattern routing where the profiles are compatible with the tooling you mention, that will result in an awesome job.