Which Router?

[powerhand]

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a router, primarily for hobby use making electric guitar bodies and necks. Does anyone have any experience of this type of use (+ve or -ve) and could you shed some light on brands/features which you'd consider essential for this kind of work?

Thanks in advance!

 

[pcb1962]

Hi all,
I'm in the market for a router, primarily for hobby use making electric guitar bodies and necks. Does anyone have any experience of this type of use (+ve or -ve) and could you shed some light on brands/features which you'd consider essential for this kind of work?

It would help if you gave some idea of budget, are you expecting to spend £50 or £500?
If the latter then start with Festool and work your way down.

 

[transatlantic]

I think the Triton TRA001 is probably the best bang for your buck as a mid to high range router, some really useful features. I don't own one, but it always gets good reviews.

You're almost certainly going to want a router table in time, and this is perfect for that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzXIgz6FH4s

 

[AJB Temple]

I have made quite a number of electric guitars. The main thing I use a router for is is edge binding and routing out pickup and control cavity recesses. I don't use it to shape the neck, headstock or any body arching. This does not place great demands on the router and for guitar work I would tend to select something small and easy to handle. I use my quarter inch collet router for this stuff (not that I do much guitar work any more) rather than my bigger routers. I actually use a small hand held electric trimmer router for bindings. I would not worry much about brands. Buy good quality cutters.

 

[skipdiver]

I have watched a fair few youtube vids of Ben at Crimson Guitars and he had a big Trend router he said he'd had for many years but has now started to use Triton routers in different sizes, although i do get the impression that they are supplying them gratis for the product placement.

I've had a 1/2" and 1/4" Makita router for many years without any bother at all. Both still going strong and without a hitch.

 

[powerhand]

Hi all,
I'm in the market for a router, primarily for hobby use making electric guitar bodies and necks. Does anyone have any experience of this type of use (+ve or -ve) and could you shed some light on brands/features which you'd consider essential for this kind of work?

It would help if you gave some idea of budget, are you expecting to spend £50 or £500?
If the latter then start with Festool and work your way down.

I guess my budget would be in the low 100s.

 

[powerhand]

I have made quite a number of electric guitars. The main thing I use a router for is is edge binding and routing out pickup and control cavity recesses. I don't use it to shape the neck, headstock or any body arching. This does not place great demands on the router and for guitar work I would tend to select something small and easy to handle. I use my quarter inch collet router for this stuff (not that I do much guitar work any more) rather than my bigger routers. I actually use a small hand held electric trimmer router for bindings. I would not worry much about brands. Buy good quality cutters.

Very interesting. I was expecting to use a bandsaw to cut out the body and then the router and template to accurately finish the body in addition to pickup cavities etc. Would body shaping need/be easier with a router table?

 

[MattRoberts]

Do you want it hand held or in a table? I have the triton in a table (which is fantastic), but I'd hesitate to use it hand held because it weighs a ton and has cheap plastic height adjustment

 

[AJB Temple]

In the old days I used to cut the body shape with a jigsaw and hand finish the edges and hand cut any top arching. A bobbin sander is very useful. Now I have quite a large bandsaw and can cut accurately such that I don't need to shape with a router. However, if I were making multiple copies of the same shape and dimensions, I would use a template and router. It is much safer to use a router table, but actually for one off jobs I tend to hand hold my edge trimming router and I freehand cut the cavities using a plywood template overlay. I mainly us a 1/4" AEG router for this that I have had for years.

 

[AJB Temple]

PSL I have never had any success using machinery for neck shaping. Obviously the main shaping is done on a bandsaw of you have one, but getting the curvature I do by hand and feel. I don't have a CNC set up though.

 

[JonnyW]

If you are looking for a neat all rounder (hand held), then the Dewalt D2604K is an excellent machine. It can be used either two handed or single handed for edge trimming.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/dewalt-d26204k-2-in-1-router-1-4-952707?gclid=CLCPyOyb4tACFYG77QodxtEFpA

Jonny

 

[powerhand]

In the old days I used to cut the body shape with a jigsaw and hand finish the edges and hand cut any top arching. A bobbin sander is very useful. Now I have quite a large bandsaw and can cut accurately such that I don't need to shape with a router. However, if I were making multiple copies of the same shape and dimensions, I would use a template and router. It is much safer to use a router table, but actually for one off jobs I tend to hand hold my edge trimming router and I freehand cut the cavities using a plywood template overlay. I mainly us a 1/4" AEG router for this that I have had for years.

Understood - thanks.

 

[powerhand]

If you are looking for a neat all rounder (hand held), then the Dewalt D2604K is an excellent machine. It can be used either two handed or single handed for edge trimming.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/dewalt-d26204k-2-in-1-router-1-4-952707?gclid=CLCPyOyb4tACFYG77QodxtEFpA

Jonny

Thanks Jonny - do you know if that can be put in a table if/when required?

 

[MikeJhn]

Lots of people on here have this: http://www.aimtools.co.uk/101749-katsu- ... -700w.html and seem satisfied with them, the motor body fits into the Rutlands table lift, any router can fit a table with an insert plate.

Mike

 

[JonnyW]

If you are looking for a neat all rounder (hand held), then the Dewalt D2604K is an excellent machine. It can be used either two handed or single handed for edge trimming.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/dewalt-d26204k-2-in-1-router-1-4-952707?gclid=CLCPyOyb4tACFYG77QodxtEFpA

Jonny

Thanks Jonny - do you know if that can be put in a table if/when required?

I don't see why not if it is in its plunge base - if given the time, I recon I could get any router fixed to a table, however it's only 900w and 1/4", so wouldn't have the power or collet size to run bigger bits.

I like it because it gives me two options - the plunge option when I'm running half or quarter round edging for example, or I used it a few months ago hand-held doing free-hand (scroll type stuff). I used it last week hand-held trimming formica.

Usually you're looking at the more heftier routers to stick in tables - the 2000w beasts with the 1/2" collet. You can see my thread 'best router' on the subject (good luck!). https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/best-router-t101983.html

Jonny

 

[MattRoberts]

If you are looking for a neat all rounder (hand held), then the Dewalt D2604K is an excellent machine. It can be used either two handed or single handed for edge trimming.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/dewalt-d26204k-2-in-1-router-1-4-952707?gclid=CLCPyOyb4tACFYG77QodxtEFpA

Jonny

Thanks Jonny - do you know if that can be put in a table if/when required?

It can - I had one in my table before I got the triton. It has a cylindrical body, so you can either make a lift for it or attach the fixed base to the table and use that

 

[JonnyW]

If you are looking for a neat all rounder (hand held), then the Dewalt D2604K is an excellent machine. It can be used either two handed or single handed for edge trimming.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/dewalt-d26204k-2-in-1-router-1-4-952707?gclid=CLCPyOyb4tACFYG77QodxtEFpA

Jonny

Thanks Jonny - do you know if that can be put in a table if/when required?

It can - I had one in my table before I got the triton. It has a cylindrical body, so you can either make a lift for it or attach the fixed base to the table and use that

Nice one Matt.

Jonny