Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Scott aka Farmer Ted on February 14, 2014 at 4:06am

I use tape, like you have, to reduce chances of tearing or chipping the edge of the holes. But I use a sharp Xacto blade or utility knife for the long straight lines, and a forsner bit in my drill press for the round ends. The press gives more control over the paddle bit. Then I use some sand paper and/or a file to clean up the edges.

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Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on February 14, 2014 at 4:07am

Looks right to me!  

I use a drill, hole saw, coping saw, and sometimes my dremel with a roto-zip like attachment, but it's a little squirrelly... 

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Permalink Reply by Manny Lopez on February 14, 2014 at 5:24am

I use a forstner bit for holes when possible since I got a set cheap. They make nicer holes and allow me to go to large sizes like 1" and keep it clean. For lines, I am going to try a knife, as currently I use a small hacksaw blade from a junior hacksaw, with the tip wrapped in tape and nub snipped off. It's very good, but can get tricky if the box is prone to splitting.

My attempts with a spade scared me, I would say that your abilities with one are quite good, and you get nice results. Sometimes doing what works for you is best, as there are a million ways to skin a cigar box guitar ;)

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Permalink Reply by allen vanstory on February 14, 2014 at 8:08am

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Permalink Reply by Nate on February 15, 2014 at 3:02am

Looks good to me.  i lack a forstner bit set (for now) and that is how i do em.  the only difference is i string it up on my scroll  saw for the straight lines.  i have razored a few boxes before and it works out fine.  keep your spade bit sharp though, if not it could get ugly real quick.

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Permalink Reply by 14 buck bass (aka antonio) on February 15, 2014 at 5:11am

I do it about hte same way Allen, but i use forstner bits cause they dont eat up the box. I also clamp a piece of wood underneithe the lid so it dosent blow the back side of the box out . other than that , its the same  for the long cuts i use my dremal with the saw blade  and finish with sand paper

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Permalink Reply by Bruce Myers on February 16, 2014 at 4:20pm

Hi Allen,

A good way to do it is to make a template and then use a carbide tipped router template bit to cut out the box. If you do many of the same layouts/pickups this can be a big time saver plus you lessen the chances for a boo-boo on the box. Takes a little time to make a template on the front end but makes for more precise work and repeatability. Here's what a template bit looks like. The bearing follows the inside of the template while the bit cuts through your box.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Woods on February 17, 2014 at 6:24am

 +1 for the forstner bit and scrap behind the boxtop.  That said you did an xcellent job with the spade bit.  If I tried it I would have an exploded box on my bench :-)

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Permalink Reply by jawbone on February 17, 2014 at 5:24pm

Ha - I've had a few wobbly helicopters on my drill press!!!! I'm slowly becoming patient enough to slooooooow it down on the bits I knew are going to give me a scare. I need to learn telekinesis to shut it off - work in one hand, hanging on for dear life, and the lever pressed down and afraid to let go of either to shut the darn thing off!!!!

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Permalink Reply by allen vanstory on February 17, 2014 at 6:32am

she turned out great real nice sound with a dead man switch and thanks everyone who posted

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Permalink Reply by Bruce Myers on February 17, 2014 at 5:22pm

Beautiful!

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