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Making perfect sound holes

Posted by Bruce Trappes on June 7, 2011 at 4:40am in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

I want to make perfect sound holes.....doesn't everybody?

So what tools specifically do you use.

I have a dremel and bought the router base, but the tool that came with the base does not do a very good job...especially on one of those composite boxes.

I've seen many examples on here of beautiful round holes with no crappy edges.....how do you do it?

If dremel make an attachment for producing perfect holes, what is the part/parts called, and can anyone give me part numbers.

Cigar boxes are too hard to get here in Tasmania, Australia, so I can't really afford to wreck boxes trying out various methods.

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Replies

Michael Fred Johnson June 9, 2011 at 10:08am

I use a homemade hole cutter (think I have a photo on my page) the cutter is a sharpened piece of broken hacksaw blade.Use the same tool to cut the inner and outer circles for inlaying a rosette
Chuck Dubman June 8, 2011 at 10:23pm

Cheap needle files (i.e. Generals) cut as fast as a Dremel but don't get out of control. For soft Spanish cedar, an X-Acto glides through, can produce nice detail. Dremels are fine, just take a bit of practice to avoid nicking nice wood (turn into distress marks). Tip -- using an undersized bit prevents kickback on tight inside curves.
Michael Gajeski June 8, 2011 at 8:05pm

i use a rotozip style bit and a routerbase attachment for a dremel, then clean it up with a small file and sand paper.
Bruce Trappes June 8, 2011 at 6:45pm

I like Rafals suggestion too.

I'm now thinking of sandwhiching anything that requires a larger hole between 2 pieces of scrap ply.

I use brad point drills for smaller holes up to 10mm.....similat I assume to forstner bits.
Paul H (PRH) June 8, 2011 at 5:22pm

Forstner bits (to david) have a small center spike t help guide the bit. As far as hand held drills, if you can't use a drill press then clamping the work down would be all that much more important. I have an inexpensive drill press attachment I use where the hand drill is fastened to the press (20.00 or so if I remember, maybe Craftsman?).
The sturdy hole saw bit mentioned here has worked but don't try and back it out while it's still turning (argh) or it can skip around on you.
BTW, Rafal's comment about backer boards being a way to cut down on tear out is "on the money".
Speaking from bad experiences here, hope this helps.

Boxes here are cheap and available but I've never wrecked one that I didn't have several hours work in. (g).
Diane in Chicago June 8, 2011 at 9:46am

On my forstner bits, there is a center spike to get you on spot - I usually use an awl to make a divot in the wood for my desired center. The next part of the drill bit that touches the wood is the outer cutting ring, and once that is started into the wood -- that drill isn't going to wander anywhere! Just be sure your drill is as perpendicular as you can get it and go slow and easy. Since it is a ring and not a paddle, there is no jumping about. Much easier to control - and almost no tearout on the back.

Nice F hole!
David L. June 8, 2011 at 7:52am

I only have a small electric hand drill and no drill press- would forstner bits work with this? I read somewhere that they are guided by the outer rim of the bit as opposed to a central point of the bit which makes me think without the drill press it would be hard to get the hole centred and to stop the bit wandering off as the hole is started. Is there a kind of hybrid - forstner plus a drill spike in the centre of the bit for drilling without a drill press?

In the past I have used curtain grommets to make the holes look neater and for my last build and my current one I have gone for f holes slotted with a set of small hand files using f hole templates previously posted by Diane.

David
Alex June 8, 2011 at 1:36am

If you have an electric drill then you may want to use a hole saw if your goıng for a larger sound hole
Rand Moore June 7, 2011 at 11:58pm

Thanks for that tip, Diane. I guess my sound holes tend to be too small. I will have to try enlarging them and see if that improves sound volume. Too bad I don't have a U.S. quarter handy... A Google search says a U.S. quarter is 31/32nds of an inch in diameter, which is 24.6 mm. Guess that will be close enough.

-Rand.
David Tutterrow GutBucketGuitars June 7, 2011 at 11:49pm

This

Diane in Chicago said:

I use forstner bits for circles. Clean and perfect, even on plywood. I had troubles with tearout when I used paddle bits - even the ones with the corner teeth.