What tools do you use when contouring your guitar body?

[Luke Forbes]

More of a woodworking question really, but how do you guys get the really wide chamfer that I see on some of your guitars? And for the varying chamfers? I'm getting read to start carving my guitar and then finishing the edge and I think I like the idea of a varying chamfer for the back, but I don't know how to make it.

[Eric Baack]

minus a proper router bit, I'd probably use a round over bit of the same size as I want the chamfer and then use a file to flatten it. The router will get it a consistent depth.

[Ben Castellana]

Good, sharp chisels!

[James Tonguet]

I use a variety of tools depending on the need and location , a Carruth scraper, rasp , dremel sometimes with the stew mac router attachment.

[David King]

A wide rasp like a farrier's rasp and/or just a Nicholson #49. I follow that up with a scraper and sanding blocks.

[Warren May]

As James, said, a variety of tools and everyone probably uses different ones. I hog most of the waste off with an angle grinder and refine it with rasps, spokeshaves, chisels, planes, scrapers and sandpaper on a block depending on what feels right. You have to keep the dips and valleys in check, so one of the most important tools is a very strong light to cast good shadows to see the irregularities and, for me, a strong set of readers.

[Luke Forbes]

Never would have though of the angle grinder, I don't own any rasps any suggestions on what and where to buy some?

[David King]

Luke,
Rasps have been discussed severally and recently. The sky's the limit as to how much you can spend. My budget allows for a Heller Legend (about $29) and a Boggs tool sharpened, USA made, Nicholson #49. (About $60).

[Charles Faulstich]

I step rout and smooth with a surform rasp and sandpaper. Surform rasps are inexpensive at less than $5 and work great.

[Warren May]

Here's a video of a guy who does a lot of operations with an angle grinder. As he says, it's an aggressive, noisy, messy way to go but, as he also says, it's surprising how close you can get to the final and just requires some sanding and refining with the aforementioned tools. He takes it to the extreme and does the neck. I suppose purists would have objections but the object with all methods is to remove the wood that doesn't look like a guitar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVbzpLEh0To

[Dan Warren]

I'm in the angle grinder camp as well. I have one of those King Arther chainsaw-wheel things, but it scares the bejesus out of me, so I usually just use a 36-grit flap sander. It takes off the material at a pretty good pace, leaves a surface that's not hard to flatten out, and it's not as prone to catch-and-grabbing as the chain is.

[David King]

Angle grinders are great if you can work outdoors.

[Luke Forbes]

I messed around with my angle grinder and one of the sand paper flap discs and If I decide to use it I will need to work on my finesse a bit. I tended to leave some gouges that will take a lot of sanding to get out. However I used a rasp that I found and got this far. Still needs a little finishing up.

[Gordon Bellerose]

If you are cutting tummy cuts, and forearm countours, you can use a bandsaw too.
You have to build a jig to hold the body at the prescribed angle.
Cut the contour, and then clean up with any or all of the aforementioned tools.