Dovetail Neck Joint Routing Jig and Router Selection.

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

I just spent the better part of a day cutting and fitting the first dovetail neck joint of this season. Last year, it took me two days. I might just keep going with this method but I also might want to invest in a router and some bits and make or buy the essential jig items. Any suggestions on routers and jigs and methods?

[Barry Daniels]

It is fairly easy to make your own jig. And basically any router will work, however, I advise using a 1/2" router which has better stability and accuracy than a 1/4".

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

Yes, the laminate trimmer is a limited tool. StewMac has a basic plan for a jig on their web site. I order from them often.

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

Barry, are you using a plunge router or a fixed base router for this joint?

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

Is there a laminate trimmer base that accepts pattern guide bushings.

[David King]

Gilbert, If that was a question about router basses then the Bosch colts and the old Bosch 1608s all have that capability.

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

Yes, thank you. I posted that from Tijuana. I could not find the correct punctuation controls on the keyboard. I'm looking at laminate trimmers and fixed base routers that will cut binding and truss rod channels and dove tail neck joints. I may keep doing them by hand, however. I use a table saw for truss rod channels and cut the binding channels and neck joints by hand. I have considered a router plane to cut the truss rod slot, because the table saw is borrowed and somewhat out of character with my current "Johann Kraaftsverken" craftsmanly work habits. I'm about an inch away from buying a router. I've really never liked them, but we do what we must.

[Clay Schaeffer]

For guitar work a laminate trimmer is a good router to start out with, and really is the only one you "need". They are small and handy and fairly easy to control. Buy one that has a decent reputation and feels ergonomic to you. You will soon come to love all the labor saving things it can do.

[Paul E Buerk]

The Porter Cable 693 pack is what I have. No complaints, other than I wish it had some kind of dust collection. Basically it's the 690 fixed router packaged with a plunge base and a carrying case, and it comes with both 1/4" and 1/2" collets. Mine came with an edge guide that works pretty well. The mounting holes for the edge guide come in handy when using the router with the Fleischmann (sp?) binding jig, and it's simple to make concave and convex bottoms for the router base as well.

[David King]

Check out the Rigid brand from the HD. It always gets high marks and easily replaced should it ever crap-out on you. If you're a black Friday type of shopper I'm sure all the usual outlets will be pushing all the usual nonsense.

[Pat Foster]

Barry, are you using a plunge router or a fixed base router for this joint?

I think you might want to avoid the plunge function to cut a dovetail.

Pat

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

I hand cut and chiseled binding ledges on a rosewood guitar today. It was a lot of work. I think I may begin using more power tools. I know the Bosch Colt has an after market adjustable sub base that accepts guide bushings. Do any other "palm routers" have this feature. I am doing a web search now. So far ...neat trick for centering palm router base: use 1/4 drill bit and 1/4" template guide.

[Clay Schaeffer]

The Porter Cable trimmers accept the most popular style guide bushings. The slight degree of centering the subbase can usually be accomplished by loosening the screws Using the 1/4 in bit and 1/4 inch guide, then tightening them back up. The trimmers use the same guide bushings as their larger routers.

[David King]

The guides are oversized so you'll want to be conscious of that fact. There is a template guide centering cone that works quite well. It's available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DNP617-Cen ... _1_fkmr0_1 There are several other brands there as well

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

Thank you.

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

I gave myself a Porter Cable 690 for my Birthday. The binding ledge router bit and bearings have arrived from Stewmac. The dovetail bit and templates are on their way. But I am still temped to cut the neck joint by hand on the steel string guitar that is on the bench. It's just so simple and quiet to use a couple of sharp hand tools to do this joint. Hand cutting the binding ledges with purfling cutter and chisel is something I can live without.

[Michael Lewis]

Gilbert, use some "scrap" material and practice doing a dovetail joint a few times, THEN you can cut the joint in your guitar with the router. Once you get the concept in your mind and how to hold and clamp the parts for the router, you will not cut those joints by hand any more.

[Simon Magennis]

Gilbert, use some "scrap" material and practice doing a dovetail joint a few times, ...

German apprentice instrument builders, in the past at any rate, got 30** mins in their exam to fit a neck to the guitar body, hand tools only. Its not a martin style dovetail. Two makers in this area told me about practising for months, using every spare minute and every spare bit of scrap wood to make sure they got it to the level needed to pass their exams.

** if my memory is correct.

[Michael Lewis]

But this is with a router, and it isn't all that hard to do. The hardest part is getting the shapes and process in your head, once you have that you are almost there. I have seen some rather complicated holding fixtures for routing dovetails or mortise and tenon neck joints, and they can work but a simple set up is sufficient.

I use the end of a work bench with the top overhanging about a foot, and a hole cut in the top of the bench (table) that allows access for the router to cut the neck and body joints. The neck and body (only one at a time) get clamped and held against the end of the bench so the end to be cut sticks up into the hole in the bench top. I center a routing template over the hole where the body or neck is sticking up, and rout the joint. The hole in the bench top has to be large enough to allow the body to be pushed up flush with the top surface of the bench top.

You can adjust the angles with the clamping and holding set up. Simple and crude but effective.