Oval sound hole router jig /method

[Greg Martin]

Id like to know how to cut an oval sound hole ??

[Jim McConkey]

With a router? <ducking>

We have an old discussion in the Library about jigs to cut oval holes, but most seem to agree that printing out a template and sanding to the line is much easier, especially for one-off projects:
http://www.mimf.com/old-lib/oval_soundholes.htm

[Bill Raymond]

I would make an appropriately sized and shaped oval from either MFD, Masonite or plexiglas and use it to cut the soundhole using a router table with an overhead pin (or if you have access to a pin router, even better). Make your mistakes on the pattern, as it can always either be discarded for another or repaired rather than on the soundboard!

[Todd Stock]

Fab template in 1/4" hardboard with a nice Powerpoint oval (dimensions are displayed, so not hard to get it right...use the scale function on printer to address any error on output), and use a pattern bit in the router table, or as mentioned, just sand to the line with a spindle sander or drum in drill press.

[Craig Bumgarner]

On my guitars, all the sound holes are oval or at least not round. I just draw the hole, use a small router (Dremel on a router base) to hog out most of it and then use a spindle sander in a drill press to sand to the line. Works fine and a lot less work than setting up a jig of any sort. You can do the same thing with a forstner bit and hand sanding, just takes longer.

I draw the line for the hole using a template made in a graphics program, I use CorelDraw, but anything that does ovals will do. Print it and use spray adhesive to adhere to thin plywood or plex, cut close to the line and sand for final accuracy. Probably not necessary if you are only doing it once, just print the oval, cut it out and trace it.

If you want some ideas on how to route out for an oval rosette, let me (us) know, I've done a bunch using just a template and router with a guide collar.

[David King]

I bought an isometric circle template many decades ago that I still use but it limits you to isometric circles.
https://www.amazon.com/Alvin-Isometric- ... W9VYG9B77W

[Greg Martin]

All great tips, now ill just adapt one that fits my style.thanks

[Arnt Rian]

For flat top instruments I have used an oversize template and a set of guide bushings, as mentioned above. I design the oval in CAD, print and glue it to good plywood, and cut and sand to shape as precisely as possible. I use the same template to cut both the rosette channel and the soundhole. My set of guide bushings is limited, so I used tape, cable ties, pvc pipe etc. as necessary to shim them to fit the design. For arch top instruments I cut the oval hole after the carving the top, and use the edge of the soundhole as a guide for a home made scratch gauge, to mark the edges of the rosette channel. I use chisels to excavate the rabbet, but I suppose a small router plane, careful free hand routing, or even an overhead pin router could be used. Or just get a cnc, and forget all of the above...