Thread: What to use to bevel edges on electric guitar?

I assume you mean bevel the edges of the body? A belt sander provides a nice flat basis to work from.......or a hand block and sand paper.....

Can't remember the bevels of the top of the head, but I'm sure they get bigger as they go along towards the points?

If thats the case i would use a good ol' hand plane (Stanley #4 would do)..easiest way i can think of.

ye they get bigger towards the end. is a belt sander absolutely necessary? how about a orbital sander?

Originally Posted by macaroni

ye they get bigger towards the end. is a belt sander absolutely necessary? how about a orbital sander?

I really wouldn't rely on any sander for perfect angled bevels such as the ones on the guitar you are going to be building, a simple hand plane will yield quicker and more consistent results.

I reckon RG's advice is right on the money. An orbital sander would tend to round it off i reckon....a belt sander can be very aggressive....a hand planer well sharpened is far more controllable and accurate.....

alrite thanks alot guys, so a cheap hand plane from bunnings will do the job?

It would, but the blade may need sharpening. If you had the money you could look for an old Stanley, or borrow one.

I made a "King V" years back - it later got stolen (bet the thief felt a right conspicuous wally when trying to hock a left-handed V)! The outer bevels were done with a block plane (simple reason - you could hold the guitar body on the bench with the other hand).

Inside the curves - that Gothic arch - I pencilled out the margins and used a spokeshave, then cleaned up with 80 grit No-Fil and a scraper.

Go easy on the bevels, because if you're doing them front and rear the effect is gained pretty fast. Definitely mark it all out first just to see how it looks...

Cheers, Adam.

Originally Posted by RGM

Can't remember the bevels of the top of the head, but I'm sure they get bigger as they go along towards the points?

If thats the case i would use a good ol' hand plane (Stanley #4 would do)..easiest way i can think of.

^^ What he said ^^

I would use a hand plane for beveling a King V. It shouldn't be hard at all.

Originally Posted by macaroni

ye they get bigger towards the end. is a belt sander absolutely necessary? how about a orbital sander?

An orbital sander doesn't really provide the long flat surface that you would want for doing the long flat bevels on a King V. Sure you could give it a go, but unless you take a lot of care, you will probably have them rounded over too much. I still would probably opt for the hand plane, even if I had a belt sander. If you don't have a plane, then I would probably go some nice course sandpaper on a sturdy block and do them by hand. Obviously reduce the courseness of the grit as you get closer to where you want the bevel to be.

I am not going to bevel my V at this stage, as I have grand plans for binding on that one

If you want a copy of my V plans, send me a PM with your email address and I'll send it over.

An alternative way to get a perfectly straight, yet tapering bevel is to double tape pieces of metal,alloy (like a metal ruler thickness) where you want your bevel lines to follow. Then orbital sand to your heart's content. The orbital will follow your guides perfectly and not go past them. Works great on tapers but not around bends, so it'd work perfectly on a V.

I also do the same with stiffer duct tape when sanding tough lines. Then usually finish on the scrapers if I need to scallop.

cheers, Stu

hmmmm got dodgy edges for my design. will what you guys suggested still work?
see link

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/3190/dsc00110rp8.jpg

You could use a template bearing bevel bit for mostand the rest is by plane, chisel in the internals and then a scrape to finish.
It sounds easy when you say it quick.

cheers, Stu

Originally Posted by oz tradie

You could use a template bearing bevel bit for mostand the rest is by plane, chisel in the internals and then a scrape to finish.
It sounds easy when you say it quick.

cheers, Stu

+1

That sounds like your best bet macaroni.

Originally Posted by macaroni

alrite thanks alot guys, so a cheap hand plane from bunnings will do the job?

Get a decent plane. Youre going to need it when you turn to the dark side and start making acoustics