Chambered solid body

**Yoz** · 13th June 2009, 12:59 PM

Hi all, I've started my first build and I'm trying to get my head around the sequence of cutting the body, cutting the drop top and routing the chambers. The guitar is a lapsteel, chambered Sapele body, figured maple top. I've been taking pictures so will load them once I figure out how that's done.

So far I've glued up the body/neck and rough cut to shape with the intention of routing (using a template) to the final shape. I've also routed the 6mm clearance to accommodate the drop top.

My plan at the moment is - I cut the body to the final shape, then rout the chambers and then rough cut the top, glue it in place and trim to match the body? That way I could use the body as the template to trim the top. I've seen Oz Tradie's posts showing the chambered body, then the top trimmed to perfection, but I'm not sure about the step in between. Is the top glued before it's trimmed to match?

Am I on the right track?

And one more question - I'm planning on having f-holes. Do I cut them before the top is glued on or after (I suspect after so that they are placed accurately)?

I hope that all makes sense??

Cheers,
Shane

**oz tradie** · 13th June 2009, 01:30 PM

G'day Shane. Look forward to your progress pics.

I've got a compressed build thread for a bound f-holed and hollow tele I'm posting pics for at the moment and all the above is shown, including hollowing out.....

The order I use is as you've stated above and that works well, remembering that you've got to get your body perfectly shaped prior to glueing your top on and then using the body as a guide.

Do your f-hole before you glue your top on, especially if you plan on binding it.
There's no reason you can't locate the proper positioning prior to glue-up.

Hope that helps.

**woodturner777** · 13th June 2009, 01:35 PM

G'Day Stu, you should give up the house building day job & start up a guitar building School Cheers Bob
http://www.tasmaniantonewoods.com

Originally Posted by oz tradie

G'day Shane. Look forward to your progress pics.

I've got a compressed build thread for a bound f-holed and hollow tele I'm posting pics for at the moment and all the above is shown, including hollowing out.....

The order I use is as you've stated above and that works well, remembering that you've got to get your body perfectly shaped prior to glueing your top on and then using the body as a guide.

Do your f-hole before you glue your top on, especially if you plan on binding it.
There's no reason you can't locate the proper positioning prior to glue-up.

Hope that helps.

**Yoz** · 13th June 2009, 05:08 PM

Thanks Stu! Glad to hear I'm on the right track.

I'm already watching your tele thread with interest as a neck-thru tele is high on my list of future projects.

Cheers,

Shane

**old_picker** · 16th June 2009, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by Yoz

Thanks Stu! Glad to hear I'm on the right track.

I'm already watching your tele thread with interest as a neck-thru tele is high on my list of future projects.

Cheers,

Shane

i do it slightly different to that - the chambering is done on the blank before cutting the body shape - the droptop goes on next and once thats all set up and dry i cut the body shape.

theres a build documented here that goes into how i built a pair of hotrod thinlines

**Yoz** · 16th June 2009, 11:23 AM

Thanks OP. I'd seen your thread before so I suspect that's why I got a bit confused between yours and Oz's different approaches.

And thanks for the idea for the jig! - I copied your jig for finishing the rough-sawn boards and it has worked a treat. I can't afford machinery for the workshop so am gradually collecting an impressive set of jigs that should solve almost all my problems.

Great looking guitars on your build thread. Love the look of that "rockabilly" style!

Cheers,

Shane

**old_picker** · 16th June 2009, 12:03 PM

thanks for the props
btw there are many ways of achieving the same result for any given task
by looking at different ideas and ways of doing things you develop an approach that works for you in your own workshop

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