Getting a 'top' cut off a body blank?

axisus

I'm wondering if this can be done? 

I have this 2 piece body blank, and it looks quite nice wood on both sides. I have no idea what it is, it has been in storage for some years. Anyway, I want to make a guitar with it, but I'd really like to put an f-hole in the top. Is it possible to take a body blank somewhere and get them to cut off the top, say 4 mm or so, so that you can chamber the body then glue to top on again? or would that be impractical?

elstoof

Just need a bandsaw and a planer thicknesser to clean the cuts up, plus a router and templates for chambering and cutting the F hole. You’ll lose a fair chunk of thickness doing the cut and planing flat so be sure the black in thick enough to lose a few mms

Kittyfrisk

Is the chambering essential?
Just thinking you could just cut an f-hole & paint it black inside.

Roland

Are the edges of the body blank rolled over? If not you could route out from the top, and put a new body cap on it.

BillDL

I would be more inclined to saw a slab off the back of the blank, plunge rout the chambers from the back, rout an F-Hole through the top into the chamber, and then either try to glue the sawn off slab back on or (probably better and easier) use another slab of wood for a new back.  That way you can always apply filler to any gaps and apply an opaque lacquer to the sides and back if it ends up being a little bit scrappy on the seam.

Sporky

I reckon you'd likely lose 4-5mm of thickness. About 1mm of saw, and about 2mm each side planing it back flat. (as elstoof said).

Perfectly doable though.

Or cut a front and a back off, and sandwich another wood in between. That'd look interesting from the sides.

TTony

Sporky said:

I reckon you'd likely lose 4-5mm of thickness. About 1mm of saw, and about 2mm each side planing it back flat. (as elstoof said).

Perfectly doable though.

 You’d need a pro size bandsaw to get the body width through, and probably a nice fresh blade to protect against any blade wander over the length / depth of the cut.

Otherwise you’d be at risk of losing a lot more than 4-5mm.

If you really want to chamber the body, then the easiest option is probably to take a little off the thickness from the back, chamber it from the back, and then put a “cap” on the back.

CasperCaster

Depending on the shape and size of the f-hole (particularly the width at the narrowest point) it might be possible to rout the f-hole from the top and then rebate such that the cavity below is larger than the hole. It wouldn't be a massive cavity but would be more convincing than just an f-hole shaped slot. It's certainly achievable with a cats-eye style f-hole.

Before narrow 4-pole super-switches were available I used to slightly widen, then rebate the switch area of Tele control cavities to accommodate the super-switch (for HOoP and series wiring). In that situation I used a 3/4" bearing guided bit with a 3/8" bearing to undercut by 3/16" (approx 5mm). I've no doubt a 1" bit could be used to undercut the perimeter by around 8mm. The f-hole shape would have to be no narrower than 3/8" at it's narrowest point, and have an area big enough to fit the chosen bit into.

https://imgur.com/a/cFNjvEr

Sporky

I have a 70mm wing bit on a 1/2" shank for surfacing. You could do quite an undercut with that if the process didn't kill you. 

WezV

It's easier done before the 2 piece body blank is glued together, but still possible  if glued with a big enough saw and a decent blade.


Although I did do it the difficult way on my first thinline tele build.... converting a kit to semi hollow about 22 years ago.  Shockingly, it worked!!

lovestrat74

Sell it and put the funds towards a thinline body. Booboo have them

davros

If it is still a blank, and a little wider than the guitar you want to build, I would cut it back into 2 pieces, Cut the top off both sides, plane everything flat, stick the back back together, chamber, cut the f holes and stick on the top.

Actually, I wouldn't, I'd just buy a new top and save myself a ton of effort!