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My 1 1/4 HP Ryobi Router just wasn't cutting it I got a Shop Fox Overarm Router with a 2 HP Craftsmen Router (1/4" & 1/2" collar), for my 30th birthday (2/21). It's a router that moves up/down via a footpedal. You don't have to use ball bearing router bits with this tool. A pin in the table replaces the ball bearing. You don't have to hold/move the router, you just push the body around the pin. You can see your work better with this router, before you fuck something up badly. Check YouTube "router overarm guitar" to see a video of one of these in action.



I drilled thru the plastic router guard and added a dust collector line.



Plumbed it to my Jet Dust Collector (sorry turn your head sides way)



The pin router uses a pin in the table... instead of a ball bearing on your router bit. You mount the template to the bottom of the guitar, instead of top. I've got a ball bearing router bit on it, cause everything in my collection is ball bearing. I'm gonna start using spiral bits now though.

See all the black sharpy marks & pink Bondo... bearings ate my fucking template



The router bit & pin are in line with each other. I used a 2x4 with a 1/2" hole in it... 1/2" pin & 1/2" router bit... used the 2x4 to get em squared. Then tightend the all the bolts, so everything is "squared up"... (sorry turn your head sides way again)



I used a bunch of hole saws to cut out these dowels. I'm gonna use em as offsets on top of the pins. I can make a contour jig using this overarm router. Every time I make a contour cut, I go to the next dowel size up... make a pass, and go deeper each time. Should end up with a even consisten, easy to make contour ever time.



My useless ball bearing router bit collection

You have an awesome tool. I have not seen one like this before.

Does it have set stop points for plunge routing? Can you set the depth of the plunge so you don't over shoot?

This is what everyone was using back in the 60's before CNC routers were thought of. Also if you ever wanted to know how "hand made carved tops" (gibson) were made, search youtube "copy carver" or "xyz router".

It has one depth stop. It's really useless. You basically have a threaded rod with a double nut on it.

I plan on stacking 1/8" metal slates on the top of the overarm. Bolt about sixteen 1/8" shims together (total of 2"). They are gonna fold out like a swiss army knife. If I need a neck pocket cut to 5/8" depth, I push 5 of these shims out the way.

To get my "zero mark", I lower the router bit until it touches the guitar top. Adjuust the double nut to that spot... and that would be "zero". Then use the shims to make 1/4" passes to cut the body out.

I gave it a review on Amazon.com "shop fox overarm router". There's only one review there, mine. I go into really deep detail about the foot pedal and etc. There's one on ebay for $300 without a router motor. That's what cool about these, you put your own router motors in em, so you can upgrade horsepower when you want.

That's a serious bit of kit

I've been using one of these for about 2 years, mostly for pickguards--with ball bearing bits!

I also use it here and there for the usual tracing of patterns, but I still prefer a regular plunge router with ball bearing bits for pocket work and routing outlines and radii over edges. I find the foot pedal to be very useful, but with the one stop and even a 2 hp router, you'll have to cut maple, alder and ash in a couple of passes and be sure to Forstner out the bulk before routing, if you're doing control pockets.

It's a handy item.

The pin router has a threaded rod with a nut for a depth gauge. It doesn't allow you to make quick & accurate changes. So I made my own depth gauge for the machine. I bought some 1/8" thick aluminum sheet metal from Home Depot for $20. Chopped em up, drilled em out and filed it all by hand.

Drilling em out on the drill press


Filing out the difference


Bolted together on to a 2x4 spacer


You can see the threaded rod & nut sitting on top of the shims


To make a 1/4" cut, you slide two 1/8" shims out the way


Southern Hospitality

Wow some serious kit you got there. Is it all just purely for guitar fiddling?

funny



Not funny


not funny

I'm a Yankee, got that on a road trip through south Georgia. Southern guys don't care much for northerner's... that sticker sums it up pretty good