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Simple tail strip cutting jig.
http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10117&t=47328		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Colin North [ Mon Feb 22, 2016 6:24 am ]
Post subject:  Simple tail strip cutting jig.
Nothing that special, but knocked this up to fit a plastic binding strip at the tail because it has to be pretty nigh perfect for depth control, and hand tools were a challenge with the wood involved.
Pretty self explanatory, rectangular 1/2" birch ply halves connected by 4" x 1.5" of 1/2"" birch ply strips (to clear bolt slots) glued underneath at front and back.
2 pieces of 2 1/2" high x 2" wide pine bars underneath to grip guitar (cut out to clear the 1/2" birch ply connecting strips), with 2 1/2" square x 1/8" cork pads at the gripping ends underneath.
Held in place with cam clamps.
The slots are 1 mm wider than the 1/4" coach bolts diameter to allow "floating" adjustment for lining up, uses a 20 mm guide bush in the router.
Line up was set with an acrylic strip 20mm wide with centre line scribed on it, checked with a 1/4" pointed rod in the router, cut with 6 mm 2 flute straight bit and a fine depth adjustment in small steps.

I also use a similar set-up for routing an oval soundport, using a 6 mm mdf plate with an oval cut in it, and can vary guide bush sizes to change hole size (cut with a spiral downcut bit)
Author:  Hesh [ Mon Feb 22, 2016 7:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Simple tail strip cutting jig.
Nice Colin, great jig! This is way easier than what I used to do free hand with an engineer's scale as a guide.

Thanks for posting this!
Author:  Alex Kleon [ Mon Feb 22, 2016 9:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Simple tail strip cutting jig.
Thanks for sharing, Colin! I always have lots of scrap ply kicking around, so I'll be making one soon!

Alex
Author:  Colin North [ Mon Feb 22, 2016 10:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Simple tail strip cutting jig.
Some more pics, better than a description - End and side views, note the amended dimensions in first post.
Attachment:
DSCN3364.JPG

Excuse the CA everywhere, I'll maybe pretty it up and nicely round the corners later.
Attachment:
DSCN3363.JPG


Worked fine
Attachment:
DSCN3351.JPG
Author:  Colin North [ Mon Feb 22, 2016 10:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Simple tail strip cutting jig.
Hesh wrote:
Nice Colin, great jig! This is way easier than what I used to do free hand with an engineer's scale as a guide.

Yes, used to do it the same way, but last guitar I made with this wood was pretty tough to cut and chisel without chipping out and needed some filling, so wanted to avoid that.
Author:  Ruby50 [ Mon Feb 22, 2016 10:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Simple tail strip cutting jig.
Colin

Simple and eloquent - the best kind of jig. Why not permantely fasten one of the 2 X 's to ensure that the cut is square to the body?

Ed
Author:  Colin North [ Tue Feb 23, 2016 3:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Simple tail strip cutting jig.
Hi Ed. You could if you want.
But with the 1/8" cork to prevent marking the guitar, it will compress (it also takes up some of the curve of top and back), any difference in clamping pressure side to side, the actual areas of contact of the cork on each side , or compressability of the cork itself will misalign it.
Also this flexibility allows for any slight variation you may actually want to make in the end strip alignment, due to top/back plates being slightly misaligned, lining up with centre strips in the back for example, or a noticeable pattern in the top plate.
This variation may be less noticeable than a slight misalignment of center strip and tail end strip.
Author:  Ruby50 [ Wed Feb 24, 2016 5:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Simple tail strip cutting jig.
Colin

I get it - good call

Ed
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