Making the thing that helps me make the thing - Part 1

Pictured: Not a guitar

Templates.  Templates are cool.  If you have one you know where you are going.  Right there in front of you is a plan - a road map - a visual representation of the thing that you are going to make.  You know how far to the left you need to push and how much to the right you have to pull.  And you trust that the person who made the template knew what they were doing.

I'm making templates - and have no idea what I'm doing...

Okay, not no idea. This is not my first time making a template.  I've made a couple.  Usually by tracing the outline of a guitar that I already own and cutting out the shape.  Previously I've used MDF as my template material of choice.  Mainly because it is rigid, easy to shape and doesn't warp much with changes in humidity.  It is, however, defenseless against moisture.  If a drop of water falls on it - it puffs up like rising dough.  Also, it is more likely to burn than wood when using tools on it (like a router or a table saw).  The reason is because MDF is basically wood powder and glue.

Well, my local Lowes didn't have any MDF smaller than 8x4 sheets.  I have no need for that much MDF.  So, I bought some particle board.  I usually don't use particle board for this kind of work - as it seems a bit too 'crumbly.'  But I have to say - my experience this time may change that perception.

Second verse - same as the first

I used the same process for this template that I did for cutting out the body blanks - with two variations.

1) I used a much finer tooth blade on the jig saw.  The Particle board is thin (3/4 of an inch) and I wanted the cut to be smooth - so you use a blade with more teeth for a more finished edge.

2) I made a lot more relief cuts than I did for the body blanks.  I really wanted to get as close to the line as possible.

My plan was to then use a 'drum sander' bit on my drill press to sand away the excess particle board.

Yeah, I'd still be out there if I had gone this route.  The drum sander bit works pretty well on the MDF.  The particle board just laughed and laughed and laughed...

I do not fear you little puny drum sander.

I believe the phrase the kids use these days is, "That's when shit got real."

Say hello to my little friend!

If I had thought about it for two seconds I would have just started with the belt/disc sander in the first place.  Not just because - 'ug ug me like power tools' - but because what I'm looking for here is precision.  That disc sander has a guide on it.  A guide you can set to be 90 degrees - with measurements and everything!  At the end of the day I want the template to be accurate, precise, and easy to use.  The disc sander will give me a better chance at accuracy than the drum sander or hand sander.  ...and it was a hell of a lot faster too!

Forecast for tonight: Sawdust all up in your grill

Now might be a good time to mention some disc sander etiquette.  See that disc?  It spins in one direction.  If you hold your work-piece on one side of the disc (in the above photo the left side - like I'm doing) the rotation of the sandpaper pushes it down.  If you hold your work-piece on the other side (in this instance - the right side of the disc) - Oh, hey look, it's raining wood!

I tell you only to spare you from what has happened to me.  I damn near gave myself a black eye the first time I used this thing.

Another cool thing about this tool is the other half - the belt sander.  Doubly cool for this project because the Les Paul cutaway fits in there like they were meant for each other.

It's like I've been waiting my whole life just for you.

What is triply cool is that I now have a decent template that I can use on any future Les Paul builds.