Acoustic Guitar Construction

So on my 7th guitar, after six times successfully using the trim bit in my hand held router to trim back the back and top after gluing them to the rims, I had an OH OH! After the fact I see that I should have been going the other direction of travel with the router at that exact spot......careless!
I am lucky. The chip out falls within my planned binding/purfling width of .210". It could have been a huge disaster!
I will pass this on to say "be every so careful when you are doing this procedure". I was only taking about a 3/16" bite into the top edge here, but it was too much. This procedure always makes me nervous.....now I know why!!!

Kevin

Wasn't so lucky on one and it became a burst finish - gone!

I know the "horse is out of the barn" -- but this brings up a couple of points. Sometimes an inspection of the glue joint will reveal small gaps that of course have the potential of tear out. What I have done is use epoxy to fill the voids before routing, just a little insurance. Note too, that if you decide to bevel the top edge to say 28' radius (not recommended) the chance of a poor glue joint is increased since you are depending on the clamping system to actually bend the wood to compress it against the bevel (mis-match) the wood in length-wise is stiffer and a little more subborn.

Climb mill the entire outline. Hard for the bit to get under an edge doing it that way.
Tom