New toy - pin router

drbassman · February 26, 2011, 06:25:35 PM

I've been wanting one of these for awhile, so I finally took the leap. After a year of reading and studying various options, I went with the Veritas. It makes edge and interior routing very accurate and safe. The other really nice thing is it will permit you to do inside or outside copy work. For instance, I can take Sniper's Epi neck for his LP project and make a template for routing the neck pocket to exact specs. Now that's a real plus!

Here it is with the "hood" up for bit installation.

Here's the first test with it, making a copy of a Gretsch headstock template. Took a matter of seconds and it's a perfect match.

Lightyear · February 26, 2011, 08:30:25 PM

I just looked it up at Lee Valley - $169 seems like a fair price. How does it clamp on? My router table is actually Pitbill cast iron table added to my Jet table saw. I'm wondering if my fence rails will keep me from mounting it?

drbassman · February 26, 2011, 09:08:13 PM

Quote from: Lightyear on February 26, 2011, 08:30:25 PM
I just looked it up at Lee Valley - $169 seems like a fair price. How does it clamp on? My router table is actually Pitbill cast iron table added to my Jet table saw. I'm wondering if my fence rails will keep me from mounting it?

It clamps on with two screws and a set screw in two corner brackets which you can see in the pictures. It's set up for the thin stock table, but could fit any thickness if you replaced the screws with longer ones. I think there are pictures on the site of how it clamps on. It comes with a detailed manual, so set up, even with non-Veritas products, works. I was just being lazy and bought their entire set up.

Highlander · February 27, 2011, 03:01:55 AM

Envy is a terrible thing... (mumblings emanating from the shed...)

Very nice...

(now, if only I could find a suitable excuse...)

drbassman · February 27, 2011, 06:08:39 AM

Quote from: Kenny's 51st State on February 27, 2011, 03:01:55 AM
Envy is a terrible thing... (mumblings emanating from the shed...)

Very nice...

(now, if only I could find a suitable excuse...)

Well, I have Sniper to thank. His order helped finance it and it will be used to complete his bass! All of the other options I looked at were ridiculously expensive or needed a air compressor hooked up to it. Way too much for my little shop!

sniper · February 27, 2011, 07:24:31 AM

welcome back Doc, nice router.

birdie · February 27, 2011, 09:11:54 AM

Aaargh! Here I go spending money again....GOTTA have one. That is the perfect New York size , looks like!

godofthunder · February 27, 2011, 09:13:19 AM

That's the nazz! I think I see one in my future

birdie · February 27, 2011, 09:24:14 AM

Any reson why it would not work on a larger piece with an acrylic template?

godofthunder · February 27, 2011, 09:35:35 AM

Leslie that template is a work of art!

Dave W · February 27, 2011, 10:24:19 AM

Quote from: birdie on February 27, 2011, 09:24:14 AM
Any reson why it would not work on a larger piece with an acrylic template?

It has a 12" throat depth and will handle up to 2" thick workpieces.

drbassman · February 27, 2011, 10:29:00 AM

Quote from: birdie on February 27, 2011, 09:24:14 AM
Any reson why it would not work on a larger piece with an acrylic template?

I would think it would be perfect with a template like that. You just put the body face down with the template on the back and away you go. For thick bodies you'll need a longer spiral bit to do edges. Otherwise, it's pretty straight forward. Use spacers between template and wood if you're going clean through it.

I was able, without any hassle, to make one pass, raise my plunge router from below with it still ruinng so I could keep increasing the depth of my cut. I went slowly and it worked great.

drbassman · February 27, 2011, 10:30:29 AM

Quote from: Dave W on February 27, 2011, 10:24:19 AM
It has a 12" throat depth and will handle up to 2" thick workpieces.

Thanks Dave, I didn't realize he was asking that! It will for sure handle electric guitar/bass bodies easily.

drbassman · February 27, 2011, 10:34:15 AM

Quote from: godofthunder on February 27, 2011, 09:13:19 AM
That's the nazz! I think I see one in my future

Hey, why not? Once you start duplicating a particular design, it makes sense and it's a heck of alot cheaper than the industrial strength pin routers. I like the fact that you can mount any router you have on it too. You're not locked into a brand.

drbassman · February 27, 2011, 10:46:16 AM

Here's the template process:

1. Take original neck and make a "tracing of it with the router using 1/4" pin and bit. I cut and shaped the neck heel beforehand for the 32" scale Sniper wants.

2. Take the piece off the neck, flip it over and rout from below until the center is free. The pin just follws the first channel you make.

3. This is the first template. It's 1/4" too wide, so you use it and a 3/4" pin and the same 1/4" bit to cut a final template (see ply stock taped to bottome of the first template).

4. Rout the new template clean through and you end up with a pretty exact (minus shakey technique the first time around!) template for routing the heel pocket.