Top Plate II or, “I want a pin router!”

The ideal way to cut the “F” holes in a carved top is to use a pin router which, of course, I don’t have. So, let’s make one! I’ve had a drill-stand knocking about for years which was made redundant when I got a pillar drill, so I that’s a good start.

I wanted to mount my Dremel in the drill stand and fortunately found a chap in Germany who makes just the thing- an adaptor for CNC routers with a 43mm outer diameter and the correct thread for taking the Dremel.

 

This is a brief explanation of the process, as in reality it took many hours of thought, design and plain old trial and error to get a perfectly clean cut hole.

 

Eventually, I arrived at this final set-up.

You’ll see that the cutter is aligned with a pin. This pin is a guide for a template which has the exact shape that’s required cut out. The soundboard is mounted on the template and the sound holes cut out.

And here we have the finished soundholes, as you'll see, not quiet "F"holes. Note that the holes are bound with black veneer; not easy to do!