Brian's Guitar from Conception to Birth or How to Build a Guitar in 62 Easy Steps!
7 Cut Out the Body Shape
This is the point you’ve been waiting for. You will finally see what the final product will look like. Cut out your paper pattern about 12mm outside the final shape. Use spray adhesive to mount this to some 1/4" thick MDF. Drill your dowel locations through the template. On the bandsaw, cut about 2mm outside your pattern line.
Now sand right up to your line with an oscillating spindle sander. You can also you a sanding drum mounted in your drill press. Or you can use some good old-fashioned elbow grease and a sanding block. Sand just enough to remove your line. The curves should feel smooth to the touch. This will be your final template for the body, so take some time to get it just right.
Place the template onto the back body panel using the locating dowels. Trace around the template. On the band saw, cut about 2mm outside your line.
Repeat the procedure for the top body panel. Remember your dowels are on the “inside” face so flip your template upside-down and trace. Again, use the band saw and cut about 2mm outside your line.
Place your template onto the back body panel using the locating dowels. Place the panel template-side-down on an elevated, padded piece of plywood and clamp it to your workbench. Use a long flush cut router bit with a bearing on the bottom which will follow your template. Cut halfway around, turn the piece and re-clamp so you can finish the full perimeter. Now un-clamp, flip the unit over, and remove the template. Place the front body panel over the back body panel onto the locating dowels and re-clamp. Our body design has the neck penetrating into the body cavity. So I had to set the bearing-guided bit low enough to ride the body shape without slipping into the cavity. Rout all the way around just like the last time. Now you will have two perfectly mated panels at their final shape.