Routing: How thin is too thin?

[Molochnik]

I am curious as to how deep one can rout into a body, or more specifically, what a minimum material thickness might be for Agathis.

I intend to install a 5-way switch in my Bronco and the switch needs a good 1.4 inches just to clear the body. The Bronco body is right around 1.625. I would prefer to rout to the standard 1.5 inches for a control cavity, but I'm concerned about the bottom of the cavity being too thin.

Any advice?

[Pilgrim]

I sure wouldn't route to less than 1/4", and I'd very much prefer more. Think about what one drop could do to crack it, or one hit against a sharp object could to do puncture it. Why don't you look for a more compact switch? They don't cost much. Maybe you could do a rotary switch instead of a lever-type.

Q: if you're putting it in a Bronco, how the heck many pickups do you have? I can't figure out why a 5-way switch would be needed.

[Molochnik]

Thanks for chiming in; I fully agree on more wood than less wood. I suppose the import switch may save some room but I haven't actually held any in my hands.

Concerning the number of pickups: two at this point. An SCPB-3 Quarter Pounder in the bridge and the stock pickup in the stock position. The 5 way is for"Neck", Bridge, Both in series, Both in Parallel, and a tone cap for the "neck" just for fun.

I am also wiring up a varitone too, in regard to the rotary switch you mention, which is sort of an afterthought, but I figure why not. I want a lever switch either way just cuz I think they're cool.

I could probably get by with just another 100 thou which would leave about .225

Maybe I'll swing by GC and see if they have any of the import style, The switch I have is actually marked made in USA. Kind of a bummer; I didn't think a strat would be any thicker than the Bronco.

[FunkMetalBass]

I'd route a 1.25" route all the way through and just route a small section underneath the switch for the deeper portions.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

I've never routed any cavities under 6mm (1/4"), common sense tells You not to .

I do know they look damn ugly to some, and usually ruin the possibility to re-arrange the controls on a top (if solid) or a PG as it is in this case, but couldn't the kind of a "riser housing" that some of the super thin Ibanez super strats had back in the day be used? IIRC it raised the switch about 1/4".

Regards
Sam

[Pilgrim]

Still seems easier to look for a more compact switch.

For that matter, two rotary switches next to each other, both with chicken head knobs, might look rather cool!

[Molochnik]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

I'd route a 1.25" route all the way through and just route a small section underneath the switch for the deeper portions.

Yup.......I was thinking of putting it down on the treble horn and going "deep" just under the switch. I figure it would be far enough away from all of the other routing, and maybe even using a channel shallower than 1.25 to get the wiring back over to the rest of the items.

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Hi.

I've never routed any cavities under 6mm (1/4"), common sense tells You not to .

I do know they look damn ugly to some, and usually ruin the possibility to re-arrange the controls on a top (if solid) or a PG as it is in this case, but couldn't the kind of a "riser housing" that some of the super thin Ibanez super strats had back in the day be used? IIRC it raised the switch about 1/4".

Regards
Sam

Agreed on the sensibility of going less than 250. I've got an extended diamond plate pickguard shaped and cut for the stock pup - currently working on the bridge hole. Unfortunately the DP precludes an *easy* riser solution (from an aesthetic point of view IMO), but it is .125 thick, so I could grab about half of that to pull the switch up into the PG.

I am also considering a rear-rout style plate (plastic or aluminum) to either protect the thin area, just screwed on like a scab or actually recessed. It's on the back after all, and wouldn't look any worse than a rear-rout axe. this is, of course, just localized around the lever switch cavity.

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Still seems easier to look for a more compact switch.

For that matter, two rotary switches next to each other, both with chicken head knobs, might look rather cool!

I actually have a hex knob for the rotary and a vintage skirted knob for the volume. I appreciate the look of standardized controls, but I like the idea of different shapes for different controls, like in a cockpit

It appears that the consensus is that 250 is the minimum thickness, so I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for all the input. Plenty to think about!