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Control Cavity Covers

BruceBass3901

BruceBass3901

Oct 17, 2009
932
34
Portsmouth, UK
#1
Hey guys,

I've started a build (thread up soon) and was wondering if I could pick your brains slightly?

My question is this; how to you achieve a matching control cavity cover? I have noticed on here that many builds feature covers that match the grain around it very closely. How is this done? Does it reqire having a back 'layer' and cutting it beforehand?

Please help put my mind at ease :)

Thanks in advance :)
 
#2
its either a back plate, or if you get a peice a bit too thick for the body, you can resaw a slice off the back in the same place that the cavity cover will be, this will yield very close matching grain.
 
#3
Make a matching pair of templates.

Build288.jpg


Build289.jpg
 
#5
If you want the grain to match perfectly, route your cover plate from the back body laminate using a 1/16" router bit, then bind the edge of the cover to give a close fit. I'll toss up a pic when I get to work.
 
#8
BruceBass3901 said:
My question is this; how to you achieve a matching control cavity cover? I have noticed on here that many builds feature covers that match the grain around it very closely. How is this done? Does it reqire having a back 'layer' and cutting it beforehand?
Click to expand...

As I understand your question, you are not asking us how to make the cover fit the cavity route but rather how to match the grain pattern so that it will look natural. First, let me say that if I cannot make a cover that is consistent with the body grain then I would just prefer to use a black plastic cover. Mismatched grain patterns look wrong to me. I have seen covers made of a darker wood on lighter natural wood bodies that looked good: think ash body with a walnut cover.

I usually buy body wood in 8/4 thickness therefore, after running it lightly through the planer, I can resaw a piece almost 3/16" off the "back" to make the cover and possibly peghead veneer. I attach the planed side to a flat piece of melamine using double-sided woodworker's tape (carpet tape would do). Then I run it lightly through the planer or jointer to get it coplanar (my jointer works well and gives me better depth control but a drum sander would be even better). I sand to 220 grit, match the grain up and cut the cover plate accordingly paying close attention to grain direction. The coverplate can be used as a router depth gauge when you are routing the "lip" around the cavity that the cover will rest on and attach to. I try to end up with a 1/8th inch plate. Hopefully you can translate the dimensions easily to metric.

Hope this helps. Good luck on your build!

Clif
 
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#9
With a small upgrade fee ;)...... I use a jeweler's saw with an 4/0 blade, if it's a 1/4" thick back laminate...if thicker, i'll just use a 36tpi+ blade on my 18" scroll saw. If by chance you're trying to do it on a solid piece, I resaw a 1/4" thick piece off the back (on a 2pc body for example) cut the cavity opening, then surface and glue the piece back on. Also, like tiger mentioned, instead of gluing the piece back on, locate the section that was resawn and cut the cover out.

Also, a plunge cutter can make life a little easier, IIRC like the "Fein" multimaster for example. Here's what the blades resemble:

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#10
Here's how I do it...

Start with your back body laminate... you'll need a template for the cavity you want, and it will have to be oversized. Route the cavity with a 1/16" bit with a bushing. How you do it depends on which bushing sizes you use, I suppose. I use a 9/16" bushing to cut out the initial piece. You use the thin bit so you only have to make up that much thickness:

4856669803_239acba938_b_d.jpg


Then you bind that piece with a wood of a contrasting color. In this case, I use bloodwood (because I have bloodwood accent laminates in the body):

4857444571_b041f6135f_b_d.jpg


It isn't a "true" binding, because I haven't bent any wood around it. Rather, the back plate that was routed out above has been inlayed into a piece of bloodwood. I use a 1/8" bit with 2 different bushings to route the inside bloodwood area (where the matching piece of cavity cover wood will be inlayed) and then to cut out the outside portion so that it fits into the cavity area on the body, as pictured above.
 

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