Make a Dished Workboard, Freehand

by Ryan Schultz

Originally published in American Lutherie #99, 2009



As a first-time guitar builder, I bought a kit from LMI and eagerly began to build my guitar. Very early in the process, I realized that I needed to obtain two radiused sanding dishes (30´ for the top and 15´ for the back) for various tasks as the Robert O’Brien DVD suggests. These sanding dishes are not cheap. They generally cost $60 to $80 each plus shipping. So I was determined to make the sanding dishes on my own if I could.

My research showed that most people make a router jig with the appropriate profile (see AL#74). But I thought I could make a dish quicker and easier, with no jigs, basically routing it free hand.