Guitar Construction: Make your own radius dish of any size easily!

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Published 2020-04-02

This video shows how to inexpensively create radius dishes of any size using basic woodworking tools. These dishes are used in the construction of the top and back arch of acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars. I found the commercial ones to be overpriced and limited in size. You can use 60 or 80 grit self adhesive sandpaper or simply glue ordinary sandpaper to them to place them into service. My first one is three years old and only now needs a change of sandpaper! I used a 1/4" bolt as the center spindle - Make sure you place a washer under the dish to allow it to spin freely. Cut the dish radius in several passes, and be careful near the outside as teh router will want to take over and spin the dish quite aggressively as it turns. Finish the disk by coating back and sides with shellac or whatever you have to hand to prevent warping over time.

All Comments (21)

@TempleGuitars 4 months ago

People like you are the reason I love YouTube. Thank you.
@halfabee 7 months ago

Brilliant solution for marking a long arc.
@georgescarlett2320 2 years ago

This is Soooooooo Cool! The "LONG COMPASS" blows me away, pure 'Da Vinci'!!!!! Thanx mate, Cheers1 Gb g
@raytristani 2 years ago

That’s what I call short and sweet! Eggzellent mate!
@andyshriner5443 3 years ago

This is extremely helpful. Thank you so much for this tutorial!
@AlexanderElse 1 year ago

Great no nonsense explanation. Thanks for going to the effort of putting it up.
@terrywilsonfpv1776 3 years ago

Thanks for this mate. You have solved all my needs for making the radius dish. The calculations worked for me too! And the compass I saw at Engels coach shop but forgot about it. Brilliant.. Thanks from the UK.
@TvJPZ 2 years ago

Thank you a lot! Very usefull and a rare explation here YT!
@doughsnakes 9 months ago

This is great. Thanks
@forsakensounds 3 years ago

Thanks a lot for the idea on the jig. I'll be building something similar pretty soon !
@FriendM2010 2 years ago

Greetings from SoCal. 🖐. Brilliant! I may just build a guitar after all 😁🥳👍.
@kevindoran7007 2 years ago

Bit late to the party but this is a great explanation. I'll definitely be making a few dishes myself soon. Thanks
@pneurd 2 years ago

Thanks for the excellent video. Very helpful! How is the dish being constrained to rotate about its axis? Thanks!
@MrTewhare 2 years ago

these can be priced like saffron and if you gonna make guitars surely you can make these thanks
@tantaloss8682 2 years ago

Oh. So that's how.
@crazyrees23 5 months ago

What are the measurements for 25 foot and a 15 foot? Are the boards typically 2x2? Did you get the chip board to make it round before starting?
@tomalexiou9573 1 year ago

Thank you for making this video.Can I use plywood instead of MDF?
@Maxmonteguitars 3 years ago

Why go through the trouble of making curved rails when you can use the long compass for that as well? A v shaped router sled would be much easier,, and if you add hinges and a way to change the angle of the V you can effectively create different radii...
@sbooder 4 years ago

If I want to create a 25' raduis, do I enter the width and radius in the calculator in 'mm' or " (inches) please? And I take it that the calculated height is of a straight plane above the center (lowest point) of the arc? Thanks.
@wangwang5722 3 years ago

Guess it's not really a fixed radius plate, but a compound radius plate or a curved plate.