If I am seeing this correctly then it looks as if you’re taking some big bites with the router there...

I’m talking about that island of wood in the middle, how deep are your cuts?

Way, way too deep. There was a hump in the middle I hadn't really noticed until I was taking those big bites and that's what kicked the headstock off the tape I think. I did stop and started over taking a couple of mm at a time. 

At least there was no irrecoverable damage/loss from that remembering opportunity.  😀 

I sometimes think it's a pain, but I always give the tape a squeeze with a clamp once I've used it to stick things together.  Yup, sometimes a pain, but it's easier than if the pieces slipped apart, and it's definitely easier removing NEC tape than the old double sided tape that I used to use.

So in the long run, it's not a pain at all!

"remembering opportunity" is a great way to look at it.

Too be honest I think it was more my fault going too deep than it was the poor tapes fault.

I did stop and started over taking a couple of mm at a time. 

@cheesewhisk

Yeah after changing your shorts, right? 😆

Absolutely shart myself 🤣

Too be honest I think it was more my fault going too deep than it was the poor tapes fault.

I have to agree with you @cheeswhisk I definitely think it was user error rather than a faulty product or application. The amount of material you were trying to remove in one go was just insane. I’m sorry to say it but it’s true, I’m just glad you are OK. If someone else had have been in the room with you, something could have been flung at them too. Wood splinters and flies through the air at incredible speeds when a router decides to spit something out. 

Right, enough telling off, I think you know to take much less off next time. You literally only take off about 2mm at a time, go over the whole surface, including the middle. Then lower the router bit another 2mm and go over the whole surface, then lower it another 2mm and...... you get the idea. It does take longer but it’s neater and safer. 

It’s no wonder the router had a fit. 😳😆😂🤣 It’s funny this time but it might not be next time, take it easy. 👍 

If you are unsure about anything, ask us here in the forum, don’t risk anything. 🤘😁🤘🎸

I’ll take that. I’m sharing everything here, the good and the bad. I’ve literally no experience before I started a few months ago so it’s all a learning curve but I’m definitely learning and I do really appreciate the telling off and words of support.

@cheesewhisk

Looks like you’ve had a lucky escape from injury. The first time I tried to use a router about 30 odd years ago it kicked away from the work piece and nearly went into my leg, because I tried to take too big a cut. It’s one of those tools with a sharp learning curve and I’ve always thought that a standard on/off switch is a bad design feature. It should be one that stops when you let go.

Yes - the double sided tape does need a good squeeze - also the surfaces need to be dust free and clean.........

Also why I like my DeWalt router - the switch is part of the handle - it does latch but is very easy to un-latch......

The Bosch router I have has the power trigger on one of the handles. It also has a trigger lock, which I never use. When I was a teenager, I spent a summer working for a joiner and when he was teaching me how to use power tools, he always said, “Do not lock the power button on. If there is a problem when cutting and you only have your finger on the trigger, you can just let go and it will stop”. 
One of my older routers just has an on/off switch on the front, I don’t like it and don’t use it much any more. Buying decent quality gear is something I have also learned, just look at the tools a good joiner has. 

Feeling a bit deflated today, I felt like I was making some decent progress but it’s clear I’ve got a long way to go.

Keep at it @cheesewhisk. Even when you make mistakes, that's progress. Now you know something you didn't know before. 👍🙂 

🙏🎸🎶🙂

Feeling a bit deflated today, I felt like I was making some decent progress but it’s clear I’ve got a long way to go.

@cheeswhisk Pick yourself up again, dust yourself off (literally maybe 🤣) and reapply yourself. It was a mistake, that’s all, it’s not the end of days, don’t let it put you off. Most of us have done these kinds of things, you just have to learn from them. What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. 
Now you’ve slept on it, go back to the bench and have a rethink, lay out your stuff and look at what you are going to do to fix the problem. Don’t think about what you did wrong, think about solving a problem that you had and an assertive, practical solution. Treat it as a puzzle that you have to solve before you can move on to the next bit. 

It’s a learning curve, you are learning not only guitar building but woodworking and how to operate tools and machinery. Don’t take mistakes to heart, just shrug it off and move on, it’s a new day. 

Think about what you are going to do and do it, safely. If you are unsure, ask. 

Enjoy 😉 

Boo 

I felt like I was making some decent progress but it’s clear I’ve got a long way to go.

It's a never-ending journey @cheesewhisk.

If you set out in the expectation that you'll ever get to the end, then you'll always be disappointed because you can never get there.

But if you set out, accepting that it's never-ending, and that each day will have new experiences, that you'll have some real "wow, I just did that moments" (and some other "wow, I just did that" moments 😉 ), that you'll learn how to do things that you never thought you'd be able to, that you'll make lots of new friends who are on the same journey - then you'll enjoy every day of it.

I’m 45 and make video games for a living, it’s been a long time since something has made me feel like a 15 year old school boy.

I have to also take my own advice too as I’m always yelling the kids there was a point in their lives where they couldn’t use a spoon. Everything takes practise and you only get better with more experience. 

I think I’m going to light the BBQ and open a beer and tomorrow instal the truss rod and fretboard.

I know I’ve said it before but I really do appreciate you guys, I can’t even imagine doing any of this without you 

@cheesewisk

Keep going, the best lessons are the ones learned the hard way because you never forget them. The important thing is that you didn’t get an injury. In a UK workplace using power tools staff have to do refresher training every three years, which gives an indication of the frequency of injuries that occur.

as I’m always yelling the kids 

Take it easy there @cheesewhisk, it’s not their fault that you suck at the router! 😂😂😂