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CNC process, video?


u6crash

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Has anyone seen in person or by video the process of a CNC machine cutting a body blank into a body? I thought maybe I'd see it in a factory tour online, but have found no such thing.

 

How much training goes into learning to use a CNC router? There is a class taught on it at the local community college, but I believe it focuses on metal working.

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I took CNC programming and machine set up, etc when I did my three year college degree (industrial woodworking).

 

The machines and controllers are pretty much the same whether you are working metal or wood (the biggest difference is the fixtures for holding the work and the lack of coolant for wood). The feedspeeds and cutter speeds are different but the basic programming procedures are identical.

 

After you get over the inital "cool factor: of watching the machine work, its gets pretty mundane. I decided to go the route of hands on, custom fine furniture builder VS the route of factory automation. A lot more interesting IMO. :)

 

But its still neat to watch!

 

AJC

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Originally posted by ajcoholic

I took CNC programming and machine set up, etc when I did my three year college degree (industrial woodworking).


The machines and controllers are pretty much the same whether you are working metal or wood (the biggest difference is the fixtures for holding the work and the lack of coolant for wood). The feedspeeds and cutter speeds are different but the basic programming procedures are identical.


After you get over the inital "cool factor: of watching the machine work, its gets pretty mundane. I decided to go the route of hands on, custom fine furniture builder VS the route of factory automation. A lot more interesting IMO.
:)

But its still neat to watch!


AJC

 

I've been a CNC programmer for 20 years and mundane is a {censored}ing understatement..............now program 5-axis router.........a 3-d model is generated and then is toolpathed with a software program, I use MasterCam. I feel like the ain't {censored} to it, but I guess 20 yrs of it will do that to you.......lol

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Originally posted by u6crash

Has anyone seen in person or by video the process of a CNC machine cutting a body blank into a body? I thought maybe I'd see it in a factory tour online, but have found no such thing.


How much training goes into learning to use a CNC router? There is a class taught on it at the local community college, but I believe it focuses on metal working.

 

 

I have 3 cnc(actually its my dads machine) and its a bit hard to learn at first, but once you grab a hold of it, then its not too hard:)

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My new local shop is owned by a guy who is building guitars too. He uses a CNC to do most of the work including inlays. Cuts the inlay itself from some material and then cuts the recess in the fingerboard or headstock. He installed my floyd rose system using the CNC. Nice work but to the true luthier maybe not excactly handmade.

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There used to be video of a 5 axis machine at work in the Jesada Tool plant. Might want to check there. They use it for making router bits.

 

If you're interested, you might want to take a look at a laser cutter. They even have some now that work like laser printers - you just load a document and tell it to "print". Versalaser comes to mind. Lots of cool guitar applications.

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That Carvin DVD has a whole segment showing the CNC process. It's quite impressive to watch the router whip out a body in that short amount of time, even though the computers operating the router look like they're from the 80's and are probably powered by gerbils.

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I used to run a company that manufactured display fixtures for retail stores. We had a 4'x8' CNC router and a 10'x10' computer numeric horzontal panel saw. I wrote most of the code for the router and did from time to time operate it as well. Not a big deal but very cool what they can do.

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I'm starting to wonder if a small CNC setup isn't as expensive as I would have once imagined.

 

This is a three axis router that a local luthier has. He does all his inlay and body sculpting with it.

3axirout.jpg

 

It almost looks like he built the rig himself.

 

I'd like to learn to do a lot of stuff by hand too, but I've always been a better programmer than a woodworker.

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Originally posted by OrvilleGibson


If you're interested, you might want to take a look at a laser cutter. They even have some now that work like laser printers - you just load a document and tell it to "print". Versalaser comes to mind. Lots of cool guitar applications.

 

 

A laser cutter may not be the best option to carve a guitar..

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