jer7440 Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Here is my latest hot off the CNC. Its a PRS custom 22 design based on the cad drawings done by AlexVDL (I think), found in the download section. The outline of the guitar and the pickup and neck pocket locations are from Alexes drawing. The 3D carve is my own programming creation. I realize the carve isn't an exact copy, and it needs a little sandpaper adjustment, but I like it. The body wood is alder and the top is maple. I joined forces with another member, PRSman. He has a bunch of wood and I have the CNC, so we are making a couple of these. Here is another pic. another view Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Sweet! Are there any alterations in plane on there though, for the neck angle, pickups and bridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted December 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 right now there is a 2 degree drop from the bridge to the neck...this may need to be adjusted slightly, but there isn't much interaction between the fretboard and the body on a PRS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 ;-) Have you considered expanding the router program to include the control "dishes", post mountings and perhaps even edge binding channels? That would be perfect. Especially if you routed the rear cavity etc. also! Looking forward to seeing this progress. How long did the program take to complete, and how many tool changes did you have in there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted December 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Actually, the control cavity is cut in the back. I will probably set this body up in the mill one more time to do the control recesses and the bridge and string through holes I probably have about 2 hrs into programing and cutting the 2d stuff. It took me about1 1/2 or 2 hrs to create the 3d surface for the carve, and the carve takes about an hour to machine. I had about 4 different endmills to cut this. A 3/4" 1/2" and a 3/8" straight endmill for the 2d stuff, and a 1/2 ballnose endmill for the carve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Sounds good. The stepping looks like a brief 80/120 grit sanding would get it flat before working up. I've been in a bit of a CNC mood this week, albeit just on the learning angle as I don't have the funds or the availability of a CNC right now. Are you making necks by hand, or do you have another CNC trick up your sleeve on this one also? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Looks nice, are you going to do the inside of the cut away like the actual PRS or leave it as is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted December 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Prostheta, You are right on, 15 or 20 min with a scraper and some sand paper and the top is looking pretty good. I will cnc the necks also. If you look back in my LP thread, I think I ran through the steps I took to cnc a neck. Maiden, I haven't decided what to do with the cutaway yet. I may leave it the way it is...it looks pretty good and I don't play up that high very often anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougK Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 I probably have about 2 hrs into programing and cutting the 2d stuff. It took me about1 1/2 or 2 hrs to create the 3d surface for the carve, and the carve takes about an hour to machine. I had about 4 different endmills to cut this. A 3/4" 1/2" and a 3/8" straight endmill for the 2d stuff, and a 1/2 ballnose endmill for the carve Faster than me Course my CNC wont take CAD imports (about to change I finally found R14 which is old enough to work) so it takes me FOREVER to get the body shape right. Looks awesome though You'll be surprized how fast that sands smooth. 15 minutes tops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted December 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 I probably have about 2 hrs into programing and cutting the 2d stuff. It took me about1 1/2 or 2 hrs to create the 3d surface for the carve, and the carve takes about an hour to machine. I had about 4 different endmills to cut this. A 3/4" 1/2" and a 3/8" straight endmill for the 2d stuff, and a 1/2 ballnose endmill for the carve Faster than me Course my CNC wont take CAD imports (about to change I finally found R14 which is old enough to work) so it takes me FOREVER to get the body shape right. Looks awesome though You'll be surprized how fast that sands smooth. 15 minutes tops Yeah...modern equipment is nice. I downloaded the file from PG and I had to clean up the outside contour to get rid of the splines. create my tool path in Mastercam, and then download the g-code to the mill over the network. It would take some mad programming skills to program guitar bodies at the machine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougK Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Yeah...modern equipment is nice. I downloaded the file from PG and I had to clean up the outside contour to get rid of the splines. create my tool path in Mastercam, and then download the g-code to the mill over the network. It would take some mad programming skills to program guitar bodies at the machine! Screw that. I can't even remember how to do some of the autoresizing programs at the machine. If I can't program it from the PC it just doesn't happen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 I would like to jump in here and say the top carve is more comfortable then a prs I can't wait until it is ready to play this one. keep up the good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 (edited) I think when this is done it will play better then a prs and at a fraction of the cost Edited December 17, 2007 by prs man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted January 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Just a quick update...I saw PRS man on Sat. He has the maple neck blanks glued up and a couple of sweet blood wood fingerboards all slotted. The blood wood on the maple looks great. I hope to machine these necks in the next couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted February 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 here is the first neck, Hot off the CNC neck Here is a close up of the headstock and volute This is right off the machine and has not been sanded yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_labb Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 nicely done, id love to get into cnc stuff, but i dont have the money to spare as im a poor uni student. at some stage ill learn to use cnc, and ill try to get an aluminium neck to pop out the other side, but ill see if that happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted April 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Hey here is a the latest update on my guitar. Here is the fretboard fretboard Here is a close up of the inlay at the 12th fret Maple fretboard with some sort of rosewood inlays and binding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 Love the fingerboard, LOVE the inlays!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted June 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Here is an update. the neck is done and fretted...just needs some truoil. another neck pic this was my first attempt...practicing the dye job. What do you think? I need to mount the bridge and drill the string through and output jack holes. Finish sand and hopefully be ready to start finishing by the 4th of july! Oh!...here is the truss rod cover This pic sucks....but, oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bygde Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Nice! Any updates on the body? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted June 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 The body is all cut except for drilling the holes for the bridge post, string through holes and the hole for the output jack. I also needs a final sanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bygde Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 okay! I guess it'll be the colour you had on your testpiece. It's going to look awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted June 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 okay! I guess it'll be the colour you had on your testpiece. It's going to look awesome! Yes...that's the color I'm shooting for. Hopefully it will turn out good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted June 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 I got the bridge pin holes, string through holes and the control holes all drilled in this weekend. I also had to route the control cavity a little deeper so the pot and the switch would be deep enough. I also cut the control cavity recesses. Should be ready to finish by the 4th of July weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted July 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2008 Hey, I started finishing this guitar. The top is dyed and I have a couple coats of clear on. Now that everything is sealed I am going to spray the alder back red. That is if the weather cooperates. Anyway here it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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