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MartyM

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  1. I saw that when I was visiting your thread today. This jig has been on the " net" for about 20 years and people don't usually credit me when they build it or modify it, so I appreciate it when it happens. I'm a member of a lot of forums, but mostly hang out in one spot.
  2. A bit late to the party here but I think I can offer you some insight into getting into the cnc thing. I built 2 machines large enough to do guitar bodies, I bought two commercially made machines over the past 7 years, and I bought a Shapeoko2 for a winter project. If you are an enthusiastic hobbiest like I am, a $ 5000 CNC will do the job for you. The key to success is rigidity, and some of the commercial machines have it and some don't . The shapeoko is very toylike, one video shows it cutting a body in 6 hours. That is ridiculous. Check out the machines by Velox as as example of what you can get for 5000 dollars. A few years ago K2 was a popular machine brand for instrument building. They were bought out by Velox who has expanded the line and gotten away from some of the smaller desktops. I probably make about 10 different type guitars a year and the cnc router has become a go-to replacement for some of my other machines. Having gotten into the cnc thing over a decade ago when the softwear was in its infancy, I learned how to draw and create Gcode by hand. I now have taught myself 3D to some degree with Rhino, but only use 3D machining for carving necks and guitar tops. It's faster to do 2.5D for everything else.
  3. Actually I had a Gibson SG from the early 70's that had a poplar body. This was one of those with a metal control plate and switches kind of like a tele. They also used Alder on an S-1 that I had. Marty
  4. I have made a few repairs like this with splines using a laminate trimmer. It can be done but isn't really cost effective on a cheap instrument. Marty
  5. Here are some samples and the machine itself. I find it is faster to bansand and sand the perimeter rather than machine it out.
  6. I tried Freeware programs and they never worked for me. BobCad is a program that was offered to me for 200 dollars. You can draw with it and then convert the drawing to what is called G code, which is the machine language. You take the gcode and load it into the Cnc machine's software which drives the machine. I purchased a motor and controller set from Maxnc a number of years ago. It was pricey, but worked out of the box. A lot of guys will assemble their own controller and use a version of Mach software which is popular these days. I hardly use my hand held router any more, I just draw and rout from the CNC right to the body blanks. Marty
  7. Robert, I bought plans from John Kleinbauer at Crankorgan.com. This was before the CNCzone started up. He has many different type of machines that are built from hardware store parts. Once that was completed I had the knowledge that I needed to build something of my own design that could accomodate necks and bodies. I'd go that route again if I had to do it over. You'll see many of John's design elements incorporated into other machines designed by many people on the CNC zone. Marty
  8. Mind if I ask you how you apply your shellac? Do you spray, brush or wipe the stuff on? If I do any finishing, I use Watco Danish Oil. Most of my products leave unfinished or get farmed out to a finisher. I try to stay away from as many toxic substances as I can. mm
  9. I made my own CNC machine. You can try skate bearings and aluminum angle with steel rod to acheive a similar concept. Check out crankorgan.com website. John Kleinbauer sells cnc plans on the cheap, but he doesn't sell out of the US. They are very good and well worth the cash. Even if you didn't put stepper motors on the machine, it would still move the way you desire. Check out the CNCzone. com for free plans too. Better than the skate bearing method, but more costly would be linear bearings on rod. Check out vxb.com for linear bearings and you'll see what I mean. VXB also sells skate bearings if you go that rout. Marty
  10. Lostheart, I am a proponent of the pine, at least the stuff I've latched onto. I run my bodies and blanks through a Delta Drum sander after they get planed down. I then use a hardwood block with 120 grit double side carpet tape to refine the blank's surfaces. My sanding block is considerably larger than the rubber one you are using. The grain orientation on my pine may be different as well, but I've not had any problems with the Eastern White pine, which may be easier to deal with then some of the other species. I finish the bodies off with 220 grit. I use new, good quality abrasive as well and replace it often when it loads up. I'd recommend that you get a nice thick, larger block with a good sharp abrasive and try that out before you give up. Maybe you want to lighten up the pressure that you are putting on the block too. I'm pretty sure that the same uneven sanding effect will occur on other woods as well where there is a different density to the rings. I don't think that it not just a pine thing. You may want to use some shellac as a sealer coat as the pine may/will release some sap after you sand. A filler is not necessary and I question the use of a wood hardener on wood that is known to be easy to dent. Why use it ( pine)then if the dents are going to bother you? As always YMMV. Marty
  11. Whatever the 13 doesn't cover, my open ended Delta drum sander takes care of.
  12. Also check this link out that I just found: http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/dw735rvu.html
  13. The Dewalt and some others that I've seen over the years have a mechanical device to keep the cutterhead from moving after you adust the thickness. This was a" fix" to some degree in an effort to stop the sniping. That movement of the cutterhead contributes to the snipe, as does a lack of support at the outfeed/outfeed. Small planers sometimes do not contain pressure bars that you would find in a more commercial model. I had your Ryobi when if was a 500 dollar machine years ago. It was actually the first entry level planer of that type. My father in law has it now and it still works well ( still snipes though).
  14. I would question whether that planer is really that much different than your Ryobi. It does have a lot of cuts per in. It doesn't mention a cutterhead lock. I did read a review about the Dewalt 13" planer when it came out. The writers liked it very much. It is about 150 more than that steel city and has a proven track record I guess. I'd like to get rid of my Jet planer/molder and buy the DeWalt and save some space in the process. I'd say planers are an example of another machine where you get what you pay for. See if you can dig up a review somewhere on the steel city. Marty
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