rokeros Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 For those who are interested and like to try out CNC machining but can't afford the real things, here's a pretty cool site to check out! http://www.crankorgan.com/plans.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokeros Posted February 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 Just in case no-one realised. THe sites I gave showed plans and materials to build your own CNC machineries for <$100max... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 Just for the controller and steppers with enough power to run a wood cutting cnc you're looking at at least $399 US. No such thing as a cheap cnc....there is cheaper, like <$1500. But not cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnewman Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 The site says they're less than $100 in hardware WITHOUT the motors/controllers/software, i.e. without the really expensive stuff . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlrhett Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 Just in case no-one realised. THe sites I gave showed plans and materials to build your own CNC machineries for <$100max... Rockeros, Did you build one from these pans? It would be awesome if you posted pics of your build and tell us what it cost you to build. Maybe even show some cut pieces. One limitation I see has been finding reasonably priced 3-d CAD software that you can turn into g-code. It seems like if you really want to design something with complex 3-D shapes (like the arch of an archtop or a compound radius fretboard) you need pro versions of CAD software that all cost between $800 and $1500. The few budget 3-d cad software I have seen seem to allow you to build simple shapes, like a tube from a circle, but not complex shapes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidlook Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 Just in case no-one realised. THe sites I gave showed plans and materials to build your own CNC machineries for <$100max... Rockeros, Did you build one from these pans? It would be awesome if you posted pics of your build and tell us what it cost you to build. Maybe even show some cut pieces. One limitation I see has been finding reasonably priced 3-d CAD software that you can turn into g-code. It seems like if you really want to design something with complex 3-D shapes (like the arch of an archtop or a compound radius fretboard) you need pro versions of CAD software that all cost between $800 and $1500. The few budget 3-d cad software I have seen seem to allow you to build simple shapes, like a tube from a circle, but not complex shapes. there's always another way to aquire that software.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokeros Posted February 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 A green lemon with some wire = YOU GUYS SHOULD GET THE POINT...if not, then nvm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidnightLamp Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 there's always another way to aquire that software.. Not for most of it. Surfcam, Mastercam...any other real reputable cad/cam software that will mill anything complex like archtops etc... all come with hardware keys...ex) HASP (key that plugs into the parallel port) for mastercam, etc... Cheers, Nish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 there's always another way to aquire that software.. Not for most of it. Surfcam, Mastercam...any other real reputable cad/cam software that will mill anything complex like archtops etc... all come with hardware keys...ex) HASP (key that plugs into the parallel port) for mastercam, etc... Cheers, Nish My Mastercam sales rep told me that version 9 was hacked and on the internet before CNC Software had even released it to the public for sale. If you want it and you know where to look it can be had. Even once you have the software, there is the learning curve. It took me forever to create my LP surfaces, and I work with this stuff daily. As far as a homebuilt cnc machine goes, I would think you would be looking at spending serveral thousand dollars to build something heavy duty enough for most guitar work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 I made a new friend the other day in a c++/matlab class. He's got a cnc mill large enough to route inlay pockets in fretboards in his appartment and has access to 8...yes 8 large 4 dimensional cnc mills . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyykko Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Just in case no-one realised. THe sites I gave showed plans and materials to build your own CNC machineries for <$100max... One limitation I see has been finding reasonably priced 3-d CAD software that you can turn into g-code. It seems like if you really want to design something with complex 3-D shapes (like the arch of an archtop or a compound radius fretboard) you need pro versions of CAD software that all cost between $800 and $1500. I'd not try to make a 3D modell of carved top guitar by modelling it to a 3D CAD from scratch, no matter how expensive the system is (currently I'm using SolidWorks 2006 at work). Instead I'd carve a physical model of the top from soft wood or styroform (or anything that is easy to work with) by hand and have it 3D scanned. After that I could make some modifications, mirroring etc with cad, but these type of complex shapes are way easier to do by hand than by a computer. Besides, computers tend to kill your creativity, somehow you get better ideas when working with your hands :-) What comes to the cheap(ish) CNC routers, they are hardly ever suitable for such a demanding job as carving the top. They are ment to be used in easy tasks in 2D (routing or drilling PCB's or name plates etc.) or in 2,5D (routing pockets of different deapths by gradually taking off more and more). Cheap controllers are simply not powerfull enough to move all three axes accurately at the same time. Besides, CNC is ment for mass production. I really can't see any reason why to use it in one off production (besides the fact that playing around with different gadgets is so much fun). -- Seppo Design Engineer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Besides, CNC is ment for mass production. I really can't see any reason why to use it in one off production (besides the fact that playing around with different gadgets is so much fun). -- Seppo Design Engineer You'd be hard pressed to find someone who can do a gapless inlaid top without the help of cnc. That's just one of a few examples where you'd need the assistance of cnc on a small scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Hi there... Well a computerised cnc carver is pretty ambitious...there are quite a few threads on this I've seen about. The most impressive has been Myka (king of the jigs) Guitars' duplicarver... this came from the following thread... Myka's carved top semi hollow thread I beleive that even PRS started out with this type of machine. I think if you were going to go cnc this kind of machine would be far more practical with the sizes generally used in the majority of guitar work. Perhaps you could even make a mini dremel version for small stuff. Certainly it takes all the "software" out of the picture...and that could be a good thing... pete Oh...and a bit of a search found heaps of stuff on all kinds of CNC and dupli-carver threads...still it would be cool to have a toy like this, if only a little one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Hi there... Well a computerised cnc carver is pretty ambitious...there are quite a few threads on this I've seen about. The most impressive has been Myka (king of the jigs) Guitars' duplicarver... this came from the following thread... Myka's carved top semi hollow thread I beleive that even PRS started out with this type of machine. I think if you were going to go cnc this kind of machine would be far more practical with the sizes generally used in the majority of guitar work. Perhaps you could even make a mini dremel version for small stuff. Certainly it takes all the "software" out of the picture...and that could be a good thing... pete Oh...and a bit of a search found heaps of stuff on all kinds of CNC and dupli-carver threads...still it would be cool to have a toy like this, if only a little one Y'mean like this one, ideal for inlay? http://luthiersforum.3element.com/pages/ji..._pin_router.htm I'm giving that some serious thought. Bit of friendly plastic to 'match' the logos, and it takes care of the repetitive inlays, at least. I've pondered a duplicarver setup as well. Maybe once I finalize/settle on a carve and/or design or two, and once I have the shop space to dedicate to a setup like that :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyykko Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Besides, CNC is ment for mass production. I really can't see any reason why to use it in one off production (besides the fact that playing around with different gadgets is so much fun). You'd be hard pressed to find someone who can do a gapless inlaid top without the help of cnc. That's just one of a few examples where you'd need the assistance of cnc on a small scale. Sorry, I really ment to say i can't see any reason to use 3D CNC in one off production More simple (2D) works like inlays can be done with relatively simple machinery and software and more importantly spending much less effort to modelling/drawing. The most impressive has been Myka (king of the jigs) Guitars' duplicarver... Ruokangas guitars' website used to have a picture of similar piece of equipment, but it was raised to almost horizontal position, like old fashioned parallelogram drawing boards. It seemed to me a much more ergonomic than the table top -model. Too bad the shop tour -pictures have been removed from their web site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xlr8 Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 Ruokangas guitars' website used to have a picture of similar piece of equipment, but it was raised to almost horizontal position, like old fashioned parallelogram drawing boards. It seemed to me a much more ergonomic than the table top -model. Too bad the shop tour -pictures have been removed from their web site. It's still there if you know where to look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 Yeah...that's the one...it looks very strong and professional...hasn't quite got the style of Mykas house brick balance weight.... Still...a lot more space conservative and any stray chips and dust not sucked up into the vac system there, would natuarlly fall clear of the working surfaces...looks a little more ergonomic too in many ways... I think for a lot of stuff, things like this are far more approachable and practical than a true computer controled cnc machine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadgoodcharlie Posted April 12, 2006 Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 Besides, CNC is ment for mass production. I really can't see any reason why to use it in one off production (besides the fact that playing around with different gadgets is so much fun). You'd be hard pressed to find someone who can do a gapless inlaid top without the help of cnc. That's just one of a few examples where you'd need the assistance of cnc on a small scale. Sorry, I really ment to say i can't see any reason to use 3D CNC in one off production More simple (2D) works like inlays can be done with relatively simple machinery and software and more importantly spending much less effort to modelling/drawing. The most impressive has been Myka (king of the jigs) Guitars' duplicarver... Ruokangas guitars' website used to have a picture of similar piece of equipment, but it was raised to almost horizontal position, like old fashioned parallelogram drawing boards. It seemed to me a much more ergonomic than the table top -model. Too bad the shop tour -pictures have been removed from their web site. Check out www.durhamrobotics.com....I bought one of his cnc,s for about three gee,s .You can see a pic of a L.P. top being cut out of MDF as a test.He makes to suit your needs,cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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