Bionic Machinist Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 I'm new here, but thought I'd share with you my build I'm just starting. I'm building a 6 string Multi-Scale with a tremolo. I'm using the Kahler Cam tremolo system to machine my own bridge up for this project. here's what I have so far. 3/8" 6063 Aluminum. I'm using 6063 because it is heat treatable. It will be almost as hard as mild steel when finished. Started work Coming along well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pestvic Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 wow that looks awesome! would you charge to make those? I'll be watching this thread closely Great work man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) wow that looks awesome! would you charge to make those? I'll be watching this thread closely Great work man I was thinking of making a few more if there is a demand for them. I'd wait to see how mine turns out though. I should have the main body finished this week along with the cam section. Edited June 24, 2012 by Bionic Machinist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juntunen Guitars Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Looks cool, I'll be following this. There was a guy on here once called "Bionic Dave" he built a few multiscale guitars on here but he got banned. I just found it kind of funny that the next multiscale project I see after him is by someone called "Bionic Machinist" Anyways, welcome to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pestvic Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 Bionic, thats what i was thinking. If yours comes out great i would LOVE to buy two haha. a 6 and a 7 string version. I hope there is a demand for them. Anyway, ill be back next week to check on the progress pictures. I cant wait to see how this works. I've been wanting a tremolo multiscale for a while now :-P Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 What milling machine are you working on? I'm ready to get geeky. I loved working with a Series I Bridgeport a few months back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 The mill is a FiRST 10 x 50 5HP variable speed with auto feed and digital read out. I'm also using the Lathe on this project for the fine tuning thumb screws. I got some more pics to post up today. I will do that after I eat my dinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Ok he's where I am as of 5:30am this morning. Here I got the cam pivot holes drilled and tapped along with the cam locking screw and the saddle pivots as well. I also mounted the Kahler cam in the bridge for the pics. In these pics I have got the bottom part of the 2 piece cam partially made and installed for the pics. I also got some for the contouring done on the bridge base. It's hard to see in the pics though. Tomorrow i will finish the bottom part of the cam by radiusing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Aluminium. Sticky stuff! I've only worked brass for my own projects and milled/lathed steel in limited circumstances. I tried making the same item from mild steel as I did brass and it just made me pity people who have to work stainless.... Any chance of photos mid-milling, if only so I can completely nerd out? You know, it's funny. I am sure I have one of these bridges hanging around somewhere but I think it is a cheap Kahler copy....or did they sublicence out at any point? The springs and retention block underneath are very familiar to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I'm interested to see this finished and know how it turns out. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Aluminium. Sticky stuff! I've only worked brass for my own projects and milled/lathed steel in limited circumstances. I tried making the same item from mild steel as I did brass and it just made me pity people who have to work stainless.... Any chance of photos mid-milling, if only so I can completely nerd out? You know, it's funny. I am sure I have one of these bridges hanging around somewhere but I think it is a cheap Kahler copy....or did they sublicence out at any point? The springs and retention block underneath are very familiar to me. I'll try to remember to grab a pic or 2 tomorrow mid milling. I work with mostly Aluminum, Stainless steel and Delrin. Aluminum is only sticky when over heated, meaning you are using the wrong speed and feed rate for the end mill to flute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 I'd highly recommend making a way to vary the angle of the piece that the saddles will attach to. This will give more variation in the types of multi-scales you'll be able to use with the bridge. For your purposes this may not matter, but for resale value it'd be good to be able to say "Works with ________ to _______ multi-scale fretboards." Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pestvic Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 i agree with chris. but im sure this is hard work so i have no say. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Ops, double post. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Perhaps it's just a two-piece system where the cam is independent of the saddles. Then you could place them anywhere. Take a look at the Toone headless system. Like that for saddles, but with your cam system for the term. Or, you could make the saddle retaining bar and the plate the saddles sit on connected by two bars at each end that swivel so that it's essentially a variable angle parallelogram. If that doesn't make sense let me know and I'll try and draw it out later. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Aluminium. Sticky stuff! I've only worked brass for my own projects and milled/lathed steel in limited circumstances. I tried making the same item from mild steel as I did brass and it just made me pity people who have to work stainless.... Any chance of photos mid-milling, if only so I can completely nerd out? You know, it's funny. I am sure I have one of these bridges hanging around somewhere but I think it is a cheap Kahler copy....or did they sublicence out at any point? The springs and retention block underneath are very familiar to me. Here's a couple pics of my Mill and Lathe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 I here what your saying. That crossed my mind when i started this project I'd highly recommend making a way to vary the angle of the piece that the saddles will attach to. This will give more variation in the types of multi-scales you'll be able to use with the bridge. For your purposes this may not matter, but for resale value it'd be good to be able to say "Works with ________ to _______ multi-scale fretboards." Chris That did cross my mind when i started this project, but i didn't do it because i wanted my bridge angle to match the angle of the Bridge pickup. Perhaps it's just a two-piece system where the cam is independent of the saddles. Then you could place them anywhere. Take a look at the Toone headless system. Like that for saddles, but with your cam system for the term. Or, you could make the saddle retaining bar and the plate the saddles sit on connected by two bars at each end that swivel so that it's essentially a variable angle parallelogram. If that doesn't make sense let me know and I'll try and draw it out later. Chris I had considered using single bridge tuners mounted to the body and a cam bridge mounted further back. but if you would like to mach up a drawing of what you mine i'd be happy to consider it. Thanks again BM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Ok here's where i got to today. I didn't get a lot done, do to a rush job that came in. Here you can see the KAHLER cam sitting on the clamp and mine in the clamp I finished milling the spring return cavity, and setting up for the slot. Here it is finished and you can see the radius I added to the cam section earlier. Bottom shot. This is with it mounted to the bridge upside down. And finally with the top section of the KAHLER cam sitting on top of my bottom section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 (edited) So like I mentioned in my earlier post there was a rush job that came up today. So I lost the use of myMill and Lathe to another Machinist who need it for that job. So I was using the Knee Mill in our other shop. Anyways the job I was working on took me 8 hours just to get it setup to start. hers some pics of it. This is what I keep tapped up on the Cabinet for the mill and Lathe. Till tomorrow then. BM Edited June 27, 2012 by Bionic Machinist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Can't get away from that good old Bridgeport knee mill configuration!! Oh Chris - your idea about adjustable saddles with a seperate cam mechanism. There is a term for that....Bigsby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 K didn't get a lot done, but I finished the bridge base and the contouring as well. Turned the set screws for the the cams bearing pivot point to size. Tomorrow I'm starting the top section of the cam. Anyhow here's what I got for pics. More tomorrow. BM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Whilst I was in an adult education machine shop for a week, I asked one of the guys there (pursuing a degree I might add) on how best to cut a 6mm radius around the corners of a block of brass. Nothing amazing. Since I'd never done it before I thought it best to defer to experience or at least somebody who had been trained in the process. I wasn't convinced by his methods and almost went to hit the cutoff button before he committed virtual murder to my workpiece. Told him to go for a cigarette and leave me to "figure it out". In my opinion with machining, there has to be 100% confidence in every machining operation and I wasn't getting that. Despite metal being more forgiving of mistakes (peening brass back in, etc) I just can't justify that margin for error. A margin for error means a lack of confidence. So I made this, anyway. Bridge makers, represent....although yours is actually a mechanism and mine is just a big ringing block of brass. I was going to polish it up further, but it is going to end up powder coated at some point in the near future. Got to love that reflected colour! Are you taking measurements from the donor piece as you work, or are you working from a drawn plan? Sorry, if you posted this answer already it escapes me....very tired.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 The best way to add a Radius to any material. is with a corner round bit / or as I call it a radius bit. looks like this. Your bridge looks nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 That's what I thought, however there wasn't one to be found. Instead, I used a rotating vice with a straight cutter. You either love geometry or you don't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Machinist Posted June 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Started the top section of the cam today. I got a lot done on it too, doesn't look like it but Machining is all about setup. It takes up so much time the cutting is fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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