HuntinDoug

So...I've been doing more repair & setup work recently for some reason. A friend dropped off his Les Paul Traditional Pro he just purchased for $1899.00 about 2 months ago from MF. He complained of intonation problems, and the annoying "sharpening" of notes in chording a first position G, and a few other minor issues. He told me the MF rep claimed all of the Gibson's they sell are Plekked. Now I've played a few LP's, but I've never owned one. I was semi horrified to find that not only was the intonation not even set, but the frets were barely touched, the edges of the binding were sharp and unfinished looking, and the nut was cracked. And, much to my amazement, the inlays were plastic. Not to mention a rosewood board that has so many grain holes it looks like it should have been grain filled. I put it on the bench when he was here, and I was trying to bite my tongue and not to tell him I've seen better quality on Korean imports. We set the intonation which only helped part of the problem. He decided to leave it for a full setup including fret level with a fret height reduction from .064" to about .048" to help keep the lower string notes from sharpening. After taping it up and doing the fret level/reduction, I removed the low tac painters tape, and it dimpled the finish. Fortunately, it is a "satin" finish. Which looks more like an un buffed nitro finish with free orange peel. I feel I have to mention, there is nothing wrong with the electronics or the signature Gibson tone. But, I was really shocked at the lack of quality. Has anyone else experienced quality issues with Gibsons?

I dunno Chris...I've seen your videos, and learned a lot. I'm thinking now your obligated to do a "carve top veneer vacuum bag" tutorial.

When I do thin inlays (.050" - .060") i cut the pockets about .010" too deep, and sand the board down to the inlay. This ensures I have a maximum inlay thickness after sanding. The trick is being consistent on all of the inlays. If you don't, you may end up sanding through any high ones. As far as gaps go...you are going to have gaps when you cut the pockets with a handheld router. But in this case, the gaps aren't the main problem. If this is an inlay "job", then I wouldn't blink at buying a new board, and re-cutting the pockets to get a better overall finished product for your paying customer. Even if it means loosing money on the job. It only takes one unhappy customer to give you a reputation you don't want, or later regret. If you decide to go with the board you have, here is a trick that may help to reduce epoxy bubbles in the gaps: Use a slow set epoxy (2 hour). Bring a pot of water to a boil, and remove from the heat. Mix up enough epoxy & wood dust in a plastic mixing cup to do half the board. Make sure you have plenty of wood dust in it so it's nice and dark. Rest the bottom of the mixing cup in the hot water, and stir the mix continuously. The viscosity will thin dramatically. You will have to work fast. The heat will reduce the set tile of the epoxy. As it cools, it sets up.

I kind of like the "continuity" of the cocobolo board. It would look good with black binding, and wenge inlays of some sort.

High end choice = Taylor... Just cant beat the overall tone in my book. Low end choice = Crafter... I have a Crafter 12 string I purchased new for $400...It's worth twice that IMHO. It beats every import acoustic (and some older American acoustics) I've ever played.

Wow Carl... When did you get that snazzy new red banner? I hope you don't forget us "common folk" now that you wear a suit J/K... I like the new format & congrats on the promotion

Nice deer... I like the "living room" shop as well.

Oops...Looks like I'm talking apples (electric), and you are talking oranges (acoustic).

Nope... With a 2 hum layout, the slight angle that is created on the end of the tenon is hidden in the bottom of the neck pup route. Once the heel is knotched out for the pup, the angle is so small it ends up being filled with glue.

My set neck joints are a "locking" dovetail of sorts... However, it's perpendicular to what you are suggesting Carl (I think). The taper of the neck makes the neck pocket a low degree dovetail. When I route the neck pocket it overlaps the neck pup route. The neck heel is 1.25" thick, which makes it deeper than the bottom of the pup route, creating a "stop" for the end of the heel to rest against. If routed correctly (a slightly undersized neck pocket), it creates an interference fit ensuring a nice tight fit. One major advantage is if I decide to add a slight angle to the neck( = or < 4 degrees), I can sand an angle on the bottom of the neck heel quickly by hand.

Very Nice!

Nice! I own several Grizzly tools: Table saw, radial drill press, spiral jointer, band saw & a few small assorted tools.

That's gonna be a gorgeous top!

That's what I do

SOLD This has been my primary CNC since 2010. With the new larger machine, this one will just gather dust instead of making it. So in anticipation of the new machine being fully operational by June, I figured I'd "test the waters" to see if anyone here is interested before I list in on Ebay. I wont be ready to move this until June or July. Total shipping weight is about 170lbs. It will have to ship on a small skid. Shipping cost is approx $150 to $180 depending on the destination. This will be a complete turn key setup. I will include a dedicated Dell Optiplex 520 PC, and a brand new Dewalt 611 router. The system will be set up to "plug and play". When I bought this, I got all the "bells & whistles". My total cost on this system was approx $7000.00. I plan on listing it here for around $3250 + shipping. If it goes to Ebay it will be higher. Specs: Romaxx WD1 24" x 36" ROMAXX WEBSITE Purchased in Oct, 2009 Options: Aluminum table Dust foot Closed loop encoders MPG wheel Extra spindle bracket for a PC 892 router External keypad rapid controller What will not be included: Tooling, Mach3 license ($159.00), basic CNC knowledge, CAD/CAM software (to generate the files to run Mach 3) Ron at Romaxx is very good about standing behind his machines. It was recently sent back to Romaxx to be "freshened up". It has new upgraded bearings. Ron didnt charge me anything for the service. He even threw in additional "extra" bearings to have on hand. I told him I eventually planned on selling it. He assured me that he stands behind his machines even after they change hands. Drawbacks to this machine: This machine is perfect for CNC luthiery. It's large enough for doing bodies & necks, yet small enough to do inlay work. However, bass necks are too long to do on this machine. The WD1 is between a hobby level machine, and a production machine. It has served me well. There is a certain amount of Z flex (as with all machines this size). But I can still put out tight inlay work without a problem: Email me or PM me if you are seriously interested.

I'll have to try that. On the speeds & feeds for the necks I run. Honestly...It's been so long since I generated the TAP file in ArtCAM...I cant recall what speeds I used. I think I went fairly conservative on the plunge rate, maybe 20 ipm. I think I set up the actual carve at 100 ipm. I adjust it on the fly for the wood species I'm running. I dont do a roughing pass, so there is more stock left around the voloute. Sometimes I have to slow it down quite a bit in that area if I'm running a rock maple neck. Now for a machine update. The machine is fully assembled. But, I have hit a run of "snaggs" as of late. The G540 blew a drive, so I had to send it back. Still waiting on it to come back. Also I came down with pneumonia a couple weeks ago. That has slowed me way down on the machine, and working around wood dusts. Hopefully I'll be back at it soon.

These are set up for 1 3/4" nut width, 25 1/2" scale with a 2 1/16" string width at the bridge. You can use a 22 or 24 fret board. They are designed as a set neck, with 1 1/2" thick heel, but you can modify the heel to be a bolt on.

OK Guys.... Sorry for the delay. Here is what I've got. RN20 & RN21 are going to Lance. RN13 & an unpictured Mahogany neck are going to Steve. I'm guessing shipping for both of you guys will be about $12.00. I'll PM you the details tomorrow... Thanks, Doug

This is the last batch of this run of necks. They are the Beta version of the necks I will be offering on my site eventually. These are straight off the CNC and still have witness marks from the 1/2 ball nose end mill. The stepover was set at .025", so they are easily sanded out. They are a comfortable "C" shape with a small flat edge. The edge is easily removed with a scaper after the fretboard is glued on. All necks have a 13 degree headstock with voloute, and sport no scarf joint. The TR channel is milled out. Headstock thickness is approx .6". Again... these are not "turn key" necks, they will require some minor hand work. Pic of the edge: Some of these have some very minor issues. All are easy fixes. Once again I am offering these here cheap. PayPal only. I prefer to ship to the lower 48 states on this batch. PM me with questions. If you decide you want one, post that it is sold. "First come, first served" PRICING: Any 1 neck = $40.00 + shipping Any 2 necks = $35.00 each + shipping Any 3 necks = $30.00 each + shipping Buy 4 at $30.00 each, and I will throw in the Anigre neck as a freebie _________________________________________________________________________ RN 20 - 3 pice mahogany. Paint or stain grade. _________________________________________________________________________ RN 21 - This is the mate to rn 20. 3 pice mahogany. Paint or stain grade. Small tear out in tr cover channel. Easily fixed with a headplate. _________________________________________________________________________ RN 16 - 3 pice rock maple. Paint or stain grade. Small tear out in tr cover channel. Easily fixed with a headplate. Square heel. _________________________________________________________________________ RN 15 - 3 pice rock maple. This is the mate to rn 16. Paint grade. Small dark spot in the center. No void. Square heel. _________________________________________________________________________ RN 13 - 3 pice figured anigre with babinga pinstripes. Stain grade. Small bandsaw mark on the heel, easily sanded out.

I posted back in July that I licensed a few designs to Oktober Guitars. Original thread: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=45545 Well the first batch finally arrived from Korea. And, I must say they are pretty nice. They came in shaped like the original flat top design instead of the full 3D model...but thats OK. Overall I am well satisfied. They remind me of the Agile line. Great "fit & finish", and the fretwork is very good. Specs are: Mahog body & neck 24.75" scale Dual high output passive hums Gold hardware TOM bridge Bound ebony board w/no inlay Thin "C" shaped set neck with voloute They retail on the Oktober site for $579.00 with a HS case. Contact me for special PG forum pricing

Same here... Cool idea! The clamp rack is nice too

Sheesh! http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/04/13/Obamas-War-On-Gibson-Guitars-Continues-Without-Charges

I have 3 main areas in my home shop (I live in a tri-level). I have 2 dust collection systems, and a ventilation system for my laser. For the main shop (garage) area I use this: http://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html It's inexpensive, mobile, and has worked well. For the basement area where the CNC's are, I ran a 1 1/2" PVC system that collects in a shop vac in the garage. Coupled with one of these: http://www.oneida-air.com/inventoryD.asp?item_no=AXD001004&CatId={428A1AFA-E859-459E-8BF9-47817428D9AF} It also works quite well. The laser is in the office area in the lower level. I use a motor similar to the HF dust collector for ventilation. It is housed outside in a 2 part plastic dog house with a chimney stack. It's nice because in the basement and the lower levels you don't have to listen to the noise from the motors.

Ive been looking around at places like Granger for machine feet. Nobody seems to carry what I'm looking for in metric M8. So, I made a set similar to the ones I made for my 60gal compressor. My table is a sturdy wood construction that is mounted to my basement wall. I want to dampen the sound & vibration as much as possible. I was able to find the parts at my local Ace Hardware store. Total cost was less than $15.00...Thought I'd share Parts: 4 - 1" thick rubber stoppers that taper from 1 5/8" to 2" 4 - M8 x 1.25 flange head bolts approx 1 1/4" long 4 - 5/16" washers 3/4" OD 4 - 5/16" washers 1 1/2" OD 4 - M8 x 1.25 nuts First I vised up a scrap piece of MDF in the mill, and cut a 1 3/4" hole with a forstner bit. The taper in the rubber plug fit nice & snug in the hole. Then I cut a 1/2" deep blind hole in the bottom of the plug with a 3/4" forstner bit. The rubber actually cuts smooth, but it heats up the bits fast. After that I used a 3/8" forstner bit to go the rest of the way through. Put the small washer in the bottom hole, the large washer on the top, and the lock nut to hold together.

First off: Thanks Brian for the new CNC area! So, I've been planning on this build for a couple years now. I bought a commercial machine in 06'. Now it's time to move to a larger, more "stout" machine. Harware: Viper X2 - 40" x 60" 8080 base profile 30mm Thomson precision rails 8" Z-axis with 20mm rails High precision 2525 ballscrews Machined Aluminum table top Porter Cable 892 w/ K2 mount Electronics: Gecko G540 controller 3- KL23H286-20-8B 425oz motors 48v 7.3a power supply US Digital Encoders for closed loop system MPG12 Pendant Software: Windows XP pro sp3 RhinoCAD 4.0 with MadCAM Mach3 I have the machine assembled, and I'm working on bug fixes in Mach3. Here are some pics: Machine table with unassembled parts: PC table: More to come........