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Had a circuit board go out on my garage door opener during the week, so I needed to replace the opener today. I set up a quick program to cut kerfed linings and let it do its thing while I was working on the garage door. I don't normally make my own linings, but I needed to make some from Michigan woods for a project I have going on, and I had never played with the engrave feature of my Rhino app. So a great excuse to shake the new machine down.

When I ran the program, I noticed the spindle cut grooves in random order rather than work from the bottom to the top or the top to the bottom. I'm sure that is an easy fix, but I haven't gone back into the program to tinker with it. I just let the machine do its thing.

With $6K invested in my setup and now 4 linings in the bag, that works out to $1500 per lining

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

Hey Ken,

Looking good!

I assume you are using a vacuum hold down, and you only used the mill to cut the kerfed lines?

Also, depending on your CAD - G code software, in the lower cost software packages, the code will generate the cuts in order which you select the vectors...

Stephen

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www.ziegenfussguitars.com

No, nothing scary here! I am simply slowly working the machine into my building! With two new guitars now getting underway, I will be experimenting with the CNC as I go. These guitars don't have to be done until the end of the year, so I do have time to poke around with it.

I am enjoying having the machine in the shop, though. I spent an evening after work one day last week, routing the radius on the face of the neck and tail blocks and also made up a matching radius on a clamping block. In the past my neck and tail blocks were made using my bandsaw and sander and were always good enough. But I admit, it was nice to let the CNC whittle away at the radius while I was off doing something else. These simple little projects have also got me much more acquainted with CAM and the CNC machine, so though trivial, are helpful.

I haven't played with the vacuum yet. I do have a smaller Thompson vacuum, the kind typically used in veneering that should work, and I have a few of the fixtures the former owner made. But for right now, I am just holding the pieces down with double-sided tape. I bored locating holes every two inches in a large spoil board bolted to the aluminum table. Even though I am not using the pins right now, they help in lining up the work pieces to the X and Y axes.

Stephen, for the kerfing, I put the radius on the one edge using my router table. Easy to do with one pass over the bit. All the CNC cut were the kerfs.

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

Welcome to the club Ken! I'm happy to see that your new helper is being productive!

Make one more set of linings and you'll be done to $750 each...

Trev

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http://www.PeakeGuitars.com

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http://www.casperguitar.com

You shoulda told me you had a CNC Ken...

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Ken

They look great Ken. Which machine did you buy?

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Ken: Got the CNC after I met with you. I had been noodling getting something for months then picked up a used one locally. If you need access to one, let me know! BTW, got the white pine soundboard joined and thicknessed to about 140 thou, where it wiill be until I get the Petoskey Stone rosette in. I'm liking how this guitar is coming together.

Bob: Thanks! The machine is a K2 3925G with a 3 hp Columbo spindle. Should do most anything I want to throw at it. I have been experimenting with inlays lately. The more I use it, the more I like it!

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com