How to use an affordable* CNC Router for guitar construction
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*Affordable means a CNC router with the dimensions required for cutting full guitar necks, which would cost less than 900 Euros to construct on your own, but more than 5000 Euros if you were to buy it.
CNC table and wooden rails for cutting as low as possible.
We will use a 6mm diameter cutter (flute length of 32mm), with a feedrate of 2000mm per minute, and a maximum step-over of 2.5mm. The makita spindle will be set at a speed of 5 (maximum speed is 6).
As Post-Processor for the router we use the MPCNC - Marlin 2.0
In our code it is important to stop the process to turn on the Makita spindle manually (more info later later).
Test cutting of headstock (3mm plywood) at different step-overs shows that a step-over of 1.5 might be the more safe.
For carving the frets we will use a 0.4 mm bit (can also try 0.5mm or 0.7mm), which will require a 6 mm to 3.175 mm Precision Tool Adapter Collet (see image on the left, other option: packet of 6 adapters).
Cutting the bridges of the OG will require a 3.175 mm bit and therefore the same adapter.
Cutting data for our main 6mm bit (length: 32mm). Important to note are the cutting feedrate of 2000mm/min and the Ramp feedrate of 1500mm/min.
Left image is just to portray a comparison with what a stronger CNC machine can do (Kilian's Sailormoon at Konglomerat.e.V).
Useful summary information about the operations that use the 6mm and 0.4 bits on the top cutting of the OG neck (can be accessed via the Tool Library).
This is a very useful ramp (zig-zag) to use for approaching pockets, parallel, etc. operations.
Pocket (or alike) useful information:
This video will show you the different results you can get when using a Pocket operation by selecting edges or faces and why selecting one may be beneficial over the other. A common issue is when milling out two different layers of an object leaving artifacts on the surface. See this tutorial to avoid mistakes in the geometry selection.
Information about machining flat surfaces using the 3D Flat command. It shows benefits over 3D Horizontal as well as some of the options you can find in the new Flat command
Here is a very instructive video about how to keep the tool down and machine both ways during 2D pocket operations.
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