[Kosh]

I wanted to start a thread to document my approach to CNC for building acoustic guitars. I've spent the last two years building (CNCRouterParts.com) my own machine from a kit and learning how to program it (Fusion 360) for use in guitar building.

I am a hobbyist woodworker and luthier. By day I'm a software consultant, but woodworking is my passion. For the past 5 years I've been building 1 guitar per year which is donated to the local High School marching band (of which my son is an alumni) for a fundraiser. We typically raise about 3 to 4K per year doing this (it is a raffle). Here is the blog I keep with pictures and entries for the past guitars: AHS Band Boosters Guitar

I've just started my 12th guitar, which is a commission for my Uncle Jon.

My original motivation for starting in CNC was to do my own inlays for the fretboard, but as I climbed the learning curve, I realized that I could do much much more with it for guitar building….so I’ll be documenting the build of #12 here. Don’t have an easy way to do videos yet, so for now I’ll just post pictures.

Still have lots of ideas for jigging to bring CNC ops in, but this is what I have now.....(sorry, don't have a GoPro for filming myself yet)

Post 1: Neck prep:


I start with a 3/4" x 3" x 36" neck blank and first make a scarf joint

Attachment 351714

I used to have a table sled scarf joint jig, but was never happy with the accuracy of the cut I was getting, so instead will bandsaw the scarf joint. Here is
a marking tool I CNC'd out of MDF so I don't have measure to get the line in just the right place on the blank:

Attachment 351716

Then I bandsaw it. Yeah, came out horrible, was in a hurry and my bandsaw table was rusting from a leak I didn't know I had.

Attachment 351718

Then I put each piece on a vacuum jig on the CNC table. I made the jig with the CNC too... it's made from VHMW plastic.

Attachment 351720

It just uses 1/8" gasket material and straight edge to register is square to the table

Attachment 351722

Then I run a simple CAM op to cleanup the joint at a 15 degree angle. I run this on both halves of the cut neck blank

Attachment 351724
Attachment 351726

Here they are ready to be joined into the headstock break.

Attachment 351728
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And all clamped up on the box beam workbench, so that the two pieces won't slide while I clamp the scarf joint.



To be continued....