Mechmate for guitar making?

[rhoads56]

Bought a few sets of plans now, and printed off the entire set for Mechmate (very nice work Gerald!).

Im looking for a CNC to do inlay work, carved top electric guitar bodies, and some basic machine work. I cant seem to find anything that would suggest the mechmate design WOULDNT be perfect for this type of work (and its the clear leader of the pack), but i cant find anyone on the forum who are producing guitars.

Anything in particular I'd need to consider?

Perry

[WTI]

A MM would be the perfect machine for making electric guitars. If you ever watch "How it's Made" on the Science Channel, they have an episode with lots of CNC routers making electric guitars and another with acoustic.

http://www.tv.com/how-its-made/carpets-drinking-water-laser-eye-surgery-acoustic-guitars/episode/836340/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;6
http://www.tv.com/how-its-made/individual-transporters-canoes-electric-guitars/episode/841464/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;10

All of the pocketing for the pickups and electronics have already been drawn up and available on the web for some time. Even the classic guitar bodies (Strats, Teles...) have been measured down to the mm and are available. I'm not sure of the legality of the latter, but Google is your friend.

[rhoads56]

I already contract a local company for CNC work with my logo's, and some of the more repetative inlays, and acrylic case sign plates. What I've spent with them over the last eighteen months would have paid for a MechMate to be built :( So, those parts are the start, but then i also want to do carved tops, pickup routs, neck joints, and body perimeters also. I can see why a MechMate wouldnt be perfect. :)

[Schaffler]

Hi There,

I've also been looking at making my own guitars, currently more for self than others. How far has your project come and are you having any success. I've been playing with Rhino 4 evaluation software, very awesome. But am still info gathering for now

[rhoads56]

Ive had the plans printed, and had quotes written up for all the metalwork, but thats as far as ive gone so far. I sold a couple cars that were taking up CNC space, and i have to move some walls to make it all fit :)

[Schaffler]

:) he he. Well I must admit I was a bit fortunate. Every house my father ever moved into he's struggled to find a garage to turn into a shop. So I took the cue and when it came to building a garage to store cars in, I doubled it and build an 11m by 6m play room for Dad. Rain (which almost never happens) or shine (average annual temperature just under 30 degrees C) I can work without even pulling the cars out. The misses discovered it as a pack room, but I'm fighting back hard. I have a selection of things to get rid of, but when I'm finished I'd like to fit the cnc in its own partitioned room. I'd like to use polystyrene for the wall to keep in noise with a window for view and a vacuum to suck the dust away.

[rhoads56]

Thats what i plan also... nice enclosed room to limit dust and noise. I have 240m2 to move around, but wanted the CNC in a specific spot.

[Schaffler]

I'd like a lot of space, but I have enough for now. It's hot enough as it is here, so I'd like to have an aircon going in my garage. I have two that will do the trick, but as winter approaches, I still have 9 more months to work it into my to do list.

Concerning guitars, I've done a lot of hard work on Rhino 4 Eval. Next step is to buy the product. Not so easy in South Africa, I dropped the 2 distributors an email with no response so far, so we'll see in a few days.

My two favorite electrics are my Les Paul studio and Ibanez EX360, looks like a slim JEM with no handle. The Les Paul just sounds awesome and looks incredible, but the Ibanez mould right into you. I've made several bodies on Rhino so far, but the tummy tucks are giving hassles. THe top looks all beautiful and filleted, but when I want to fillet the tummy tuck its messus up. It's becoming something of an adventure.

Luckily I work in the projects department at our mine and theres a room full of draughting advice next door. Besides wich I was fortunate enough to meet a draughtsman who stay barely a kilometer from me who's built his own cnc plasma cutter. Design his own machine aswell, very awesome.