As mentioned on the luthiery page, I built a CNC to make perfect jigs for the guitars, as well as some parts of the guitar itself (the rosette cavity, for example). Now that the CNC is finished, it's implementation seems so simple!

 

Specs:

-The frame is made from extruded aluminum.

-The router used is a simple handheld router available at Home Depot. A relay switch will soon be added to turn it on and off directly from Mach3.

-Designs are conceived in Solidworks.

-Tool paths are calculated using Rhino's plug-in MadCam.

-The tool path is sent to Mach 3 software which talks to the motor controller.

-The motor controller is a Gecko G540, an industry standard for hobbyists and semi-professionals.

-Backlash is eliminated using anti-backlash nuts from openbuilds.com.

-The machine is calibrated with dial indicator accurate to +-.0001".

-Work pieces are clamped with little cantilever arms secured my bolts for a modular clamping system.

-Work pieces that have parts that get completely removed have double stick tape attached to the bottom so when the sections seperate, the portion removed does not go flying into the router.

-A dust-collection rig (i.e. Dust boot or dust shoe) was implemented with a small shop vac and a part cut out on the CNC itself.

 

DRAWBACKS

-It is loud and slow, so I use it primarily for jigs, prefering to do the majority of the guitar work by hand.