Official Luthiers Forum!

NO KIDDING~!
I payed David a visit today at noon and while nosing around in his very large shop Dave pointed me to a jig that he created. It has to be the nicest saddle slotting jig ever made, it houses a nice PC router, the carriage is all aluminum and stainless ( i think) it has a vacuum system that holds it tight to the guitar top, and the coolest feature, a laser beam that allows you to aline your router bit perfectly.

Thanks Dave for the mini shop tour and visit. Dave is also giving the 12 fretter a pro set up

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Pictures??

Pretty Please!!!

I've been thinking of something like that for a while, it would end the parallax issue (when two lines up off vertical, making your alignment seem correct), and you can get them cheap now from a number of sources...

Cheers

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

You mean it doesn't cut with the laser beam?
Sheesh. Now THAT would be somethin'!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Yeah, but it doesn't route an angled slot.
But it is still extremely cool and some guys - Dave is onme- don't use an angled slot! Great job, David!

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

Sharks with laser beams! Oh, wait, no sharks...my bad.

You can get some laser cut wood pieces at the craft store, so I wouldn't be surprised if someday a luthier were to incorperate it into his/her building. Think CNC without the routers.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

a picture of the jig is available on mimf. it is a rather clever bit of work and shows what can be done when you have some metalworking skills.

i went looking for some linear bearings on ebay as soon as i saw it.

You can get some laser cut wood pieces at the craft store, so I wouldn't be surprised if someday a luthier were to incorperate it into his/her building. Think CNC without the routers

Think CNC without clamps!

If i ever go CNC anything, it'll be a laser long before a router. There are tons of uses for it. No more chipouts or tearouts cutting backs, sides, tops, soundholes, etc.... Endless inlay options.... Jigs! Endless possibilities for cutting accurate templates in the materials we already use...

Many of the factories are already on the laser bandwagon...

Michael, where else do you think I got the linear bearings? Those things are so expensive if you order them new! Thats where I got the no backlash lead screw too, though I had to beef up the spring a little.

I'll post some photos here tomorrow if folks are interested, but there's a whole gallery on the MIMF (Tools and Jigs) as Mark mentioned.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

You can mount a laser on any CNC router. Can't mount a router in a CNC laser.   

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John Watkins
CNC Guitar Parts

True, John, but if you're buying the machine, the same capacity laser CNC is much more affordable, and getting more so each day. For our use(s), the laser can cut most all the parts, and help make the jigs we need to do other parts.

There are plenty of parts the laser can't cut/carve, but that's where guys like you come in to fill the gap <bg>

[QUOTE=Mario]
There are plenty of parts the laser can't cut/carve, but that's where guys like you come in to fill the gap <bg>[/QUOTE]

Like most shell. And can you imagine the smell if you tried to cut some elk antler. Pewheeeeooooooie!!!!! Even the venting system for the laser would choke I'll bet.

Alan D.

I've thought about using a cnc laser to cut binding channels... probe first, cut next. Great idea, if you can control the cut depth with the laser. The problem is the burning/scorching.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."