Official Luthiers Forum!

Hesh,

Cool deal! Customers and prospective customers like accuracy, consistancy, and something aestetically pleasing. I think you will have it for all of those. Very nice design.

Darn that John does some good work.

Jeff

Nice clean design. I like it!

Al

Very nice.
that will for sure save up some time....
You mean some serious business my friend! peterm38896.8249421296

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Hesh, that's one of my favorite bridge designs...
I think you will find that John will be able to reproduce it very well and with great consistancy.
There's no doubt in my mind that cnc is the way to go with bridges. The best builders out there are using cnc for their bridges. That's one of the reasons I want to get into cnc eventually. There's no substitute for what it can do for your consistancy.

_________________
"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."

Hesh, My Brother, You have to agree, that's one of the best designs ever! I'm glad to see your taking to it!

CNC iz da schiznitz!    

    Is that top bridge "ebonyized"? Unfortunatly, It will be copied!

[quote]CNC is peeking my interest as well and perhaps it's time to take a community college course so I can become a little less clueless.[/quote]

    Do it! I've seen the frightened look, in enough faces at the thought of running one of these "Technological Terrors", but it is a lot easier than it looks!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Great design Hesh! Are you sure your guitars stink? Serge Poirier38897.2848611111

Looks great.
You stated above it will be domed to match your 15'radius top.
Do you really use a 15 radius top?????

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

[QUOTE=Serge Poirier] Great design Hesh! Are you sure your guitars stink? [/QUOTE]
They are indeed built in a BATHROOM.

[quote]I am not sure I understand the "ebonized" questions[/quote]

Sharpyified !!!

[quote]On the OLF copying is a form of flattery..... [/quote]

OUTSTANDING... Now I won't feel so bad about, Ripping you OFF!!   

    Cobol on a card punch? Geesh!!! I'll have nightmares for a week now! I don't know what was worse, that alien abduction, or card punch Cobol!   

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Sorry Hesh
I wasn't trying to correct an error. I was just wondering if you made that
much of a dome for your top..

FORGIVE ME!!!!!!

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

I took a class in CNC machining (lathe and mill) several years ago, and it was a hoot. The learning curve wasn't really all that steep, I found, but what always put me off was the price of a good CNC setup (just that one peek at John's above might give you some inkling).

A few years ago, I bought a lathe and a mill, with the idea of converting both over to CNC someday. The cost is still putting me off, but I hope to get there someday. In the mean time, I think I'll drop John a note to see what he'd charge for CNC'd classical bridges. They're not that hard to make -- probably takes me a couple of hours for one -- but the consistency is what I like about CNC.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Hesh,

My experience with CNC lathe and mill is that it would be of some value, but not a lot. I use my (hand) mill for several steps in the build process. I use it to mill the bridge to its overall dimensions and to cut the slots for the saddle and the slot between the saddle and the tie block (classicals). I also use it to cut the ledges for the tie block inlays. I do everything else by hand using rasps, files, and sandpaper. I've also made a jig that I use with my mill for cutting the tuner slots in my classical headstocks. I have a 5/8" diameter endmill I use for this step. It's quite a bit faster than doing it by hand, plus the results are consistent. But others use jigs and fixtures with routers for this, and it works just as well. I use what I have. My router doesn't have the depth capabilites I need for this step, so I use my mill. Same thing with drilling the tuner holes. I don't use a jig for this, I just clamp the headstock in my mill's vise, set the headstock so it's perpendicular to the bit and drill holes. Course, I have to make sure I get the spacing correct. I also use the mill for cutting the heastock veneer to its final dimension where it sets against the nut, cuz this insures perpindicularity in both the Y and Z axes. And I use it to trim the nut edge of the fingerboard, both for perpendicularity and to establish the exact nut setforward for the compensation method I use.

So, the only processes with my build method where I could see a benefit using CNC would be fabricating the bridge, drilling the tuner slots and drilling the tuner holes.

I plan to build a duplicarver someday, though, with the hopes that I can use it to carve the contour into necks and neck heels. A CNC router, with enough lift, might do a good job in this respect, but I'm really not familiar with them, so I just don't know.

Best,

Michael
Michael McBroom38897.8905787037

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Live to Play, Play to Live

[quote]Billy, I get it - Sharpyified! I never thought of that one but it's in my bag of tricks now. You should feel flattered that I just stole your idea my friend.... [/quote]

I swear, I'm Sueing!! I'm Sueing!!!
                                                 

[quote]It was RPG II that we did on cards,[/quote]

    Cobol here! Mr. Kiddner stickin his nasty dirty little, "Help I'm a prisoner in core storage" card, right in the middle of the stack and making me find it"!

    I do appreciate the debugging feature on my Code Warrior now, I tell you what!!   

Buildy Dean Thomas

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

John's been making my bridges, necks, headplates, fretboards, wooden leg
too.... awesome stuff and very reasonable prices...

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

We're fortunate to have someone of John's calibre in our midst here on the OLF. I've been around NC and CNC for nearly 40 years now and John's expertise in CAD/CAM/CNC is readily apparent.
Nelson

[QUOTE=John Mayes] John's been making my bridges, necks, headplates, fretboards, wooden leg
too...[/QUOTE]
Ol' Peg Leg Mayes! Who knew?

I'll stay right away from that one..

Thanks for the kind words, fellas.

Just remember that any abilities I have or benchmarks I've reached are the direct result of you guys. Eighty two of you have kept me out of the cubicle for almost 4 years now and made it possible for me to engage in all of my favorite pursuits all at once, all day, every day.

So, thanks.

_________________
John Watkins
CNC Guitar Parts