Official Luthiers Forum!

For those of you using reasonably 'juicy' CNC machines (feed rates >=300 IPM), what are your preferred fixturing methods?

The question comes in special reference to instruments where both sides are cut. For example, a carve-top that is hollowed out on the inside or a one-piece body with both the top and back carved. This would also reference necks, I suppose.

The issue I worry about (since it might make a significant difference in how much money I need to drop on a CNC) is having parts cut on one side and then cutting the second side and having them not 'line up', thus ruining the piece. I haven't really found anything good on fixturing in my travels on the web.

So far my best idea has been to have the machine cut out aluminum vacuum plates that I could index in the T-slots. This seems a bit heavy-duty, so maybe I'm missing a simpler (and cheaper) solution?

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

A couple of dowels (or equiv) along your axis of rotation. Mechanical clamping, double sided tape, and for production vacuum all work. Clamping and tape are cheap and easy to implement & evolve.