budget bassist Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 (edited) I've decided, that after learning to use CAD software for my masters, and being involved with the setting up of the Fab Lab here in Bangor, that I want to CNC a bass and/or guitar. For those of you that are unaware, Fab Lab is a digitial fabrication lab accreditation by MIT - basically it's a standard list of equipment enabling people to "make almost anything". i think the list is a cnc mill, cnc router, 3d printer, vinyl plotter, laser cutter, and perhaps some soldering bits etc. They're usually free to the public to use, only charging for materials (some charge for machine time, but not much), and it's an awesome idea. I'd recommend anyone get involved! I think there are about 16 scattered around the country. Anyway, I've made a couple of simple CAD models of bodies, one for a guitar, one for a bass. I'm going to start with the body because by all accounts, that seems the easiest bit to do. I've got a donor bass and guitar (well, I borrowed the guitar), I'll probably start with the bass if I can. I'm off to the Ellesmere port Fab Lab tomorrow to test out my files on either some polystyrene board or tooling board, just to get an idea of the process, flipping the body over etc. and make sure dimensions such as neck pocket etc. are correct before taking to some nice wood. Here's of render of the guitar body, I forgot to render the bass, but it's essentially a stingray copy. [attachment=170435:les paul render 2.JPG] I'm also thinking about building my own cab (or cabs?!), I'm looking at some dimensions etc. and I'm planning on designing them in CAD and CNC routing the panels out as well, partly because my woodworking skills aren't amazing, and partly because I just enjoy doing it that way and have access to the tools to do it, so why not?! Edited December 23, 2021 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 I should add - I do hope to do a neck and fretboard at some point too, but I think it will be a little more complex to design, and will take a lot more work and specialist tools to finish (frets etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Fab Lab, what a great idea! Just looked it up and there's one in Manchester... hmmmmm wonder what I could build? http://www.fablabmanchester.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeponehandloose Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 the Fab lab sounds like an excellent idea for prototyping stuff! Is the Ellesmere Port one the nearest to Manchester? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeponehandloose Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 beat me too it !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 Haha yep, there is one in manchester - near enough identical, but the manchester one has embroidery machines. They're awesome for prototyping - they have business rates too, but the public days are thursday-saturday. The world is your oyster One lad in the ellesmere port fablab had made himself a daft punk mask for his band, looked really good! Did CAD in sketchup, then CNC'd it in wax, cast a silicone mould over it, and then cast it in plastic (the fablab has casting/moulding equipment too). So cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planer Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Super idea! I'll be following this one then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) I'm currently sat watching the router go over the roughing pass of the guitar body in polystyrene. I was going to try the bass, but there are some slight issues with the CAD file that need sorting, but I have plenty of polystyrene to do that at a later date. It's a long old process, so it's going to take around 6 hours just to do the rear of the thing - the front may be a little quicker, but I won't get it done today. Anyway, here's a photo. Edited August 30, 2014 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Why does it take so long to create the shape? Is the machine limited to the size of the routing bit and can only run slowly because of that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) Pretty much, it takes a lot of passes as it only goes down 3mm each time, and you need to do a roughing pass (I'm using a 6mm bit) to get the basic shape cut, which takes a couple of hours, and then the finishing pass (using a 3mm bit here) which is going to take about four hours. To do the whole thing with a 3mm bit would take forever, and to use a 6mm for the whole thing would just end up with a crap finish, so you need to do two passes really. Then it needs flipping over and doing the other side. I'm not sure if there is anything I can do to get the time down a little though, that's something I need to look into. Obviously it helps to have the right thickness of material so that you're not just wasting time taking material off (This polystyrene is 5.5mm thicker than necessary so the first couple of passes on the other side will be just material removal). Cutting flat pieces of wood e.g. for my speaker cab is much faster, as it's far less detailed. Edited August 30, 2014 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 I've never done anything like CNC design/programming but is there any way to limit the areas that the routing head travels to? It's removing a lot of material from areas that could be ignored if there was some way to confine the routing head to only take out material near to the outline of the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 To be honest, I'm not really sure. I've not had a proper play with the software - somebody else guided me through it pretty quickly. Perhaps when I get int it a little deeper i'll find some shortcuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 When you tell it to rout out something like the electronics cavity or the cavity for the pickup selector switch you're telling it to create a hole. I suppose you could create a hole/channel that's effectively defining the outline of the body... so with the model, create the outline of the body, duplicate that outline but increased in size by 5% and then get the router to take material out from there only? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 Erm, yeah I suppose you could do it that way, and it's something that did cross my mind, but in all honesty, I just couldn't be bothered to change the CAD file. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Ah ok, I was trying to think of ways to reduce the standing about time for you; hopefully you've a coffee machine there to keep you company! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) To be honest, It's going to take hours whatever I do! I've got my laptop here and other things to do (plus coffee ) so it's no bother. 6-8 hours per side really isn't too bad when you think what I'm getting out of it! Edited August 30, 2014 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) More progress: [attachment=170470:image.jpg] The photo isn't great, but you can see it's doing the finishing pass here, it's basically doing diagonal lines across the body putting in the small details - have a look at the control cavity if you're struggling to see it. This is the long part! Edited August 30, 2014 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Have you got a canteen there? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv5iEK-IEzw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) Of sorts Edited August 30, 2014 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 Got the whole of the back done! The guy at the fab lab says he'll flip it and get the front done on Tuesday. Next time will hopefully be wood, possibly the weekend after next. I may see if I can get some bits for a cab done next weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmsheep Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1409402886' post='2539373'] When you tell it to rout out something like the electronics cavity or the cavity for the pickup selector switch you're telling it to create a hole. I suppose you could create a hole/channel that's effectively defining the outline of the body... so with the model, create the outline of the body, duplicate that outline but increased in size by 5% and then get the router to take material out from there only? [/quote] sounds a lot simpler than my thoughts on things, which would be to re-define the area of material being removed so you are not wasting time removing material from the square corners. Fab lab sounds a fair bit like the various hack spaces that sprung up around the place a couple of years ago - think my local fab lab is Keighley. Must make enquiries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 Yeah it's a similar idea, I think hackspaces are typically more geared towards elecrtronics and programming etc. though a few are sort of linked together. The Bangor Pontio innovation centre will have a FabLab, hackspace and media lab, as well as some more high tech manufacturing kit elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 Bangor? I will get to do this stuff in Bangor? Really? You are messing with my head, surely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted August 31, 2014 Author Share Posted August 31, 2014 (edited) That's the plan... Are you local? Edited August 31, 2014 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 I just spent the morning finishing off the Stingray body, making sure all the dimensions were correct, neatening it up and adding the stomach contour and control cavity route etc. Just rendered it, and I know the body shape is a little off, but I kind of like it! It's not going to have a pickguard by the way, and the control cavity, as you can see, is rear route. So it's not really a traditional stingray. In fact I'm tempted to have another fiddle with the body shape and make it more sterling-y. [attachment=170701:stingray 2.JPG] [attachment=170700:stingray.JPG] [attachment=170702:stingra back.JPG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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