CNC Fretboard CAM Strategies

[@ThePercolators2014]

Chris, just moving to CNC and because I'm a Mac Designer, I'm heading down the Illustrator, Rhino/MeshCam Easel Pro route. I've successfully did all my 2D body stuff and am trying to learn the 3D radiusing for fretboard. This tutorial is great except I can't find anyone who shows how to create the Radiused model in Rhino - you mentioned you'd do a tutorial on this...please please make this happen - your tutorials are the best in the business and I've been using your methods for guitar building for years - you're my number-one go-to for all techniques of building and finishing. Cheers!

[@obadiahbarnes6540]

Thank you Chris, I just started in CNC guitar making and this is unbelievably helpful. Thank you for the time you’ve taken putting this together. As a newbie it is very daunting when you look at the complexity of the entire operation. Thank you for breaking it down. I wish I could give you 20 thumbs up!

[@BeardnScars]

Thank you so much for making this. I’ve been looking online for TWO DAYS on how to properly input the recipe for a fret board radius and eventually an acoustic soundboard and back radius but everyone resorts to using a radius jig. Which, fine. But THIS is what I’ve been looking for. Thank you for the vid.

[@markdayneowalla]

Thank you for this video, Chris. I look forward to your neck video. I have been struggling with a Les Paul-style neck in confusion 360 for a while and I would love to see the process of machining that style of neck (scarf joint, stacked heel) in MeshCAM or other CAM software.

[@raytristani]

Wonderful video. Made figuring this out a snap! Thank you very much!!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Glad it helped!

[@tomdowler5416]

Chris, the gymnastics you do to avoid using Fusion360 is breathtaking. You must be quadrupling the time you need to spend on these operations.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Not at all. As a matter of fact, I spend just a fraction of the time it used to take with Confusion360 to build my models and create tool paths.

[@tomdowler5416]

@@HighlineGuitars whatever works best for you, but the idea of traipsing files around between 3 or 4 different applications seems mind boggling. Fusion is *so easy to use*!!!!

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@tomdowler5416 Contusion 360 is easy to use? Hardly.

[@wellwornpast]

I just bought Rhino and I am seriously struggling with it. I am used to being able to input dimensions. That being said, F360 CAM does not play nice with my post-processor for some reason. Plus they keep changing the dang F360 interface. Plus they can just remove features anytime they like and up subscription fees anytime they like. Frankly I am going through the pains of learning what seems to me to be a horribly obtuse drawing system (Rhino) just so I don't have to worry about Autodesk screwing me.

[@spidey4fun]

@@HighlineGuitars I started to learn Fusion on hobby license till they changed the rules. I much prefer to have software on my PC under my control. Rhino with Rhino cam is all you need. I wrote a post processor for plasma cutting using rhino cam 2 axis cutting tool paths. It's very versatile software.

[@mtb4thefun]

Hi Chris. I'm just looking in to getting a CNC and am really thankful for your videos! I was wondering if you would know how would Vetric Aspire would compare to using Illustrator, Rhino and MeshCam?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I have no experience with Aspire because it runs on Windows and I do my CAD/CAM on a Mac.

[@russelldenton8753]

@Highline Guitars, If the fret slotting bit is already the width it needs to be, why do you add the climb cut option in the program? Wouldn't the bit need to go back and forth across the fret board (from low to high string) lowering in depth each time opposed to moving the length of the fret board parallel to the strings?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. Easel selects climb cutting as a default and I leave it that way.

[@russelldenton8753]

@@HighlineGuitars if the bit is the width of the fret tang, moving the bit from the head to the heel would make the slot too wide.

[@russelldenton8753]

@@HighlineGuitars Also, are you radiusing the fret slots? if so (or not) why (or why not)? would it be hard to program?

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@russelldenton8753 I still don't know what you're talking about. Sorry! I'm cutting the slots from side to side, not head to heel whatever that means.

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@russelldenton8753 I don't radius the slots because it's pointless to do so.

[@MOZOGuitars]

This is sooooo so helpful thank you!!!

[@badcoreproductions3462]

Do you fret slot after radiusing and have the slot a consistent depth?

[@HighlineGuitars]

No.

[@badcoreproductions3462]

@@HighlineGuitars👍🏼 I guess after you know how much the radius operation will take off the sides you compensate for it with your initial fret slot depth. Test cuts!

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@badcoreproductions3462 With CNC, it just take some very simple math.

[@badcoreproductions3462]

@@HighlineGuitars I found your other video about this exact topic as well. Thanks!

[@speedyspideys]

Hi. I've been watching your videos and it seems you use two different cam programs for your machining jobs, viz, Easel pro and MeshCam. In your opinion which is better for cnc router for use for 2D, 2.5D and 3D cnc cutting jobs.

[@HighlineGuitars]

No opinion. Easel can’t do 3D. MeshCAM can. For 2-2.5d, Easel is easier.

[@wellwornpast]

Thank you! Can you not do everything in MeshCam? I see how nice Easel is but I don't trust subscription based software. (Internet access is spotty.)

[@HighlineGuitars]

MeshCAM (the version I have) can’t do fret slots.

[@wellwornpast]

@@HighlineGuitars Oh Wow! I am glad you posted this! I was about to go out and buy MeshCAM! MeshCAM can't do pockets?

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@wellwornpast yes, it can do pockets as long as the bit is smaller than the pocket. Easel does fret slots more efficiently. Do yourself a favor and try the demos first.