Building a Guitar on a CNC - Part 3: The Neck

What's NECK'st?! We're going to continue with the CNC guitar build by taking you through all the steps needed to set up and carve your very own custom guitar neck. Exporting, importing, setting up tool paths, plus some helpful hints along the journey!
Chapters:
00:00 Neck Video Intro
02:37 Onshape File Export
06:30 Vcarve tips
08:00 Vcarve Document Setup
08:19 Importing Neck
09:15 Creating Index Holes
10:25 Creating Index Hole Tool paths
12:30 It's Time to Get Rough(ing pass)
15:50 Finishing Pass
19:15 3D Tabs
24:35 Backside Setup
25:30 Copying from the Front
26:07 Backside Index Holes
27:55 Copying 3D Tabs Backside
28:33 Mistake Alert! Front side Limit Plane
31:20 Back to the Backside Limit Plane
33:25 Backside 3D Tabs
35:01 Backside Roughing Pass
36:30 Backside Finish Pass
38:00 Tuner Key Holes
44:55 Profile Tool path Explanation
47:50 Boundary Vector
50:15 Creating Vectors for Profile
53:05 Trimming - Mistakes Were Made
57:55 Shortcuts Are Fun
59:25 Inside or Outside or Reverse?
1:07:10 Saving Tool paths
1:10:00 Gsend'er Off!
1:10:45 Come Carve Away!
1:12:35 Freeeeedom
1:12:50 Closing Time
Project Files:
rb.gy/yy4ft
Onshape
rb.gy/orhlk
Bits used in Parts 2 and 3:
Sienci 1/8” Downcut End Mill
sienci.com/product/1-4-spiral...
Sienci 1/8” Upcut Ball Nose End Mill
sienci.com/product/18-ballnos...
Sienci 1/4” Upcut Ball Nose End Mill
sienci.com/produc:t/1-4-balln...
Sienci 1/4” Downcut End Mill
sienci.com/product/1-4-spiral...
Sienci 1/8” Precision Collet for Makita RT0701
sienci.com/product/1-8-precis...
Feeds and Speeds:
cuts2.com/tPEDf
Check Out Our Feeds and Speeds Tables!
resources.sienci.com/view/lmk...
Helpful Fret Spacing Links:
FretFind2D
www.ekips.org/tools/guitar/fr...
StewMac
www.stewmac.com/fret-calculator/
Fret Install Mastery:
www.gunsandguitars.net/
Materials Used:
Body and Neck: Black Limba.
Body blank dimensions: 383mm x 427mm x 44.5mm (15.0787in x 16.811in x 1.752in)
Neck blank dimensions: 80mm x 735mm x 25.9mm (3.1946in x 28.937in x 1.0197in)
Fret board: Black Ebony
Fret board blank dimensions (before surfacing): 69.4mm x 613mm x 10.9mm (2.73in x 24.125in x 0.43in
Sand paper:
120, 180, 240, 320, 400 grit random orbit and hand sandpaper
Guitar Parts Links:
Pick ups, bridge, selector, jack, tuner keys, neck plate, strings:
rb.gy/uyqyx8
Fret wire:
rb.gy/cghwkp
Ferrules: (Mine are black, but they don't seem to be selling the exact same ones in black at the time of posting this)
rb.gy/hogo5k
Nut:
rb.gy/pwz6cp
Truss Rod:
440mm version
rb.gy/xeay5g
Pickguard:
rb.gy/tm25ow
Fretguru Dagger 2.0
rb.gy/cnaf54
Fret rocker/gauge: (a nice to have, but not necessary)
rb.gy/ayaeh4
Fret trimmers: (I already own a pair of flush cut end trimmers, so any pair similar to these should work)
rb.gy/3pexhz
Other Supplies and Materials Used:
12” long 3/16” Drill bit:
rb.gy/u3knjy
1” Aluminum tube for sanding:
rb.gy/nqqyb3
Sandpaper for aluminum bar:
rb.gy/nqqyb3
Crazy glue & accelerator, painters tape, red sharpie (just not black),
Know the new AutoZero Touch Plate
sienci.com/product/autozero/
Know the End Mill Starter Set
sienci.com/product/end-mill-s...
Know the Woodworker End Mill Set
sienci.com/product/woodworker...
Know the Crafters End Mill Set
sienci.com/product/crafters-e...
Know the Machinists End Mill Set
sienci.com/product/machinists...
Know the LongMill MK2
sienci.com/product/longmill-mk2/
▸ Resources
LongMill Resources Page l Sienci Labs
resources.sienci.com/view/lm-...
// FEATURED TOOLS & SOFTWARES
▸ Softwares
gSender l Sienci Labs
sienci.com/gsender/
Vectric V-Carve Pro V11
sienci.com/product/vectric-vc...
Vectric V-Carve Desktop V11
sienci.com/product/vectric-vc...
Carveco Maker
sienci.com/product/carveco-ma...
▸ LongMill Add-ons
Dust Shoe l Sienci Labs
resources.sienci.com/view/lm-...
TouchPlate l Sienci Labs
resources.sienci.com/view/lm-...
Checklist Poster
bit.ly/checklist_LongMill_Sie...
// PROJECT IDEAS
▸ resources.sienci.com/view/lm-...
// JOIN US
▸ Facebook Group | / mill.one
▸ Instagram | / siencilabs
Hashtags:
#LongMill #Sienci #CNC #touchplate #autozero #gSender #train #DIY #Maker #gift

[@BuckysCustoms]

Great video !

[@SienciLabs]

Thanks Dana!

[@Bart_Depestele]

Yours as well !

[@guitareputz]

12:44 a circular pyramid would be a cone ...no? that's what pops up in my mattered mind

[@SienciLabs]

It absolutely is lol. Thats a Scott-ism, these happen regularly for better or worse 🤣

[@ScheltemaBoutiqueGuitars]

❤ awesome video. Would you be up to doing a fingerboard tutorial that includes fret slotting and inlays? So much to learn.

[@SienciLabs]

Oh we already did! check out this link for the fretboard video and the rest of the guitar building playlist! kzbin.info/aero/PLE43LQy2a1ipWwWTyaJ1czMxGsNLJ2i3e

[@ronc1231]

I am carving necks with vcarve. I use the moldin function to project the shapes along rails to carve the back of the neck and fingerboard radius. I find the best to get a thin neck is to start with a thinner blank. I'm using 3/4" or even 11/16" thickness. If you carve 9/16" or even 1/2", you will add about 1/4" withe fingerboard. It's a nice video, I just have a different experience.

[@SienciLabs]

And that's what it's all about! There's LOTS of different ways to do the same thing. Thanks for sharing your method, it sounds cool!

[@jonathanwise8900]

Great videos, I’m looking into getting a longmill in the future to start a hobby with it, but I was just curious, could you do the neck with the vortex rotary axis, then you wouldn’t have to flip it and save a step, just curious on that because I wanna do some guitar building in the future.

[@SienciLabs]

Oh it's something we definitely plan on testing out as well! In theory it should work, if you beat us to it, keep us posted how it goes!

[@SienciLabs]

And thanks for the kind words too!

[@ScheltemaBoutiqueGuitars]

A question on fret slots. Since the. 023 mill bit is the actual width dim. How do I add this into the fingerboard? As a .023 slot or a path?

[@SienciLabs]

That's all covered in the video. It's around the 40 minute mark that we show/talk about the slot settings

[@kevin8235]

Could this be done on the new rotary? If so, would it make things easier or harder?

[@SienciLabs]

Good question! We've wanted to experiment with that too...Just gotta find the time 🙄😲

[@shadhiqbasha]

We don't have 4x4 cnc in india... Your product available in my country...

[@SienciLabs]

We sell our machines around the world shipping out from Canada. If you're interested visit our store! sienci.com/product/longmill-mk2/