HuntinDoug Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 For some time now I have been toying with the idea of teaching a small guitar building class. A few weeks ago I finally started. I plan on calling it "Guitar Building 101 121" (one-to-one). It is an accelerated class that utilizes Cad & CNC. Twelve to fifteen, 3 hour sessions gets a student a custom guitar ready for paint, with an extra neck for a possible future build, and some radius blocks & cauls. It's a one on one "tandem" format that allows me to complete a build as I show the student how to produce a set neck guitar. The student will get to do some CNC operation, as well as a small amount of programming (depending on their level of understanding). There is also a good amount of old school hand carving as well. The only things it doesnt cover is final wiring, & paint. Here is a loose curriculum: session 1: Consultation. Design & wood choices session 2: Tool overview. Process overview & Wood prep. session 3: Neck and body glue up. Intro to Cad & CNC processes session 4: Roughing in necks, milling TR channel. Inlay design session 5: CNC and/or hand carve neck(s) Homework: Sanding necks session 6: FB slotting & Inlay (if applicable) session 7: FB radius & binding session 8: CNC radius blocks & cauls, FB glue up, & body layout session 9: Fretting session 10: CNC body (including all pup routs & neck pocket, fit & glue neck, hand carve body (if applicable) session 11: Complete hand carving body (if applicable) Homework: More Sanding session 12: Hardware installation, nut & string up, session 13: Guest teacher Dennis Rodderman covers fret level, temporary pup install, fret ldressing & crowning. session 14: Open lab session 15: TR cover, control plates, disassemble & final finish prep I am currently about 1/3 of the way through with my first student, Terry Roark. He's a friend of mine that has always wanted to build his own guitar. Tonight was session #5. Terry & I ran one of his necks on the CNC. The next session will cover slotting & inlay. Here are some pics: Quote Link to comment
dpm99 Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 (edited) Wow. I don't know of any other courses that cover that angle of building. That's cool, Doug. EDIT: It just occurred to me. Why are you CNC'ing radius blocks, rather than just radiusing fretboards with the CNC? Edited November 13, 2011 by dpm99 Quote Link to comment
verhoevenc Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 I'd imagine the blocks are just for the students to take away for their future building endeavors? Chris Quote Link to comment
Bmth Builder Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 (edited) Also CNCs leave tooling marks that need to be cleaned up with radius blocks, and a lot of people would go up through the lower grits using a radius block to get up to the polishing grades for mirror finish fretboards. Course looks awesome though, neat idea doing the cnc side of things. Edited November 13, 2011 by Neil Beith Quote Link to comment
HuntinDoug Posted November 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 Actually, it's for both. I rough in the FB radius in the CNC. Then use the blocks to clean up & final sand the board. Several years ago I took a class on toolmaking. The project parts we made were actual machinist tools. I still use a lot of them today. The idea is for the student to have enough resources to tackle a second build if he so desires. We initially run 2 necks. If the student scraps one, there is a backup. If not it becomes a motivator for a second build. If there is time in the open lab session, we can even fret the second neck. Quote Link to comment
jessejames Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 What kind of CNC machine is that? That doesn't look too awfully big or expensive, (which I am sure it's still thousands of dollars, but maybe not TOO many thousands.) Quote Link to comment
HuntinDoug Posted November 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 Romaxx WD1 24 x 36 Quote Link to comment
Kammo1 Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Doug that is awesomme and believe me bro if I were in the US I'd be signing up straight away,CNC is an exciting new venture for me having built my own small one for fretboard inlays and have the big boy ready soon. Would love to have someone like yourself show me the ropes as doing it on your own and from books is a long,long road but that brutha is an excellent service you are providing and US folks shouldn't even be thinking about it but calling you ASAP well done bro and hope it all goes well. Quote Link to comment
Juntunen Guitars Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Cool idea. I like how it covers all that in a short amount of time. I'm surrently in luthiery school and it won't be until the second year until we cover CNC and CAD. Quote Link to comment
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