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Thread: Adventures in guitar making

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    100

    Default Adventures in guitar making

    I'm a newb. Turned my CW on for the first time 2 months ago. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a rocky road, but things are coming together for me now.
    One of the main reasons I wanted a CNC machine was for my hobby - building guitars. I purchased the CW because of the small foot-print it required, and the ability to do longer projects. I also do a lot of cabinet work and wanted to be able add decorative touches to it. I had pretty given up and resigned myself to thinking I bought the wrong machine for what I wanted. I've made a lot of progress since then, and I'm very happy with the CW now. Me & CW are going to be friends after all. Hope someone besides me finds this thread interesting, I plan to keep adding to it as I go.

    Anyone with a template and a router can make a guitar body. As long as the top of that body is flat. If you want a profile, that's a problem. This style of guitar is called a "Les Paul" or LP for short and it features a carved top. Normally it is built in two pieces, then glued together. The base is a wood like mahogany, the carved top is often figured maple.
    Here's my base carving. Note the cheater rails I attached to the side of the wood to make it longer and wider.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    I didn't carve all the way through the 1-3/4" piece of material. I cut it out on the bandsaw and finished it with a router.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    And then the carved top......the reason I'm here. This is the MDF version.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Success is a wonderful thing.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Northern Colorado
    Posts
    7,962

    Default

    They look great and glad you two are getting along now. There are several people who do use the CarveWright to make guitars and violins. Have seen the one in the CarveWright adds/intro on their web site?
    RingNeckBlues
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    All patterns and projects that I share on the CarveWright forum are for your personal carving purpose. They are not to be shared, sold or posted on any other web site without permission from RingNeckBlues Designs.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    2,876

    Default

    Super cool. Please keep adding to it. Looks really interesting and fun.

    You are already miles ahead of me. I purchased the CW to make wooden gear clocks. So far I have made none.

    I have made half a dozen different clocks, just no wooden gear clocks. lol

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    100

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by fwharris View Post
    They look great and glad you two are getting along now. There are several people who do use the CarveWright to make guitars and violins. Have seen the one in the CarveWright adds/intro on their web site?
    Yes, I saw that add. Probably one of the things that drew me in here.

    Quote Originally Posted by oscarl48 View Post
    Super cool. Please keep adding to it. Looks really interesting and fun.

    You are already miles ahead of me. I purchased the CW to make wooden gear clocks. So far I have made none.

    I have made half a dozen different clocks, just no wooden gear clocks. lol
    Thanks. I'm thinking there is a lot more to designing/building gear clocks than there is to building a guitar.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    100

    Default

    The finished carve for the real wood top. This wood is called "Black Limba".
    Attachment 88106
    Both the MDF and this blank were only 24" long for a 19" long project. For the first time ever, I told the machine NOT to stay under the rollers. but it worked out just fine.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Coeur D'Alene Idaho
    Posts
    691

    Default

    Very nice, please keep us updated and I can't wait to see the finished project.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Western New York
    Posts
    899

    Default

    Congratulations, you are off to a great start!! Looking forward to seeing more of your work!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    100

    Default

    Thanks guys

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
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    Default

    a couple more tops completed. The one on the right is walnut with two maple strips in it. More learning on this one. The CW is not like a template where you pick the center. It picks the center so you have be dead on.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    The one on the left is curly maple on the outsides, with 2 strips of paduk and the center is wenge.
    You can't really see the profile in this shot, but the CW does a wonderful job of carving these tops. So smooth.......

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Coeur D'Alene Idaho
    Posts
    691

    Default

    Very nice!

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