Machining the Back Side of the Guitar Blank
In part 4 of making a Telecaster Style Guitar Body on the 2550 CNC Router, we will be machining the back of the Guitar Blank. This will require us to flip the Guitar Blank on to its front face, making sure the cut file in Vision Software is aligned properly to the Blank placed on the CNC Router. There are probably several ways this can be done, being that this would be our fist and possibly only time we are going to build a Telecaster Style Guitar we have developed our own strategy to accomplish this.
Alignment needs to be precise and if done incorrectly our project would be ruined, lucky for us alignment is easily accomplished with Vision software and 2550 CNC Router. Using the same guitar cut file as a reference, we strategically drilled dowel pin holes on the MDF with the 2550 CNC Router. The dowel pins will allow us to hold and more importantly position the Guitar properly aligning with the cut file. There will be five 1/4” dowel pins on the outside contour of the Guitar Blank and six 1/8” holes in the center, aligned with the string holes we previously drilled on the front of the Guitar Blank.
Transfer tape was applied to both the front face of the Guitar and the MDF Sacrificial. Double sided tape was also used to help hold the Guitar Blank down.
With the Guitar Blank in place, we first did a test run using the 2550’s built in laser pointer to confirm the cut file was properly aligned.
The neck bolt holes were completed with the 1/8” End Mill.
For the string holes we used a 1/4” Flute End Mill that went 1/3” deep into the Guitar Blank.
A slight bevel was added with the 1/2” round over bit.
Coming up in our next blog post, we’ll cover how we created our own custom Queen Of Hearts pickguard on the Vision 1612 Pro Engraving Machine.
To read other post on making a Telecaster Style Guitar Body, click on the links below.
Part 1-Making the Guitar Blank
Part 2-Attaching Blank to a Sacrificial MDF
Part 3-Bits & Cuts
Part 4-Machining the Back
Part 5-Making a Custom Pick-Guard
Videos
Click the link to watch a short video of the
2550 CNC Router machining the front face of the Telecaster Guitar.
Click the link to watch a short video of the
1612 Pro engraving a Pick Guard for the Telecaster Guitar.
Author: Luke Davis