I'm getting pretty good at making electric guitar bodies.
I still can figure out how to take my Strat or Tele neck and after extruding it to 1", how to draw the radii and contours!
I'm sure it's easier than I'm making it, but IM NOT MAKING IT!
Mastercam X5, Mach 3, KL 1212 cnc router,
I'd like to learn, not asking for free files.
Can anyone lend a hand?
Peace.
First thing, what contour shape? C U Boat, Srv, softV, etc.
How thick and how wide at the zero fret, and the heel width is fixed,
Contour dictated the heel and headstock blending.
I design in three parts Heel, contour and headstock
And detail scale length, string widths and spacing,
First Contour, heel, and headstock last.
The last thing are the blends.
Blends are the fun part of Cad surfacing. Nah don't believe that, hitting the button and cutting chips is better.
I'm starting with DXF files of strat and tele necks
I'd like to set my own contours or incorporate theirs.
More like be able to draw my own .
So after I extrude my neck profile, I'd like to know how to develop the contour on each of the parts
This really means how to draw the curved lines and attach them to the extruded body ten trim away the areas to reveal the contoured areas.
Then of course wire frame if necessary & tool path it all.
So my cuts are now only 2.5D
Down forward and backward or perimeter cut with tabs
Goto > warmoth custom neck builder,
Answer all the dimensional questions.
This details the critical dimensions to start with.in your plan view
The nut width and contour are critical choices,
that will determine the contour at the heel.
Look up wiki "splines" and get familiar with them.
Explore "Ruled Surfaces" next, that will be the neck you touch.
I prefer analytic curves. Splines are fine though.
Seriously a little understanding of math principals is very helpful.
I use a single coons surface to create the neck and both transitions at either end of it. The Parabolic option usually gives a rounder more organic look. Give 'er a try!
~ Alex