Strat GCode help needed

[Mindcore]

Hey everyone,

Been messing around with Meshcam trial and RhinoCam ( owned ) today and for the life of me I can't generate a decent code for cutting out what should be a simple guitar.

I like to work by having the outside perimeter rouged out, roughing of the 3D surface, and then a waterline to clean up the routes.

Probably even better ways to do this I suppose.

What I don't get is that for 9000 lines of code or so and a couple hours I can knock off a modified PRS style body, and then with a quick sand I'm done.

The strat for some reason is coming in at 30,000 lines of code and 5 hours of machining.

Maybe it's just been too long since I've made a new gcode.

I'm hoping someone wouldn't mind creating a gcode for me.

the STL is attached, got if from this forum perhaps, so everyone feel free to scoop it.

Stock size at the moment is 19X14.5X1.75
Tool is a .5" end mill

Any help would be much appreciated.

Oh, and a pic of some of my recent builds. (I just can't have enough of them!)

[Mindcore]

Opps, sorry Mach3 for the code.

[damauk]

Have you included the rounded body edges in your model? I don't use either of these CAM programs but it would have to increase the line count if you included that.

[Mindcore]

Yes, one of the first things I did. Still oddly huge

[luthier]

I just finished a strat body yesterday. I'm not big into strats since they are so overpopulated :-), but decided to crank one out anyway. Since I spent so many years working in 2d I prefer it. I usually do the cavities and perimeter in 2d and end up doiing things the hard way, but they work out. I nabbed a DXF of a strat off the net ( maybe here) and pulled it into Rhino. I created individual toolpaths for the control cavity, neck, pups, trem block and perimeter. Using Wordpad, I copied each toolpath and changed the depth for each one as they all vary. That takes care of the top surface. Then I did the same thing for the back and the trem spring cavity and trem block there. I created my tummy and arm cut STL files in Rhino and used Meshcam to generate the g code. I added these in the appropriate spots in my gcode file. I had a couple issues from my lack of knowledge of Meshcam, but after spending an afternoon trying different things, I got the contours to work right. I guess it is all about learning the software. The nice part of doing a body this way is that it is modular. I note each section and can add or remove sections easily. For instance adding a tele rout for a lead pup just means going in and removing the strat one and adding the new gcode for the tele.
Not having any real training makes it all the more difficult as you learn by your mistakes. I didn't add any filleted edges because the body needs sanding and I'd rather rout the edges anyway. Now I need to make a jig to hold the blank so indexing it for the other side is easier.