CNC - luthiery

Here we want to document how the CNC capabilities we have developed have turned well-sounding instruments that look OK into well-sounding instruments that look professional. Some things worked, others didn't. We are also making available some 3-Dimensional .stl files for download.

The major objective was to make archtop plates using the CNC router and Vectric Aspire. We started at reduced size, and learned important lessons (like making sure to use exact measurements of your wood). At full scale (actually always a little oversized to allow for any final hand-tuning) there is a compromise between finish and time: we have carved a full top with f-holes and braces in less than 6 hours, with < 0.5 mm surface ripples. We suspect that it is better to cut the outside surface first, so that there is plenty of supporting wood to reduce motion either from flex or more likely strain-release; we will revisit this with more data.