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Anonymous
in reply to: fritter63

You didn't really say if you are just making one of these or hoping to make 50 of them (or more). The best approach will always vary depending on factors like production numbers required, machine capabilities and tooling available.

That said, I would recommend having a look at the video at the link below. I used to work in the Gibson Montana factory and I've toured other factories as well (to get ideas of how others are doing things). In my opinion, the angled fixture that Gibson used to shape the back side of the necks is the best solution I've seen. It takes a machine with enough Z axis to make it happen, as well as the ability to put a pretty large lollipop bit in, but it's a sound approach to a difficult shape.

You are going to have to use more than one bit to do anything on a CNC router, so best thing is to just get used to changing bits when needed and learning to be efficient with the steps involved. Whether the machine changes the bits for you or you have to do so manually, a one bit fits all solution is not a great idea.

Good view of CNC fixture starts at about the 3 minute mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp_PM60SAFc

Also, the largest round end bit that can fit into any shape is always going to produce the best finish to a complex surface. The bigger the ball end, the closer to a tangent the cut surface becomes, so the step over is more similar to tangent/tangent rather than dish/dish, meaning that there will be a smoother finish resulting.