Hi Neil,
got the files will look at them Monday as I'm away the weekend.
Barry

Lookin' good Barry!

Nice Neil! Hand wound pickups too, sweet.

M

Great advice Barry - thanks much!

Hi - sorry I didn't reply earlier. Yes I own two CNC machines. As you mentioned it seems the best neck transitions are done with filleting, blending, networking - and Boolean operations .. . unfortunately I have a long ways to go until I'm past the "learn your basics" stage - but its fun anyway!. Nice to know there is another hand builder around here you can appreciate what's involved. If you ever want to mill something let me know. Thanks a lot for your input.

Hi Neil,
here is the method I have been using with network & blend.
I'm still looking at lespaul head it may require a different method.
Hope this helps.
Barry

Wow - excellent - that is really clever - and looks fantastic. Have to get to work on that. Many thanks Barry! Trimming spheres that is so cool. I'll bet I wont be able to duplicate your work. I'm still having trouble reliably repeating trim and blend. :)

Hi Neil

I was struggling with the same challenge. I came up with this.

Hello jopo,

That looks excellent - very nice transition! Thanks for sharing. Well done - can't wait to try that.

Here's a neck using Barry's trim and blend method and basic networking - all basic commands. Everything on this one checks out - so I feel I can move on to Barry's other method of using trimming spheres. And jopos networking and trimming example.

Thanks jopo,

I tried your method but obviously need to work on it - not sure how you're drawing the lines between the spliced arc and the headstock back - but the way you draw makes the network very smooth.

3d objects on cnc are machined using a ball-ended bit.
Similar to a topographical map, tool paths are mapped over the undulating surface of the 3d object. The finishing quality is achieved by placing these tool paths as close to each other as to create 90 percent overlap of the tool, which means it takes a long time.

Whenever profiling bits can be used, they are great because they are fast and require minimal sanding. The profile of something like a guitar neck is not consistent the way a profile bit is, unfortunately, leaving no choice but to go for 3d machining.

I hope this helps?

I use cnc to produce artwork and architectural elements - this is why I am learning MOI.

Cheers!

I use different bits for roughing and finishing - but always a ball end for finishing.

could you pleas mark the lines you mean.

Hello Jopo,

Please show me how you draw these highlighted (yellow) lines so that you end up with a rounded surface - when I try it leaves a crease.

Thanks

Hi Neil,

re:
> when I try it leaves a crease.

If you can please post the 3DM model file with your creased result in it, that could make it easier for someone to figure out what went wrong when you tried it.

- Michael

Been working on neck transitions since March and really in general still am below novice at this program. Lol. Have received a generous (and gracious) amount of world class help and can't express how much it is sincerely appreciated. I continue to make the most basic mistakes. Maybe should hire someone to make the neck models? As I'm improving very slowly. Jopos are nice and round - I can't seem to duplicate that with this neck shape.

Hi Neil, thanks for posting the file.

So it looks like you're using a different command than what Jopo used for this piece here:



Note how this area here swoops upwards? :



Looks like that was probably made using Network? The steps said to use Blend (between 2 edges) to make it, that would look more like this:





- Michael

Hi Neil,
Michael is right. You have to use the blend command. It works only on edges if you like to model surfaces not on curves. I recommend you to hide curves under the "Types" browser. The lines you mean are edges of the surface which is the result oft the blend command. So you don't have to draw the lines. I hope I could help.

Thank you for the help. The reason I used network - because being a novice - that's what it looked like in the pictures. My only experience with blend is trim and blend - which seems different. Can you show how to blend this within the outlines of the neck profile - you can see here where the blend is behind the neck profile line in this file? Perhaps use network for that side maybe?