[CyborgCNC]

Hi All,

Sorry, I have not been active here for a while, as life keeps getting in the way...

Finally I had sometime, and I got to modeling a PRS McCarty style in Solidworks...

I had to hunt for a few pictures, to use as a reference, but I think I got it down close enough. Model will have a long tenon for the neck, that goes under the maple top, and into the second 'bucker...Need to get started on the neck next...

Render is done in PhotoView, and Model is in Solidworks 2010...

What do you guys think??

[awe_indo]

That's great man.....
would you give more pic from side view orientation (left or right?)so we can see the carve?

[CyborgCNC]

OK...

Here are some more shots from the sides, and the front of the model, which show the carve...

Again, simple renders in the SW GUI...

[CyborgCNC]

Damn Solidworks is FREAKING AWESOME!!! :-)

She is done!....Just some finishing touches, and on to the toolpaths!!

[tjskcnc]

Beautiful!
Will you be offering this model? I would be very interested in this. Actually, a model of a 24fret LP DC would make me "cream-in-my-jeans" but the PRS is very close to it.

On another track:
I have purchased some of your training DVDs and they have taught me more about Solidworks, Mastercam, and general modeling and CNC work than anything else I have come across. They are definitely worth more than you charge, and your techniques are transferable to other programs. I am close to quitting my job and going full time into CNC work. Thanks for putting out an excellent set of training videos. Thanks to your videos, I seem to be one of the few people in my area that can model and cut in 3D!

[CyborgCNC]

Thank you for your kind words, and I am glad that you were able with my videos to learn about 3D and machining!

NO, I will not be making this model available anywhere. It was just an exercise in modeling, to show what can be done with Solidworks, and a few images....you can model anything.

This is a design which belongs to PRS....I will never sale it, make guitars to sell, or make any sort of plans available, as I do not have the legal right to do so...want to avoid any issues. I am sure you know where I am coming from....

thanks again!

[awe_indo]

:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:




I'm just wondering when i get Spiro's new video about les paul designing,,,hehehe..have you made it?

[cmjohnson]

I do see some things that need improvement.

For one, the body of a PRS as seen from the side has a slight angle built right into the body. The peak of the body is just behind the bridge, and it slopes down at a gentle angle of approximately 2.4 degrees toward the neck. You have your model set up for a flat body aside from the carving.

Making this correction will mostly take care of my second observation, which is that your carving looks too dramatic toward the front section of the guitar.


One thing I have that I use as a reference is a cut quarter section of a PRS that came from a friend of a friend, who works at PRS. I think it was cut from a reject, and used as a finish sample at that point. The built-in angle of the top is clearly evident and I measure it at 2.4 degrees with .1 degree confidence.


I'm kind of familiar with the PRS design. Here's one I'm finishing out now for myself. it's not CNC made, this is all hand work. I lack CNC capability but I sure know how to run a grinder with a chainsaw disc mounted on it!



This is the first stage of the stain. Black for contrast. Sanded back to keep it from dominating.



The final stain work, before sanding sealer, trans black shading around the rim, and clearcoating.

[dustin1706]

That is a great colour with awesome grain! Please post pics after it's been cleared. I bet it's going to look fantastic!

[CyborgCNC]

Here, Here....

That is a GREAT LOOKING Build! Congratulations!

You would not happen to have a picture of that cut out half body would you? Would most certainly help with the design....

Another question which I had, and have had some different answers, is exactly how thick the body is at the highest point?

[cmjohnson]

Thanks.

I can put up a pic or two tomorrow of the cut body section.

The thickest point is 1.912 inches. The mahogany back is 1.125 inches thick, and the maple cap accounts for the rest. (Including a few thousandths of an inch for finish thickness.)

The maple cap is .25" thick at the rim but not in the front section of the horns.cutaways. It does get a little thicker there but that is dictated by the built-in slope angle of the face of the body.

The thinnest part of the carved top occurs .375" from the outer rim, and at that point, the thickness of the maple cap is .220" as near as I can measure it.

My guitar is now completed. I'll link some photos to it tomorrow as well. It's getting really late as I write this so forgive me for making you wait.


CJ

[cmjohnson]

Pics are up.

[CyborgCNC]

CJ.....

That finish and wood top are absolutely spectacular!! Awesome job.....


Is it nitro or some sort of urathane clear?

[cmjohnson]

It's urethane.

It looks like in a few weeks I'll have to shoot another couple of coats, as it's showing signs of shrinking back a little more than expected. Fortunately, that's not hard to do.



Thank you.


Chris

[CyborgCNC]

Wow....that I am not sure about....

is it catalyzed urathane? Check with the manufacturer, to be sure....One thing about lacquer, is that is complete "burns in" into the coat under it...making repairs down the road a lot easier.....

Not sure about with urathanes....especially the catalyzed variety....maybe you can do a test on a piece of wood somewhere, before you spray on your guitar....I would hate to see that beautiful finish ruined....

[cmjohnson]

Trust me, this is fine. I know exactly what I'm talking about and have prior experience.

The urethane I use actually burns in rather well. More importantly, when I reshoot, I'll reshoot with relatively little time between coats. Just enough to avoid runs, drips, or sags, and the recoat will be thick enough that all sanding and buffing will not go through the new coats into the old, thus no witness lines will even be possible.

CJ

[CyborgCNC]

OK...so I have been making modifications to my model....

How is this for a side profile???

:-)

[cmjohnson]

That looks VERY good to me. It looks accurate enough that I'd try it, probably on MDF as a starting point, to check it.

Also, I don't know if you're aware of it, but apparently the PRS neck joint is a very shallow tapered dovetail, exactly following the edges of the fingerboard. It's not a straight walled neck mortise. When the neck is installed, but not glued yet, you can't pull the neck straight out of the guitar. (In the direction the neck points, that is.)


CJ

[CyborgCNC]

Yeap...in fact my model was build that way from the get go....the neck pocket follows the taper of the neck, according to the neck dimensions on the PRS site....

[LiquidGuitars]

Looking good cyborg, nice work..