Angel resurrection (pictures fixed)

Nomad

The biggest one for removing bulk, assuming you're routing out areas that are reasonably wider than 2.4mm (need some wiggle room when routing freehand). Smaller sizes if you're doing narrower features. Beyond that, it depends on what the smallest radius is that you want - 0.5 radius for the 1mm, etc.If you want sharp corners, you'll need to do a final bit of fettling with a blade, so how much material you want to (or are able to) remove doing that can be a factor as well. (It might actually be easier to square up a larger radius with the tip of a scalpel, than try to position the blade on some tiny little fillet 0.5mm long and wide. Either way, it's a loupe job.)

In general, with router cutters (and milling cutters), it's about controlling the rate of removal of material. If you try to take it out too fast, something gives (material burns/melts, cutter clogs/breaks, etc). For spinning cutters, the things you can adjust are rotation speed, feed rate, and cut depth. Tiny cutters spin faster, big cutters spin slower - it's about getting the cutting edge to pass through the material at a particular speed, so rotation speed is used in conjunction with cutter radius to set the edge-through-material speed. Practice on scrap to get a feel for depth and feed rate. You should be able to tell when you're feeding too fast for a given depth - the sound can change, and you might be able to feel a small increase in lateral resistance, but that's not so easy with tiny cutters. In general, feed rate and cut depth balance each other out  - slower feed for a deep cut, faster feed for a shallow cut. However, there is such a thing as feed rate being too slow, where the edge of the cutter doesn't get a decent bite at the material and ends up burnishing the surface it's trying to cut. If it sounds/feels like it's stressing (or you smell burning), and is barely taking anything out, try reducing the cut depth.

Rabs

Ok..  that's very useful..  Thank you 

the_mechanic

Absolutely stunning work!

Nomad

@Rabs, just realised you were using one of the sheer-cutting carbide ones. I'm not sure what the down-cutting ones are made of, but carbide is quite brittle. These little cutters are mainly intended for use in CNC machines, where the rotation speed and feed rate can be precisely controlled. Very important when you get down to the really small sizes because they're apt to snap if feed rate is too high.

It's hard to use these by hand with a Dremel type tool in a stand - higher risk of an imbalance between feed rate, cut depth, and rotation speed, such that the cutter can't get through the material fast enough, with the result is that the cutter is basically pushed against the side of the recess it's making, tries to bend, and snaps. With a Dremel setup, the depth can be set accurately, while the rotation speed tends to be a bit of a guess (although a repeatable one once you find a setting that works).

The tricky bit is controlling the feed rate, which is done by manually moving the machine around on the surface, basically doing freehand routing on a micro scale. The problem with the tiny cutters is that it's much harder to get a feel for when they're stressing - your hands/fingers need to use a certain amount of force to move the machine around, and the tiny additional lateral resistance from a cutter that's struggling is hard to feel on top of the machine's inertia. There is little option but to try and get away with it and keeping good control of the feed rate. In other words, if you manage to find a balance between rotation speed, cut depth and feed rate, stick with that and don't push your luck by feeding a bit quicker (while keeping in mind that humans tend to be less consistent with this than CNC machines = risk of breakage anyway). The alternative is simply to use slightly larger cutters, or switch to something non-motorised (like a scalpel) for tidying up corners.

Rabs

Yeah I hear what you are saying..   Thank you for the detailed response    When I get time to do some experiments I will post it...

axisus

Nomad said:

Small Wonder do down-cutting spiral flute bits...

http://www.smallwonder-music.co.uk/shop/Tools-and-Finishing/Spiral-Router-Bits/p-123-454/

Four sizes, starting from 1mm diameter.

Yes, that what I used.

axisus

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axisus

This thread kind of died a death as all the photo links died, however, I have stuck them all back in. Some more pix:

Drilling machinehead holes. OK good people, see my mistake??? Yes, I didn't use a template! The drill wandered on all the holes a tad. I had to fill them all with some rosewood turned to fit on a lathe. I then redid them with a template that I knocked up with a piece of aluminium. Doh!



Installing frets over LED wires




All frets fitted




Channels for electronics


LEDs and diodes wired in

axisus

Truss rod plus locking nut fitted

BigMonka

This is amazing! We need the next instalment please @axisus ;

Andyjr1515

Yes - fascinating

axisus

About time I updated.

LEDs finished




Neck clamped up. i was worried that the LEDs might not work when all stuck together!



template for increased electronics - Did I mention that I am putting a Sustainiac in the guitar?

axisus

New hole routed



Wiring fun and games!




Sustainiac pickup installed. I deliberately chose a single coil rather than the humbucker look version with the dummy coil. I like the 'frankenstein' vibe of the guitar like this.

axisus

.... and a new graphics addition - some chibi characters. slightly aged to fit the overall vibe. The mini switches are for the sustainiac

axisus

Finished!

sawyer

Looks cool! Love a frankenguitar 

Sesh

Great job, but we need a shot of the lights on.

Adam_MD

Looks awesome I like the headstock and +1 to getting a pic with a the leds on

Rabs

Very cool....

Jonathangus

That is a very cool thing indeed.  Great work!