The CHEAPEST CNC for guitar building! (FoxAlien Masuter Pro full review)
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- Опубликовано: 26 авг 2024
- This is definitely the cheapest hobby grade desktop CNC machine that is capable of making guitar bodies. For more information or to make a purchase, please check the links below:
Masuter Pro CNC: www.foxalien.c...
Extension kit: www.foxalien.c...
4040-XE (bigger stronger CNC option): www.foxalien.c...
"Suck-it-up" dust shoe attachment: www.mmandls.co...
IOT relay power strip: amzn.to/3fwTa67
High Torque Nema 17 motors: amzn.to/3UpmLNj
You can purchase the bass kit I made in this video here: www.gunsandgui...
watch Sean's fretboard radius jig video here:
• Fret Board Radius Jig!...
*Prices mentioned in this video are subject to change without notice, please check the links for current pricing.
Full disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate and FoxAlien affiliate, and the links in this description are affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, it doesn't cost you any more money, but I will earn a commission. I would like to thank FoxAlien for sending this cnc machine for my honest evaluation and review.
Want a Guns and Guitars shirt? buy one here: gunsandguitars...
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The Bass kit I made in this video is for sale here: www.gunsandguitars.net/product-page/behemoth-bass-neck-and-body-kit
upgrade to nema 23.
Did FoxAlien ever get back to about whether those higher torque motors would work with the existing control board?
My Masuter Pro and extension kit just arrived today!
How Are You Love Your CNC Router ? didn’t See An Updated Video. Hi
Can you recommend anything in the $3,000 range?
This is freaking awesome, brother. Props to you for figuring out new, cost-effective tools (like your level/beam sander, your notched straight edge made from a Harbor Freight ruler, etc.). All of us benefit from your efforts.
It's been a year. Are you still out of town? Did FoxAlien get back to you about the upgraded Nema17 stepper motors?
One of the things I really love about your channel is the way you demonstrate to us all that you can produce quality products on budget equipment if only you know what you´re doing.
Thank you for showing us all for inspiration for our own projects and products that it´s not the machine,- it´s the man working it.
Wow thank you so much for the encouragement. That really means a lot to me
Thanks for the shout out Danomite! You have come a long way!!!
if you build a box with a perspex front to put over your machine, you will contain any dust the hoover doesn't grab from going all over your garage.
you can go one step further than this by attaching an air line from a compressor to blow all the dust off the piece and bed, extra points for having a collection tray underneath for easy disposal.
that may seem overkill, but your machine will perform much better with no loose substrate, especially within deeper cuts
Dan, great video! This is exactly what I needed to see to help me get started. The learning curve on these machines (and CNC generally) is very steep for a beginner. I can relate to the comment about throwing it out the window, but like you, as I’ve started to learn the basics I can now see the potential. It’s good to see the extension table in action, I have mine on order and will be copying the mod regarding mounting the board below the frame 👍
Awesome man!
Good video. I just hand finished a 74 Tele Deluxe clone and have hundreds of hours in sanding, filing and routing. I've been dreaming about getting a CNC and this one may fit my non existent budget lol
Great vid! If only you were "Guns, Guitars and Bikinis", I wouldn't have to go anywhere else, lol
lol
We really don't want to see Dan in a bikini!!
@@edwardkipp4911 speak for yourself pal
(Seriously though, we don’t need to see that)
@@edwardkipp4911
My eyes!!! My EYES!!!
😂😂😂
Considering getting this with the extension! Awesome info and useful tips! I'm looking forward to further my building with a CNC!
One thing that most people don't realize about cncs is the structure needs to be really strong. You can have more powerful steppers but now the machine can flex and get out of wack.
I would go with the masking tape and super glue trick to hold down your material while routing instead of the hot glue. As an old industrial CNC router table operator/cut file coder, I've encountered all the same difficulties, learning how those things work. My best advice is to check out some of the machines that are sold to the sign industry. They come in larger sizes and usually come with really usable control and design software. They are far more robust and far more capable with heavy duty jobs. The kicker is, entry level with any of those machines will cost at least $15,000, but you will get everything you need in one purchase (not counting router bits and not including the shop vac).
I’ve used both methods. I just think the super glue method is so fast and easy.
you can get into a nice gecko g540 build for $5k with a good selection of bits. not 4x8 but still way larger than this thing
I have an X carve and a 4.2w laser. I've never built a guitar and my son (15yo, been playing 5 years) wants to build a Red Special. i feel more comfortable using a cnc to build one, than by hand. The electronics is easy for me. I'm going to follow along and pick up some tips before I start milling wood. I'm planning a pine practice run, before I sacrifice mahogany to the cnc gods. Thanks for the vids.
I think the Red Special was actually made from an oak fireplace mantle. He made it with his dad, even.
Thanks for this video.. i would like to start building guitars and was thinking about a desktop cnc, and you confirmed it for me.. i know there's still many more steps when it come to GTR builds but this is a great start. . Going to start looking more into this
Bro. First off. Another professional video from our whacky friend Dan. I have been loving your videos and your skills as a luthier have become most powerful indeed. These videos are a great insight into your mentality as well. I never would have thought that you were the type of guy to think four hours was a long time lol That actually sounds like really good numbers to me. I have no idea though I'm a noob.
I am getting ready to build my first guitar and the information in this is great, thank you, but I was surprised at your feeds and speeds. I have had a home made CNC router for about three years now. It cost me about $900 dollars, and it's just a collection of parts from China and a lot of plywood. The last hardwood project I made with it was a walnut coffee grinder. The feeds and speeds for that project were 120 in/min, 1/4 inch depth of cut at 20000 RPM with a 1/4 inch up cut router bit. Up spiral router bits are great for chip evacuation. down spiral router bits have less chip out issues. In the video you said your depth of cut was point 025 or 25 thousandths, did you mean 0.25? I can go up to 1/2 inch depth of cut for something like cheery or popular but chip evacuation become a issue.
When I was a kid many, many decades ago we were told that Robots in the future would make our work easier. Of course we imagined walking talking humanlike machines that would take over our world. Nice to see we have better options😁👍
Its cool to see how a machine like this CNC can do. Especially getting results which look amazing, cant wait to see else you have planned for this machine.
I was literally looking up cnc machines for this exact purpose this morning!
Yep. Hot glue is my go-to for holding templates, securing body blanks to my router-planing jig, etc.
I did fiddle around with a cheap machine, and built that one out to the max.
I started with a stock 3018 CNC (just search for that) and made it huge. It is now 1m long (with half of that as usable length, it is a fixed gantry design machine) and I will further make it a bit wider. However, with the cheap machines, you soon hit the limits of what they can do and things will break eventually. The 3018 based modified machine is nice for making small parts, and stuff like PCBs, milling fretboards, but not really suited for full sized bodies or necks.
My main workhorse nowadays is a machine I designed and built myself. It is large enough for two neck-through instruments side by side, and with some modifications due to lessons learned it will be rock stable. And, as I designed it myself, and built it myself, the parts cost me around what your machine costs stock. So, if you're looking for a machine suited for guitar building, don't be afraid of building your own. It's not that hard, and you can get a cost effective machine for about the price of a halfway decent commercial offering, but much better results.
And some design tips:
Don't use belt drives. Use screw drives, and use large linear rails instead of ball bearings running on tracks. A complete set of linear rails with 20mm diameter and fitting ballscrews costs around 150 € or $ for all three axes. A bit more if you wanna go larger than what you need for a body or neck. Use proper motors and drivers. The drivers are probably more important than your motors, as they ultimately are what will create lost steps. Again, a set of drivers and motors will come in at less than 200 € or $. Now, the spindle is up for preference, but those don't cost an arm and a leg as well. For a machine size that can do a full body and neck, you will total around 1000 € or $ all things considered. But this will get you much more stability and durability than what you get commercially at that price point.
@@lucemiserlohnyo, im thinking about building my own cnc, would you like to help a little with your wisdom? 😊👀
@@mrspaghetto2167 Not wisdom, just lessons learned by trial and error and reading and watching lots of other people's mistakes.
What size of machine are you talking about?
Great video Dan. Really enjoyed the warts and all run down.
I'm excited to see this thing on our future project. Looks like it is making building faster and hands off in some ways...
Just changing the motors, even if your drivers can deliver sufficient current, may not solve your problem, because the belt (is this GT2 timing belt?) and pulleys may prove to be a limiting factor. If you go overboard with speeds and feeds, the belt may start to stretch, which can result in incorrect dimensions even without losing the steps. But I'd still go with more powerful motors, keeping in mind it may be necessary to also upgrade the belts and pulleys in case GT2 isn't up to a task, in which case I'd suggest upgrading to GT5 belts and pulleys.
By the size of the electronics box on your router, and your motors, I'm pretty sure the drivers used are the small ones, as used in 3D printers, i.e. DRV8825 or A4988. DRV8825 are rated at 2.2A, and your new motors are rated at 2.1A , and even though you may be tempted to try this combination, I'd suggest buying more serious drivers, like for example DM542 or similar, which can deliver 4.2A and costs around $20,00. DRV8825 would probably start overheating, and it makes no sense to waste time on additional cooling . If you decide to buy new drivers, it should be simple enough to connect them to your electronics, even if it is an integrated board with above mentioned drivers, because you only need to connect STEP and DIR signals. And of course you'd have to check your power supply, too. If you find out you have to upgrade that, too, I'd suggest going with as high a voltage as the drivers allow. Upgrading is tricky, it rarely ends with a single component changed. But even if you have to change all of the above, the result will be much better machine, and much cheaper than buying the machine with the same specs...
Good luck!
Awesome info, thanks so much!
You saved me thousands of dollars I probably will get one eventually to build my own guitars
I've been a long time subscriber but this video came up first when I typed (into RUclips) "alien router review" & filtered it by upload date. I was wanting info on the Alien Router by Ubiquiti (thinking of getting a new router for my home wifi network). So I didn't even get to any reviews of the mesh router since now I'm going to watch this. Cheers!
EDIT: What brand hat are you wearing and where'd you get it? Thanks.
EDIT 2: As a 30+ year bassist it's facinating to me that with your skill set, attention to detail, ingenuity that it is possible for you to become another Roger Sadowsky (as one example) in the bass arena where you build your own basses in the USA & have your own preamps & can sell them direct (his US made basses are usually around $7,000). Totally possible to have your own boutique bass & guitar company if that's something you ever had an interest in.
Hey Dan! Have you thought about taking 2 PVC pipes, drilling small holes at 45-degree angles and capping the ends then using 90s and some more pipe to make a "horseshoe" on one end with a T at the center? Fit that to an adapter that connects to the blower of your shop vac and you'll have constant air blowing off the dust and debris toward the center and directed back. Maybe that would keep your tracks clean while it is running? Your shop vac can multitask. Just a thought. Great video! I am planning on doing the same. The FoxAlien looks like what I need! You should get a commission for this stuff! Just another thought. If you put a plexiglass cover that is open on both ends and holes in the PVC at the end with the 30-degree holes facing outward everything would blow in one direction outward toward the other end. Easier to corral the sawdust in a bin or something. The smaller the holes the greater concentration of forced air. Maybe you could try this or expand on it. I'm no engineer. I just like to solve problems using the resources I have available. Oh Speaking of that, a second shop vac might work if you were to cut a hole in the center of one of those flat plastic trays for a dog kennel or a freezer drip tray, drill holes in the table around where your machine sits and attach the tray beneath the table with 4 clamps and some 3/4" flat wood. Attach the vac tube to the tray and you've got a vacuum table. I've got all kinds of ideas that either suck or blow.
Got the same machine and I contacted foxalien and they told me I can’t replace the motors with the high torque ones. Anyway if you buy a controller and motors you will have a lot of masuter pro owners watching 👍
Okay I’m already looking into it!
Another watch this am. Man, if I had time to start building... this is what I would buy. Fantastic review.
install HGR rails, linear bearings and a VDF spindle, it will do it in 45min @ 3000mm/min and 4mm depth of cut on a 6.5mm (1/4 inch) bit
iIs' a great machine to get started in CNC, in my opinion if you are thinking about upgrading the control box its time to get a more rugged overall machine OR use your current machine to help BUILD a new one! There are so many cnc plans out there if you're on a budget or just want a beast of a machine.
Heads up for anyone interested, a nice little secret about hot glue... Many varieties of it, (the more clear options) will immediately release when you apply just a little isopropyl alcohol.
Hi! Thanks for your video.
Attaching the plate to the bottom of the frame is a good idea. I will do that.
I have made the first tests with the Masutra Pro (with Makita). My first tests show that I can easily make oak wood with 2mm depth cuts.
Settings: 22,000 rpm
Cutting speed: 414 m/min
Depth cuts: 2mm
For this reason, I don't quite understand the problem with the limitation. I have bought good milling cutters from Sorotec. Maybe it's your router bits.
Mine will work fine for an hour or so at that cut rate, but over several hours it will eventually mess up.
@@GunsandGuitars ah, thank you very much. I'll keep an eye on that.
Awesome video, thanks for sharing. I’m curious though, how many guitar bodies would it take to be able to break even on this type of machine?
one of my dream to have one
and teach my son then
My mind is blown. This is awesome.
Cracking vid. I've got this and been running some big projects on some oak. The only issue I've found is the router slipped a few mm on around the 30th and 40th pass meaning I have steps on the cut a few mm thick so the overall profile is now stepped and will need a trimmer router and sanding. Unsure why it's happening. It's done it on all three projects I've done
Thanks for such a great and informative video, I've been looking at getting a CNC router for a while and wasn't sure what cheaper method to go for before I build my own. Absolute legend, thanks again
i'm building my own, it's not cheap, but... better ultimately, one thing i'm planning on, aside from the stuff i already have, is using the motor from my 3018 pro to start, then i'll upgrade to a water cooled spindle, bit expensive, but quiet.
Awesome video. I’m in Australia so can’t get this machine but I’m looking at an Australian one called the Blue Carve Bluey that has Nema 23 8mm shaft (X & Y axis) and 167ozin Nema23 for Z axis. As I’m new to this would be great to get your advice on that.
The Bluey also uses a makita trimmer router and can be upgraded to a spindle so maybe a good place to start for guitar bodies and necks. Also has an upgrade kit to 750 x 1250mm cutting area with a cutting height of 85mm which may be big slough to do a neck through bass if I go that far.
this was exactly what i was looking for
A machine like the one you are using could aid in making so many projects. It is nice to see that machinery is more affordable for the home hobbyist.
Excellent Video Dan , I would love to build my own Guitar ,🤔Mmm May be not I have too many already.🎸
A lot of good info. Thanks Dan👍👍👍
Align Carbide CNC bits are available on Amazon.
GREAT review and user experience! Very well done Dan!
Thank you so much for your video, are you still satisfied with the machine? Any problems with it? Thank you so much again for the video!
Another great review Dan, informative, interesting and educational.
Thank you, sir. I have wanted to get into this since I was a teenager. You have earned FoxAlien a new customer here with this series. A quick question: I no longer see the FoxAlien router upgrade on their site; I have no problem being "forced" to get another brand-spanking-new Makita router, but I am wondering does the mount that fits the stock spindle motor also fit the compact Makita trim router? Was there an upgrade to that component that I missed in your video? Thank you for your time.
It comes with a mount for both the 60w spindle and the Makita router!
@@GunsandGuitars God bless them for thinking of everything *sheds tear*. Thank you,sir.
Good video. I learned a lot. Thanks!
This didn't age very well but thanks for the effort so the rest of us don't make the same mistake. I hope the new one works for you!
This video aged just fine. The Masuter pro was exactly what I needed to see the benefit of having a decent cnc in the shop. I still have plans for more upgrades for this machine as well.
Really cool channel and video, cheers!
could you by chance show the video of how you mounted the spoil board to the bottom of the rail?
was it just a simple unscrew, place below and re-screw from bottom, OR was there more to it?
Great video as always! Thanks for sharing this CNC machine!
I’d be very interested in one of these but only if they sold the 4080 size rather than having to buy an extension to the 4040. Don’t want to pay for parts I’ll never use.
God information, I know nothing about cnc but watching your video I would that with all the money you spent on upgrades you could got the more powerful one , 40x40
So you don't use the CNC to contour/roundover/German carve the body? Then why don't you just use the CNC to cut out a thin mdf template and then use the template on a router table with a bearing guide? Seems like it would be much faster while maintaining the CNC accuracy.
Had to redesign the wheel.
Hi there, I may be late, but I myself have a Masuter Pro and was wandering if those more powerful NEMA 17s can be handled by the stock control board. Any news on that?
I really enjoy your videos and I’d like to try to do this. Have you ever thought about obtaining wood from old pianos. I know around here people give old pianos away. We have an old one that we are turning into a desk but this thing is made of mahogany. I wonder how many bodies you could make out of a free antique upright piano
Great information. I just ordered that router and offline controller to make custom pickguards for my bass ukuleles. Have you done pickguards?
I hope you still check this thread! I found this video very very helpful! What speed is your Makita dial set to?
That machine might be good for me but I think I’d still be more productive without it. I think this machine would be great for fret boards though. Great vid though
Hey man, your video inspired me to stop wasting my time doing the guitar work by hand and get a foxalien CNC. My problem is the spill board doesn't fit under the router rails. The rubber feet are too small. How did you get around this? In your video, the spill board slid right under the router. Thanks for making this btw, great to see it in action!
I extended the rubber feet 🤘
How much would you charge for a Steinberger GM2T body set up for a Floyd Rose?
hi!i'm just purchasing the masuter pro to try to make some guitars!I'va made a couple all by hand but a cnc will make it much easier!But i'd like to know please,where to find accurate guitar file for the cnc?And if possible left handed models also😅thanks and great video!
can you make a neck with the masuter pro? make a video about that ;)
What he said
You'd probably need the extension kit; I think they're usually around 27" in total. With that, probably.
I have the extension kit 😍
I'm waiting for them to send my channel one to make slip forms for building Aircrete dome homes/sheds/storm shelters. Haven't heard from them yet.
Good luck! I’ve had a great experience working with them
Great video very interesting since I am a conventional machinist. I can do CNC as well but I'm old and know old school machines. This however is in my wheel house as doing CNC maintenance. I assemble guitars from parts and really enjoy it and learning guitar. I can see a retirement party soon and I am definitely going to get one those machines. Thanks Dan and enjoy your vacation.
I was about to purchase the Fox Alien 4040 Masuter... used for $450... question i have now after watching your video is should i or look for the pro.....
Rather than nema 23 or even bigger 17s have you considered converting your motors to closed loop ? It won't make them stronger but if they do lose position they self correct. I'm not a fan of the belts. You get a huge torque multiplication with ballscrewss whereas the pulleys inevitably cost torque.
I haven’t looked into closed loop yet, but sounds like it could be helpful!
Great video. You mention at around 7:54 that the stepper motors are are little weak but why couldn’t you just slow the machine down when it’s operating so the stepper motors don’t need to work so hard?
I’m just asking because I plan on using this machine for aluminum so my projects would probably need to be much slower than yours.
You said in another video that you can't do comfort carving with this machine. Why not?
Thanks for the review! It REALLY Sucks! 🙂
It’s the cheapest option, so it’s not perfect. But it can be made better over time. At least with this one you can get it sooner and play with it or use it to make money for the upgrades
hey great job
thanks for your info
Hello, i have the same build up as you with a makita router. My y-axis is humbling in every type of milling depth or speed. I have the feeling that the router is too heavy for the construction. Therefore if the router is running near the edge of the working area the machine comes into imbalance and the 2 motors of the y-axis can‘t work properly connected to each other because the resistance on 1 axis is much higher.
Do you habe any tips for me to get it run?
do you have a video on how to use a cnc machine to build a guitar for beginners ?
I think the time savings and increase in demand for the things you create will pay for the machine in a year.
Wow unbelievable. Can you use it as a planer as in planing acoustic guitar tops?
Hi, can this machine cut the inside and outside of an arch top guitar? Thanks
Olá boa tarde você tem ela disponível no Brasil ? quero para usinar somente Aluminium
how is the cnc router without the spindle upgrade? how much was the upgrade, and was it worth the cost?
also, how loud is it? could i keep this in a bedroom if I create a soundproof cover for it during use?
Did you make the little rubber legs that came with the machine longer? Because I can't put the spoil boards underneath the machine with out the legs being off the table/ground
Have you looked at what amperage the motors are running at now? My experience is all in the 3d printing world but it's the same hardware. Depending on the drivers you can either adjust them in software or there is a pot on each driver to change the amperage. They may be running them below their capacity in stock form.
It’s possible. I actually researched this a little. The control board does have one trim pot, but I’m kinda afraid to touch it.
Great video
Great video Dan!
Instead of the 'hot glue', would Ben Crow's 'masking tape and superglue trick' hold the body on it's place when routing??
Yes lots of people use masking tape and super glue, or double stick tape. I’ve done all three, and the hot glue is the fastest and easiest solution.
Could you do finger joints for amplifier and speaker cabinets on one of these?
Interesting.. I was thinking about building an mpcnc, but this might be a little easier.
how do you design in easel to make the shapes for cutting the body and routes?
What dimensions of a table to do I need to put this thing on with the extension kit. Also how much does the thing weigh? And how much space do u need ? Trying to figure it how Big of a storage unit I need to work with this thing
How fast does it cut
Hi GT vid and just what I need for my custom guitar builds, does the basic version still do adequate cuts, I would be routing my bodies via a template so CNC used for patterns ect.
Tnx.
I would advise saving up extra money and get a screw drive machine
What about necks? Travel too limited especially for bass necks.
hey just wondering if the nema 17 upgrade 2.1 amp worked?
Now that you have a cnc machine is there a possibility that you might put together some DIY kits especially with it getting harder to get quality kits from overseas lately
I’m selling neck and body kits. I probably won’t do the hardware and electronics with them. But there’s a link to the body I built in the description. Comes with a neck.
@@GunsandGuitars oh okay I didn't know that. I'll have to check it out.
Have fun!
do u have exacly link of machine for do all of guitar with neck as well?
Can you use the CNC to build and fret a neck?