Problem trying to make a guitar template

Hi all. Day 1 user here :slight_smile: (LINK TO MY PROJECT)

Im trying to follow a TUTORIAL on Youtube By Jbird Guitars on how to design a guitar in Easel using a free plan found on the internet.

Took me a while to trim the file down as it contained back, front, neck and other unneeded parts.

Now I am at the stage of deleting the unneeded lines from the plan and this is where I am stuck ! The lines seem to be connected to each other in seemingly random points and I cannot individually select/deselect unwanted lines ! At first I thought it was because I was using a laptop with a track pad, and the software wasnt recognizing me clicking and dragging at the same time, but I now have a mouse and I still cannot get any further.

In this image, I am trying to delete the remains of the pick guard, but part of the pickup outline is somehow selected as well. This happens with any part of the design I am trying to delete .
selectedrandomly

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated !

Cheers.

Try using this DXF. from this German Site. Ed hawley did the drawing and the pickguard is separate from the body.

Stencils and drawings - GitarreBassBau.de

53BODYMASTERNSNOFLAT1. .DXF
(58.42 KiB) Downloaded 13186 times

There is also this thread.

Could someone help me, please find a telecaster body file? - Projects / Luthier - Inventables Community Forum

To import a DXF file, choose the tool with the arrow within a Square.

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Thanks Martin.

So I found a file for a telemaster and imported it into inkscape, added an outline for the bottom of the neck pocket. Is there a way to seperate the neck pocket and the control route from the rest of the guitar outline in easel, or do I need to do this in inkscape as well?

Again, thanks for your reply.

Either the shape exploder app (click the Lego icon on the left).
Or seperate in inkscape. I think that neck pocket might need to be seperatd in inkscape…

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I think you will have to copy the neck pocket portions that are shared in order to have complete cutting paths. I’m not a Easel user, but that’s what I do in the 3d software I use. If you can explode and then join the line segments in either program, that’s what I suggest. I’ve even gone as far as extending the lines of the neck pocket sides so that a longer cavity is routed out and then the perimeter of the body is cut in multiple steps.

You will also have to clean out the cavities down to 1.5" deep, so that will probably be a different bit size. A 1" long straight bit plus 1/4" shank should do it. Check out a Whiteside.

1026 - Whiteside Machine Company (whitesiderouterbits.com)

Maybe this will help in some way:

Using an X-Carve CNC router to make an electric guitar. | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)

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Getting there… Thanks for the tips guys. I will probably hand this over to a company that uses industrial type routers, so depth shouldnt be an issue. But, a mdf template will be created first.

LINK TO PROJECT

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Hey Matt, the video tutorial is my video… Jbird Customs is me. So the file you have in the first post majorly is a pain to edit and get things worked down in to a good usable file. your last post looks like you made some really good progress! The only thing I see in the last post is the neck pocket… if you plan to use a fender style neck the bottom is a little to rounded and its a bit to wide… I think you had commented on the youtube video and I dont think I understood what was happening but seeing this post I know see what you are talking about! if you would like feel free to email me and I can help you more if youd like. I also have the telemaster file already done and you can do an instant download for the svg or dxf on my etsy shop and load it right into easel! jbirdcustomsguitars.etsy.com

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