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Still work to be done but here's an update on the prototype . It will give you some idea of how it opperates.

Hey Chris, very cool....do you think this could be used for making sound-ports on the sides?

Greg

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I plan on making a template with it and using the template as a router guide unless you cut the port before bending. I'll either cut the template in 1/8" plexi and bend it or 1/4" plexi and heat it up some by placing it on my heat blanket and as soon as it gets soft enough form it to the side. At least that's the plan so far. Finding a Ellipse template for a port is what side tracked me from my build in the first place. I have pencil with a 5/8" bushing that fits into the router base to draw ellipses if I want to use it as a drawing ellipsograph. There is also a removable slot guide on the bottom of the router base that just unscrews and the plunge base can be used as a stand alone base and I can attach a larger sub base to it if I need a larger foot print base.

Chris, that's another really impressive jig. With your fabrication skills you should really think about building your own CNC machine.

Bob

Chris,
That is a very smooth operating jig. I made one years ago that the x-y rode in tracks and it was a bust. It worked well until I got it to the the size of petitte bouch Selmer hole.

My impressions is that there will be interest but the cost of building that would be quite high.

Again I am impressed by you skills as a tool designer and maker. And I still wish you lived down the street.

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Ken

Then I could use it to make my jigs.
At this stage it would be faster and cheaper for me to hand draw a set of prints and farm the parts out. The first step would be to re learn how to use CAD (I use to know AutoCad 10) and then CAM. Building the machine would probably be the easy part.

Yeah, it will be somewhat pricy but what good tools aren't? The Sioux Pencil Grinder is $138 with shipping just for starters.

once again chris blows us all out of the water! don't think i'll try making this one.
i see now why you want a quieter compressor!

You picked up on that too?

Amazing Chris, great work.
How long till Stew-Mac has one for $399.95?

Chris,
That is so cool, if there were medication for TAS, I would need a double IV dose right now. The pencil grinder is cool tool also, for $140 it seems like it kicks the Foredom's butt. Any issues in dealing with the weight of the air line? Does it have the umph to rout for bindings?

As far as interest in having one of these in the shop, I think I would be more likely to purchase a template set then the tool at this point.
Great work,
Rob

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This is my first time having the Sioux and I don't thing it has the torque for bindings or just no to that question and an 1/8" bit is a bit heavy for it but can be used. I guess it depends on the depth of cut. The Foredom has more torque. A Foredom could more then likely be adapted to the jig. I was wondering about the air line too but it's pretty light and I hang it from above and as you can see it wasn't a problem at all. One reason I like to make the cut and then reverse to back pass the cut is to keep the hose from twisting up. I plan on changing the rails to aluminum to make the frame stiffer or sister some metal to the sides.
The problem that I ran into with the templates is that a set was $100 and then I would have had to cut the hole or routing template out by hand and find one that was close to what I wanted. You could make an ellipsograph for drawing ellipses to your size and shape for less then that a set of templates or get one from HAFF for $150 shipped to the US from Germany.
Someone said that since it doesn't work off a center pin that it might come in handy for some repairs too. It might be tricky to set up but I'm pretty sure you could even mill a 1/8" saddle slot with it on the guitar if needed.
John Hall would be able to answer you questions on the Micro Grinder as he Has been using them maybe he'll check in here. I purchased mine from John.

Filippo,
I didn't see your question but I think I answered it a bit.
The ability to even make templates of ellipses from very small to about 6 1/4" is a value in it's self as I see it. And the ability to do the rosettes is another biggy for lutherie IMHO. And to be able to go from a circle to an ellipse like I did in the demo make me think of posibilities of design. How about changing the cutter bits and being able to do some creative releif carving in the rosette? The more I mess with it the more I start to get ideas of how this might make doing things more exact and things possible that I couldn't do easily with other tools. Using the tool to it best will depend on a persons imagination to a certain extent. I think the heavy duty Farey Ellipsographs were used for engraving. I suspect that if you made a lazy susan type of carrage you might also be able to come up with some interesting designs for things.
Even having a nice plunge base for inlay and other things is a plus too.

This tool would be very valuable for me. I make flat topped mandolins with oval sound holes. I can usually cut the sound hole with my scroll saw and then sand to the line with a spindle sander. Cutting the rosette channel, however, is very hard and I never did find a method that worked to my satisfaction. Currently, I just cut the sound hole and bind it. This tool, however, would allow me to cut the sound hole to any dimensions that I want and to also cut the rosette channel to match. If this was on the market for under $300, I would buy it. I'm considering building my own from Chris's design.

There's still thoughts going into the design. It can be simpler in it's design but I want a precision tool that can be adjusted easier and dialed in and also tuned up . Keeping play out of the frame is a bit tricky and being able to make adjustments to it is pretty important if you want it to be pretty precise. Then you have to consider it needs to be solid and tight enough to attach a router to it. It's pretty much as good as the weakest link. I wanted the travel and I wanted a plunge router for obvious reasons. And then I wanted it to look good and be made from good material. I mean there really isn't all that much more in parts from the brass to steel in the end plus I can machine the brass with my mini mill and cut it on the table saw. The knobs came from Lowes as they are drawer pulls. I think the brass one was $2.50 and the other was a $1.00 both on sale. Although you have to tap them to 1/4". The other parts I mostly got from Lowes too and I could cut that in half by getting them from McMaster- Carr. Although labor is the biggy and having the tools to make it and figuring out how to make it and the design takes some time. I want it to be a tool that if someone buys it they will know they are getting their moneys worth. I think people won't mind paying for a quality tool. If so then LieNielsen and Fien and others wouldn't be around today. Heck a Bishop Cochran base is going for $169-$249 and there's less to it then in the jig and when I add aluminum rails to it probably twice as much aluminum.

Really cool Chris! Keep us updated!