Router messup

[Dr. Jabsco]

Yesterday, I was routing the trussrod channel on my bocote neck, and I was using my table router. Well about halfway thru the second pass the bit loosened itself and went right up thru the neck. Its about 9 inches out from the heel. I think it happened because I was using the wrong bit, so I switched up and finished up the route. I think to patch it up im going to fill it up with some wood filler untill the neck is nearly done (carved and all) then put a nice little ying-yang inlay over it.

Im just very glad that the bit didnt gradually come out and leave somthing that I would sand thru. And im also glad it didnt come all the way out and leave a hole in my forehead.

these are the kind of first build mistakes that you seriously doubt you will make.

OH WELL, atleast i get to try out my inlay skills

PS for all thoes intrested, I am going to be making a little tourtial and Ill post it up after im done with the build.

specs are, 4 string bass, 1 peice bocote neck, ebony fingerbord, claro walnut body, emg select jazz pickups, possibly a snakewood veneer on peg head (depends on how visible the glue line is after I do the sanding)

you fellas think im going about patching it up the right way? and one more question, on the installation instructions that came with the stewmac hotrod it said to use bathtub sealent on each end of the truss rod (which i have plenty of) but the part that confused me was that it said not to use glue along the whole rod, I thought I saw in wes's tourtial that he use glue along the entire route. which way is best?

[swirlslave]

you cant put glue on the trussrod or it wont work anymore, it has to be able to move to correct the neck bow..

you must be mistaken with the carbon fiber channel besides the truss rod channel on wes tutorial/thread, those are glued in the channel..

[Wademeister]

No, I don't think that would be such a good plan Doc.

Not there there would be a GOOD place to have a hole through your neck, but that sounds like a real bad location for a patch IMHO. Also wood filler has practically no structural strength and would not make a nice patch. I would consider slicing that neck down the center wide enough to remove the damage, and laminating a new piece of wood in to bring the width back out to what you need.

Even if you do patch the neck and finish up the guitar, you're likely to have trouble later from that weak spot.

[Dr. Jabsco]

Thanks swirl, i nearly ruiend my truss rod because i forgot to use common sense

I have a hard maple dowl I could epoxy in, and then do the inlay. do you see any problems there?

ps thanks for the input guys

[swirlslave]

make a skunk stripe with wenge or bubinga or any very hard wood, check litchfield tutorial on main site for an example..