GREGMW Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 When I cut the neck pocket on the body it was a nice snug fit.About 10 days later I find that its not as snug as it was and I can move the neck a little side to side. I can fit a piece of paper down beside the neck and the body and that makes it a good fit. I am going to screw the neck to the body but I was wondering if I should make a wooden packer or shim and glue it into the neck pocket before I screw the neck in. I dont know what has caused this but I presume it might be the weather. TIA Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 Chances are your wood wasn't as dry as it could have been when you routed it and it shrunk a little. This is pretty common and depending on whether or not you use a hard finish or a thin finsh like Tru-Oil or tung oil you may be able to put a thin wood shim but from your description unless the wood shrinks more I wouldn't worry too much with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 What I did to one of mine, was to paste wax the neck, bolt it in, then I made a "wood filler" mixture of alder dust and epoxy, packed it all around into the gaps, then after it was dry, I unscrewed the neck, pulled a little, and it popped out of the pocket. Then I sanded the excess epoxy flush with the top of the body (the reason I did it to this particular guitar, was that there was no finish on the body). I also installed threaded inserts into the neck, and use machine screws to clamp it to the body, so needless to say, this thing has better vibration transfer between the neck and body than probably any other guitar I've played, including "set neck" and " neck through body" guitars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 I've used a similar technique with epoxy... but you have to put an adequate coat of wax on the surface that you do not want glue/epoxy to stick to. In this case, it would be the neck. (You can also use a commercial "release agent" that peels off afterwards.) I usually smear a liberal amount of epoxy (with dye to match the wood) then slowly insert the piece that is being fitted. This will squeeze out any excess, and provide a tight fit. Depending on the angles and facets, it may take a bit of force to pop the neck loose so you can do the final filing and sanding... but don't whack it too hard. Of course, if the sides of the base of the neck taper towards the fret board, you may never get the neck back out, so examine everything carefully before you try this. If I have other parts that I don't want the epoxy to stick to, I cover them with electrical tape and/or wax paper. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 soapbar strat, I've been wanting to do the theaded insert thing for a while now. Where do you get the inserts from? What size? What size machine screws? Any advice for installing the inserts? (sorry for the blatant thread hijack) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 soapbar strat, I've been wanting to do the theaded insert thing for a while now. Where do you get the inserts from? What size? What size machine screws? Any advice for installing the inserts? (sorry for the blatant thread hijack) I was wondering about those too, and found some here: http://www.leevalley.com And here are countersink washers: http://www.leevalley.com I'm not 100% sure the screws are compatable with the washers, if I decide to use them, I will go check them out at the store to be sure. I'm sure there are other places that have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 I was hoping to find the steel inserts. I can get the brass ones at my local Menards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREGMW Posted September 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 Thanks for your replies. I dont believe it but I tried it again today and it seems tight again It might be the weather??? OR I am going nuts! Regards Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 I dont believe it but I tried it again today and it seems tight again It might be the weather??? OR I am going nuts! Humidity can have a massive affect on un-finished wood. That's why I always cover every surface of my woodworking projects with some type of finish; if you block out the moisture, the wood is less unstable. Of course, I'm one of those wood-freaks who refuses to cover up beautiful wood with paint. Instead, I use Tung Oil, which does a better job of penetrating the wood fibers, thus creating an excellent shield against moisture. However, I'm new to building guitars, so I'm not sure if everything I've learned applies here. I keep seeing a lot of pictures of guitar bodies that don't have any sealant in the neck pocket, so I'm wondering if 1) that is done because of resonsonance, or 2) if it's simply left undone because the builder thinks "Nobody will see that, so there's no reason to put finish there." If somebody could answer that question, I would appreciate it. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 Instead, I use Tung Oil, which does a better job of penetrating the wood fibers, thus creating an excellent shield against moisture. I've always heard from people how tung oil does nothing to protect the wood, though tung oil is what I use on all of my instruments. Of course, I'm one of those wood-freaks who refuses to cover up beautiful wood with paint. Me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 I've always heard from people how tung oil does nothing to protect the wood, I think it has to do with how you apply it... and what they mean by "protect the wood." For instance, a small anvil slipped out of my hand and landed on one of my nearly-complete gun stocks (a beautiful Bastone Walnut) and the Tung Oil didn't protect the wood from the anvil. But I digress. Is there a reason to NOT put finish in a neck pocket? D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 Is there a reason to NOT put finish in a neck pocket? There's a reason to not put something like lacquer or poly, it could mess up the fit I guess, and also most manufactures hang the body for spraying by the neck pocket, so it's mostly covered. I always apply oil in all the cavities when I finish my instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 I've read that some folks believe that to have maximum transference of vibration between the neck and the body, then the neck pocket of a bolt neck has to be completely clean from any kind of finish. Tung Oil probably wouldn't count here. For a little perspective on Tung Oil, remember it was used in china to waterproof boats. It is a fine protective coat, it's just not a thick, plastic coat like poly would be. I personally think Tung Oil is better for tone than poly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 I've read that some folks believe that to have maximum transference of vibration between the neck and the body, then the neck pocket of a bolt neck has to be completely clean from any kind of finish. Tung Oil probably wouldn't count here. I've heard of that too, but then the butt of the neck that goes into the bare wood joint has finish on it 99% of the time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREGMW Posted September 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 I was going to use a Tung oil on it anyway , Should I put a coat on the body before I finish it (as it may take a bit of time) just to seal it . I would never consider painting this timber. Thanks Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.