Neck Taper

[Hughes]

hey, im working on my guitar neck, and i used a taper on the table saw to cut the neck from wide to slim. but i have a book and it says to do it with a band saw , and i am wondering how to make a nice, non bumpy cut on the bandsaw? thanks

is it just practice?

Edited May 31, 2005 by Hughes

[GregP]

You can use a guide on the bandsaw, too... but I dunno, dude. If you have the right jig, I would think a table saw would be more reliable. If it worked for you, why dick with the formula? My next neck, I'm getting one of those $30 Lee Valley angle-cutting jigs for table-saws. And that'll be that.

Greg

[Guitarfrenzy]

hey, im working on my guitar neck, and i used a taper on the table saw to cut the neck from wide to slim. but i have a book and it says to do it with a band saw , and i am wondering how to make a nice, non bumpy cut on the bandsaw? thanks

is it just practice?

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The best way I've found is using templates that you have either bought or custom made. You can find some very accurate laser cut templates at www.guitarbuildingtemplates.com if your building a popular guitar model. If your building a custom guitar, then you'll need to draw it out and have it perfect before you begin. It's a lot easier getting a 1/4" template perfectly sanded, than a 1" maple neck wood.. so be smart about the way you work, and work will be easier for you.

When you have your template ready you will place it down on the neck wood, and trace it out, or in my case I just double-stick tape it to the wood and use the bandsaw to cut as close as I can without running into the template. Be careful and don't try to get too close though or you might ruin your template.. YIKES

Next you can either use a table top router with the correct pattern bit, or use a drill press with Robo-Sander attached. If I have a lot of time I'll just use the Robo-Sander because I don't have any tearout this way. If I'm in a hurry, and I have cut extra close to the template, then I'm not scared to use a router to finish it up, just keep it moving steady and don't try to take too much off at one time or it will leave burn marks on your wood. One thing I never use a router on is the headstock part, I always use a Robo-Sanders on it because this is the easiest for tearout on wood.

After Bandsawing

Headstock Using the Robo-Sander

Good luck with your project and remember to protect those fingers...

MaTT V

[Hughes]

ok thanks, i just decided to use a taper, little thick at the top, but ill fix that (the reason i am making a new neck is becasue i glued the headstock before and i was testing to see how strong it was and it snaped)