Neck Tools

[baze7]

Ok, I have the basic tools, Jig Saw, Tablesaw Router. I am now ready to build my first neck. What tools could I buy to help me with this??

Thanks

[Supernova9]

Ok, I have the basic tools, Jig Saw, Tablesaw Router. I am now ready to build my first neck. What tools could I buy to help me with this??

Thanks

You don't need any more than that.

[Mattia]

My 'neck making toolkit' looks something like this:

Fingerboard shaping:

Router: jig to cut basic radius

Radius sanding block: clean up/fine-tune radius

StewMac mitre box/template/Japanese handsaw: slot fingerboard

Fretting: look that up elsewhere, or this gets silly

Shaping the neck:

Router: truss rod, CF rod channels, template routing outline

Half-round rasp: neck shaping

Japanese hacksaw rasp: neck shaping

Microplane rasp: flat rasp, fast bulk removal

Drum sander: certain contours, headstock transition on a strat-style headstock

scrapers, various shapes: fine-tuning neck carve/transitional areas

Sanding blocks: long, flat blocks, get rid of lengthwise lumps

sandpaper: thick backed, for 'shoeshining' the neck to even out the carve

Straightedge/Light/hands: use a straightedge, light/shadows and your fingers to feel when it's done

Some people like spokeshaves, I'm not wild about them. Maybe because mine are lousy, but a rasp is just as fast, and I like to mix it up a little as to which rasp I use.

[thegarehanman]

I like to use a half round rasp to carve the headstock and heel areas, then connect the two with a spokeshave.

[jammy]

I like to use a half round rasp to carve the headstock and heel areas, then connect the two with a spokeshave.

Ditto, apart from I do the rough carving on a bobbin sander, then a little sanding in the "shoeshining" fashion

[Ledzendrix1128]

sweet, i did the same thing with mine, lets start a club

[ninoman123]

Wasnt there a company that made necks using a lathe? They would put two necks face to face and then sand them down that say? Seems like the neck would be very boat shaped but perhaps not. That would be cool to try if you needed two necks or to mass produce necks.

[guitar2005]

A hand plane and straightedge are essential in getting the neck blank flat and true. A stationary electric planer is nice also and a lot faster - but you still need to ensure that the board is flat.

If you're making the fretboard yourself, you'll also need a band saw to resaw the wood unless you want to spend time trying to find the proper piece of wood, already thicknessed to 1/4".

Radius blocks for sanding a radidus on your fretboard and levelling frets after they're installed.

The stew-mac fretting saw and miter box are really nice for cutting slots.

A small hammer or fret press to install frets.

Small pliers to cut the fret wire.

A metal file to file down the fret ends (if its a bound neck, its a different story - you'll need to cut the tang on the frets).

A drill press to cut the tuner holes and drill bolt holes for attaching to the body.

A coping saw or scroll saw to cut the peg head design.

Clamps to glue stuff together.

Rasps and wood files and maybe a spokeshape to contour the back of the neck.

If you plan on doing inlays, you may need more tools.

Edited February 4, 2006 by guitar2005

[Jehle]

I've been able to make a neck with just the following.

An electric drill with drill bits and a drum sander.

A Swiss army knife.

A rasp.

Sand paper.

Frets installed with...

A hammer.

Wire cutters.

A bastard file.

A coping saw.

Aside from the drill, those are all hand tools. I could even use a hand drill if I needed to. I seem to be using power tools less and less. I think I just know where they do the most good. The really fine touches have to be done by hand in my opinion.