Heel Block

[jaycee]

Just a quick q? before I cut .

On the heel block does does the end grain face along the length of the guitar, so by the time it has been shaped and joined to the body you wouln't see any of it.

Cheers

[erikbojerik]

Nope. You want the endgrain facing the back & soundboard.

[Mattia]

...no, you don't. Well, I don't, anyway. Endgrain facing sideways, grain basically running the same direction as the sides. Reason: wood doesn't move in lengthwise direction, and you don't really want the sides moving/shrinking while the block stays the same size, as that may cause dimpling in top and/or back, worst-case it may contribute to a 14th fret hump.

This said, different strokes for different folks, and some people laminate head and tailblocks in all sorts of interesting ways (I've been doing L-shaped blocks, one piece as described above, second shelf under the fingerboard with the grain running parallel to the fingerboard grain).

For the record, lots of folks are using good quality birch ply for the tailblock these days because of impact resistance. I'm thinking I'll go with self-laminated 'ply' tailblock, becuase birch isn't pretty enough

[fryovanni]

As Mattia said different strokes. A one piece neck would have the endgrain facing the sides. If you want to have the same layup as the rest of the neck you would orient that way. If you would prefer a slightly higher degree of stability with relation to the sides(although these are different woods generally with different shrinkage ratios, and thickness. It is hard to say if this will yeild a big advantage as there is only a slight difference in radial to tangential shrinkage rates with Mahogany( maybe 1%, other woods may have 2 to 3 times more difference), then do as Mattia suggested. If you glue(set) your necks, then look at your glueing surfaces. The orienation that provides the highest level of side grain joint would make a better glue joint(wide heels may have more side to heel surface area, a thinner carved heel rely more on sides of the tenion to get larger glueing surface-dovetail or straight). In terms of strength the piece after carving, I suspect there is little difference. Two ways of looking at what makes for better joint stability(neck to heel, or heel to sides). Personally I bolt my necks and the issue is pretty much null in my mind with regards to heel to sides. I opt for similar orientation neck to heel. Different strokes, all good .

Peace,Rich

[Mattia]

Rich, I think one (or both) of us is/are a little confused. Are we talking the heel block (ie, headblock, ie, block inside the guitar) or something else? Because the block for the heel in a stacked heel neck blank is simply the same grain orientation as the rest of the neck. What I wrote above (and what I figured erik meant with 'orient end grain to top and back') applies to headblocks/heel blocks inside the body, not the bit that's part of the neck. I don't have any glue anywhere in the neck joint itself (bolt-on for me, only other alternative would be a dovetail which is a largely mechanical joint, not a glue joint.)

[jaycee]

Maybe I haven't explained it to good.

Heel block = the shaped piece which connects to the out side of the body. which is then bolted to the

Neck block which is inside the body. If I were to make the neck and heel block out of one solid piece of timber the grain obviously would face the same way.

As I am glueing pieces together do I glue them in the same way as above or turn the block 90 degrees.

If I am reading your replies correctly any way will do

thanks for your comments

[fryovanni]

Maybe I haven't explained it to good.

Heel block = the shaped piece which connects to the out side of the body. which is then bolted to the

Neck block which is inside the body. If I were to make the neck and heel block out of one solid piece of timber the grain obviously would face the same way.

As I am glueing pieces together do I glue them in the same way as above or turn the block 90 degrees.

If I am reading your replies correctly any way will do

thanks for your comments

So looking at your original question again.

ust a quick q? before I cut .

On the heel block does does the end grain face along the length of the guitar, so by the time it has been shaped and joined to the body you wouln't see any of it.

Cheers

My builds-

I opt for similar orientation neck to heel

Mattia's-

Because the block for the heel in a stacked heel neck blank is simply the same grain orientation as the rest of the neck

Erik's-

You want the endgrain facing the back & soundboard.

All of us align the "heel" grain same as the rest of the neck.

Peace,Rich

P.S. Sorry Mattia, I have faith in what you say my friend so I generally wouldn't question your logic(not that I always agree , but I have faith ). If I did I would have probably picked up on what you were actually talking about.

[GoodWood]

For the record, lots of folks are using good quality birch ply for the tailblock these days because of impact resistance. I'm thinking I'll go with self-laminated 'ply' tailblock, becuase birch isn't pretty enough

Ive been thinking about sinking the endpin and/ or the electric hookup thing. I think Ill go with the ply also, niceley shaped and rounded. I have a spruce endblock now, and its really soft. (Ran a 1/2" mahogany center strip for strength.

[erikbojerik]

Bah...you're right Mattia. I just checked and sure enough...my end grain is facing out toward the sides on my neck & tail blocks. Brain fart.

[jaycee]

X L Ent thats sorted and every one agrees i'm happy.

thanks guys

[Hector]

grain basically running the same direction as the sides