Scarf Joint Help

[mikevirok]

Is there a tutorial on scarf joints in constructing a guitar neck? Or can anyone lead me the right way to successfully making a guitar neck with a scarf jointed headstock?

[Mattia]

http://www.setchellguitars.co.uk/ant/blog/?p=121

Might help if you clarified what difficulties you were having, if any.

[mikevirok]

I thought that the scarfed joint wasn't isolated to the headstock, but the joint itself rested somewhere underneath the nut...

That's what I had assumed a scarf joint (like an Ibanez neck) looked like. My question pertains to how to cut that 13-degree slice accurately without needing to over-sand and inadvertently make a shorter headstock or neck....

[jmrentis]

A number of the people here just do it by hand and then plane it flat and glue it up. This is actually what I did on my recent neck and it worked fine, though I admit I didn't like the saw I used.

Here is a link to a Scarf Thread that Perry made on how he does it which is pretty cool, but if your lacking certain tools you will have to do it another way. In his thread he links to a few other thread that scarfs are discussed.

Here is another page with a cool jig for a table saw Kathy's scarf jig. This is a good idea and will give you what you want I believe. It also inspired some ideas for other jigs that have been discussed. Basically, I just used a tool to draw the correct angle on the beck blank and cut. Then clamped the two pieces so the faces lined up and planed the faces. Then used some masking as per setchs idea and glued up, worked like a charm. Though I did a slightly different scarf than you. Basically, instead of the little piece being glued on top of the angle, you glue it to the back of the neck so the faces are lined up. I am putting on headstock caps though to hide the joints.

Another easier way to do it, would be if you had a sliding miter saw. I thought I would be able to get away with a regular one, but it wouldn't angle enough. With a sliding one you could do it though and it would probably be much easier than most ways, aside from perrys.

Hope those links help you out a little. If you search scarf joints you should find a few threads including some recent ones where we dicussed the scarfs. Honestly, I liked perrys way, I still need to buy my planer though. J

Edited August 4, 2007 by jmrentis

[Rick500]

You can do it either the way you show in your pic, or this way:

[jmrentis]

Thank you Rick, I was going to mock up a pic soon and edit my post because I couldn't describe that other way well. Anyhow, how Rick posted is how I did mine and both top and back of the headstock will have caps so these joints will be covered. The cap on the back will go up one side of the volute, which I think looks cool so it is all hidden. The other way that you listed mike is cool too, I really like that look of the cool curve of the scarf in the neck. Either way really, I like both. J

[mikevirok]

Thanks guys;

I'm probably going to experiment with all of the above options in the coming months...

[lowrider]

You can do it either the way you show in your pic, or this way:

I just made one this way. I made a jig and cut alot of pine with it before I felt comfortable enough to cut the mahogany. It wasnt very easy to do with a small Delta table saw I can tell you that.

One book I have explained both ways also. They had a concern about the way that puts the joint under the fretboard, saying it could cause a high spot on the fretboard.

[Jon]

One book I have explained both ways also. They had a concern about the way that puts the joint under the fretboard, saying it could cause a high spot on the fretboard.

That's silly. If maybe your angles aren't precise, but that would cause funky problems regardless. All it takes is two good measurements and you're set. I use a router jig to route the headstock and the neck, clean them up with a higher grit sandpaper and do a dry fit to see if everything matches up right.

Here's the one I'm going to complete on Saturday/Sunday to finish up a few more necks I'm working on for friends!

[Setch]

I think they mean it could cause a highspot down the line if it creeps - it is a joint under considerable strain.

[black_labb]

i did mine by cutting it very inacurately (had plenty of extra length on my piece, so that wasnt too much of an issue. then i put 2 pieces of malamine, flat side down on a flat surface. then i put the roughly sawn piece between them and angled it aproximately the right angle. i clamped it there loosely and then checked that all the sides were paralell (as my cut was nowhere near paralell. once that was done, i adjusted the board to be the right angle using trigenometry and then put a few more clamps on to hold it firmly in place. then i used these pieces of malamine as rails to run the router upon. that gave me the right angle and a flat surface.

i did the same with the other piece then glued them up.

i dont have a plane or many tools, i make jigs for the router instead. im not a big woodworker, i see myself more as a designer, that and the fact that i am a somewhat poor uni student means that i try to make the most of the tools i have, and the router is an extremely versatile tool. at some stage ill start a topic on the jigs and things ive made. i blame them for how long this build has taken, but the next builds will take alot less time, as ill already have these things made.

[oz tradie]

Here's how I do scarf joints.

I made a jig for a 10 degree angle which mounts up to my 12" droppy.

They come out clean and fit extremely snug first time round.

cheers, Stu

[Mattia]

What Setch said. I've done them both ways, but these days I do them the with the headstock glued on underneath. It's also nice and easy to hide by backstrapping (veneer on the back).

[Hector]

What Setch said. I've done them both ways, but these days I do them the with the headstock glued on underneath. It's also nice and easy to hide by backstrapping (veneer on the back).

that's how I do it too. scarf on the headstock, hidden by the headplate on the front and some veneer on the back. I sometimes glue the ears at an angle to hide the scarf when viewed by the sides.

i'm gonna do a drawing to post here soon.

[Hector]

and this is how it looks headstock back

I hope this helps you mike.

Edited August 4, 2007 by Hector

[mikevirok]

and this is how it looks headstock back

I hope this helps you mike.

Hector - THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!! That was exactly what I wanted to see!!! Awesome; I owe you a bunch!!!

[thegarehanman]

With many woods, you don't even need to hide the joint with ears as hector shows. I've got a few cocobolo neck blanks in my shop that I scarfed recently and from the side, the joint is [nearly] impossible to find.

[mikevirok]

Well, I do plan on using front veneers on the headstock of my custom builds though. The ears are not really of concern to me. The scarf joint residing on the headstock seems a bit easier to accomplish than the way I had illustrated in the beginning of this thread.

[MP63]

I did it the way Lowrider shows it.

Once the neck wood was dead-flat straight, I cut the angle with a cross cut saw, by hand.

I used scrapers to get as close to perfect to the angle.

I then sanded the headstock piece by dragging it against a sheet of sandpaper, keeping the hand very steady.

The neck needed no sanding as it was smoothed already, as the glueing is on the non-cut side.

That was if for me.

The hardest part was gluing it up.

I had to clamp the neck and headstock on its side and use stops to keep the pieces from drifting away from each other while clamping.

Keep the pieces at 90 degrees from the table while clamped. Important.

I used cauls and lots of clamps.

The joint was perfect.

I hope it helps brother.

Mike

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/MP63/Picture046.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/MP63/Picture044.jpg

[Hector]

and this is how it looks headstock back

I hope this helps you mike.

Hector - THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!! That was exactly what I wanted to see!!! Awesome; I owe you a bunch!!!

hey mike! you're welcome. glad I could help you.

btw, the guitar you built is awesome. nice work!

[jaycee]

You could router the angle using a jig like This

Glue it up using Setch's method and voila a good scarf joint, and when you put a 2mm veneer on top of that very strong

[thegarehanman]

+1.

I rough cut the angle on a band saw, then clean up the surfaces with a router jig and scraper. Takes maybe 5 minutes and yields a perfect joint; it takes less time [per neck] if you're doing multiple necks.

peace,

russ