Scarf Joint Mistake - Need Advices

[MescaBug]

Like the title says.. Well, I think I made a mistake. Maybe not? That's why I need some advices. That's my first neck. I'm not ashamed at all to make mistakes. Next time, I'll know exactly what to do!

My first mistake was to thickness the neck before doing the scarf joint. That doesn't leave a lot of glueing surface. But maybe it's allright, I don't know. The scarf joint usually goes up to the 2nd, 3rd fret (pictures). I should have leave a good 1" of wood... But you can see on the last pictures, that this guy didn't had a big glue joint at all.

Is it ok to glue it like that? Or should I make a new headstock from a thicker piece of wood? That would give me more surface to make the joint.

A good glue joint should hold up pretty good. Take for example, an acoustic guitar. There is a lot of pressure on the bridge, and it's a very small glue joint. I will also use a Floyd Rose, with a locking nut. That will also remove a little of pressure on the headstock.

Let me know what you think. Hopefully, I can carry on, and not start from scratch!

Thanks a lot,

David

Edited October 24, 2007 by MescaBug

[Jon]

I don't see any issues. Do you mean the headstock is not thick enough? It definitely looks thick enough. To keep that sucker from sliding around when gluing, find a way to temporarily hold the scarf-joint together, like double stick tape. Then clamp it together and drill two holes through the the neck and headstock to where you can fit a nail tightly through the piece. It wont slide and this will save you a great deal of hassle. Then remove the tape, put the nails in the headstock / neck and glue / clamp up. This is by far the easiest way I've found to get precise scarf-joints.

[jmrentis]

How will you be gluing it up? Exactly where you have it in the picture? If you glue it that, which is how I do it, you will not get the same looking joint that you posted in those pictures. That look is done slightly differently, same idea, just glued in a different spot. The other way could be done by cutting that blank along that angled line you drew on there and gluing the headstock piece on that angle. In this method the angled area of your headstock piece, will actually become part of the fretboard surface, tough to explain really. Its easier to use a pic, but I don't have one on hand. After you shape your neck the joint line will likely be under the nut or close to.

As for the thickness, as long as you can glue a good joint, you'll be fine. Either way by the time you are done shaping you will have the same size joint holding on the headstock, whether you started from a thick blank or a thin one. So, as long as you can glue a good joint, no worries. I don't think you'll have problems with what you have, but if you glue it up as you are planning you will not have the same looking joint as in your pics. J

EDIT: The second to last pic is the same joint that you are doing, which will look more like the last pic that the first few pics.

Edited October 24, 2007 by jmrentis

[MescaBug]

Thanks for the quick and very clear reply. That's awesome. I don't care how it looks. I wanted to be sure the joint will be strong enough. It will be painted anyway.

Edited October 24, 2007 by MescaBug

[MiKro]

The joint looks fine. Move forward I think you will be pleasantly suprised. My only concerns are that the main neck is thinned By shaping at the joint, but most glue joints don't fail, the wood does. NO GUARANTEES!!!!! but it looks like it is a clean joint and if glued well shoud not be a problem.

MK

Edited October 24, 2007 by MiKro