madhattr88 Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 hey everyone...want to get everyones opinion on this. For my last build i took an acoustic style neck and added some pieces to make an electric...(longer, different head style,etc) the problem was converting the existing rod slot to the longer HOT ROD two way slot. last time i just did a lot of scraping and chiseling...however, i now have the routing bit from Stew-Mac that matches the HOT-ROD. i've been trying to make a jig to use with my router to help me "convert" the rod slot, but as u can see from the pic i don't have a straight edge to work with. the starting neck has the taper already on it. any ideas......FREE HAND??? thanks for everything guys! this forum rocks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 hey everyone...want to get everyones opinion on this. For my last build i took an acoustic style neck and added some pieces to make an electric...(longer, different head style,etc) the problem was converting the existing rod slot to the longer HOT ROD two way slot. last time i just did a lot of scraping and chiseling...however, i now have the routing bit from Stew-Mac that matches the HOT-ROD. i've been trying to make a jig to use with my router to help me "convert" the rod slot, but as u can see from the pic i don't have a straight edge to work with. the starting neck has the taper already on it. any ideas......FREE HAND??? thanks for everything guys! this forum rocks! I taper the neck, then route the slot and I have a jig for that. Its pretty simple but I don't have a picture of it right now. I basically clamp down the neck under the jig's base while centering the neck along the jig's truss rod slot opening. The router is guided with rails on the top of the jig and a route away. Does that help? Let me know and I'll take a pic iif the description isn't enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madhattr88 Posted December 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 if its not too much trouble, i would LOVE to see a pic of your fixture.... thank you so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MescaBug Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 Exactly what I do. I clamp down the neck, draw a center line, and guide the router along a straight edge that's also clamped tight so it cannot move. The only thing that matter is that you go straight and centered with the router. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 i would recommend making a neck from scratch - sounds like you are doing more work than would be needed for a new neck anyway. then you can just use an edge guide against the side face of the square neck blank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madhattr88 Posted December 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 i would recommend making a neck from scratch - sounds like you are doing more work than would be needed for a new neck anyway. then you can just use an edge guide against the side face of the square neck blank but i can acquire these very easily....AND...they already have the barrel shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 i clamp the neck to a table saw, and then line up the table saw fence to where the bit runs perfect along the t rod line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madhattr88 Posted December 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 i clamp the neck to a table saw, and then line up the table saw fence to where the bit runs perfect along the t rod line. not sure i'm following...??? how do u clamp it to the table saw??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 i would recommend making a neck from scratch - sounds like you are doing more work than would be needed for a new neck anyway. then you can just use an edge guide against the side face of the square neck blank +++1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 i clamp the neck to a table saw, and then line up the table saw fence to where the bit runs perfect along the t rod line. not sure i'm following...??? how do u clamp it to the table saw??? just on the actual table, with the blade lowered all the way and not explosed, then its easy to use the fence for the router to follow, and just adjust it to follow the cut line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 i would recommend making a neck from scratch - sounds like you are doing more work than would be needed for a new neck anyway. then you can just use an edge guide against the side face of the square neck blank +++1 +++2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 i would recommend making a neck from scratch - sounds like you are doing more work than would be needed for a new neck anyway. then you can just use an edge guide against the side face of the square neck blank +++1 +++2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 (edited) For my last build i took an acoustic style neck and added some pieces to make an electric...(longer, different head style,etc) I'd like to see a picture of that! endgrain don't glue well at all. so to make the pre shaped neck longer you must have gone thru a lot of trouble.a scarf joint seems to be the only way to go. is this how you glued the extra piece? to me, doing this successfully is way harder than routing a truss rod channel on a tapered neck. (and to me, it would be 10 times easier to make a new neck, than to do all this) could you please post a pic of what you've done? i'm just curious. Edited December 21, 2007 by Hector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 Frankly, I haven't used an edge guide attachment with my router since my first two necks. I simply clamp the neck in the workmate, clamp a straightedged piece of something (aluminum straightedge in my case, but a scrap of factory edge MDF will do) so it's parallel to the line I want the truss rod to be on (takes three minutes with a ruler and two clamps if I'm being slow), and route the slot. Remember: Router Go Left! Make sure your router fence is to the left of your router, relative to the direction you're moving the router, and it will stay perfectly aligned and in contact with the straight edge. If you do use a fence, make sure it's on the right-hand side of the router (relative to the direction it's moving) because - again - since the router wants to go left, that'll keep the fence pushed up against the neck blank. I'd still make a new neck blank, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Brian Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 This is the jig I use to cut truss slots. You can use it for both tapered and non-tapered necks. I have a centerline on this board and the two boards attached to the bottom block the router from moving sideways and keeps it moving in a straight line. If your neck is tapered, line the neck up on the centerline and measure equidistant from the edges of your neck to the standing boards. Your neck will be aligned on the center and simply moving the router will cut a nice slot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madhattr88 Posted December 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 (edited) For my last build i took an acoustic style neck and added some pieces to make an electric...(longer, different head style,etc) I'd like to see a picture of that! endgrain don't glue well at all. so to make the pre shaped neck longer you must have gone thru a lot of trouble.a scarf joint seems to be the only way to go. is this how you glued the extra piece? to me, doing this successfully is way harder than routing a truss rod channel on a tapered neck. (and to me, it would be 10 times easier to make a new neck, than to do all this) could you please post a pic of what you've done? i'm just curious. sorry, i don't have a pic, but i used epoxy to attach the pieces... extremely strong with no problems. now u guys have me re-thinking this whole thing. making a neck from scratch seems to be the opionion here. the only trouble i would have is cutting the headstock angle (clean). u guys just use a band saw for this? if u look at my picture again, maybe u can help me with a step-by-step method for creating my neck. the only pic have is the final product....here it is. (my first build) Edited December 21, 2007 by madhattr88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madhattr88 Posted December 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 this is a great pic! thanks! this is how i will do it. This is the jig I use to cut truss slots. You can use it for both tapered and non-tapered necks. I have a centerline on this board and the two boards attached to the bottom block the router from moving sideways and keeps it moving in a straight line. If your neck is tapered, line the neck up on the centerline and measure equidistant from the edges of your neck to the standing boards. Your neck will be aligned on the center and simply moving the router will cut a nice slot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 i did most of my headstock splices with a handsaw and plane before i had bigger tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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