Xanthus Posted February 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 It's a horrible feeling, knowing that something might just be too small. Is the neck to small for the neck pocket? If so, you could add a veneer to the inside of the pocket, it might work. It's the sides of the neck itself; I haven't cut the neck pocket yet. Actually, I don't even have the body wood :-P I was thinking of getting some 1/16" maple veneer and gluing it to the sides. It would be really great to have my V back home to reference/compare with, because that's the neck I'm trying to copy. I only have the Explorer, and while that has a good neck, it's not perfect for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 If it's a set neck.... ...and you don't even have the wood for the body yet, much less the neck pocket routed... I don't get it. Why are you spazing out about it being too small and not fitting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wood is good Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 If it's a set neck.... ...and you don't even have the wood for the body yet, much less the neck pocket routed... I don't get it. Why are you spazing out about it being too small and not fitting? Its not about not fitting, I think its about it being a thinner neck than he wants, like the nut and heel width. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted February 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Spot on, thanks for the clarification WiG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metz guitar paint Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Update! Spent all day down the basement, as well as the past couple days. Here's what I've done: -chopped off headstock -cut a new scarf joint -glued on a piece of walnut for the headstock, a la scarf option #2 -sanded the walnut down to match the fretboard surface. -made aneck taper template with 42mm-53mm taper -used the template attached to the neck blank to run against the router bit -shaved down the neck/tenon with the router -cut off the bulk of the headstock shape. I've decided on a traditional 6il Ibanez-styled headstock, like my other two The walnut looks pretty snazzy as part of the neck, as well as the headstock. The walnut piece continues for about 3" under the fretboard/nut. I hope the walnut will help to tame some of the highs on those first few frets when I play open chords The taper goes the whole length of the tenon, which is about 3" longer than the fretboard. By having an angled tenon, I'm hoping to add some strength to the join as well as make it easier to pass the Perry-approved neck joint test I like the Ibanez 6 inline headstock myself,and also luv a bevelled RG! I'm devising a plan to use the template/jig for cutting the neck taper template, and work it into a jig that would cut my truss rod channel on the router table. I think I've almost got it figured out... Next on the list is get out the spindle sander and take down the headstock to thickness, then cut and sand it to shape. Or maybe just cut it to rough dimensions, in case it gets a bump along the creative process way. I took pics, but don't have the adaptor to get them off my cell phone. Will rectify next week when I get back to the dorm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted June 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Back from the dead! Er, graduated in the midst of a terrible job market = more time spent down the basement working on the next mad creation! Big progress. Retrograde progress, actually. But I actually spent time thinking out my steps and actually taking advantage of the methods of the great builders around here. Scrapped the maple/walnut neck entirely. If you caught the other thread, it was my neck being too narrow, string-spacing-wise, and not wanting to chance a build that might turn around and suck on me. Picked up a hunkin' block of bubinga, 1/8" maple stringers, and made myself a 5-piece neck. THAT WEIGHS A TON. AND SANDS LIKE F@#%$^G DIAMOND. Well, that's where it's at now. Made a 5-piece BMBMB neck, cut the angle for the headstock, and spent SO much time sanding out a little divot made by the robosander it's not even funny. Don't laugh. Made the neck blank thick enough to cut the whole headstock without need to scarf it. I don't know what happened, but it just clicked one day. Why not do as much work as you can on the neck while it's still square? DUR. So I'm going to do the truss rod maybe tonight maybe tomorrow. The taper template I made will work if I either use the robosander or throw a few pieces of tape on the sides to bulk up the edge just a hair. Anyone ever used a toothpick as a dowel to keep the fretboard from moving when you glue it? I'm thinking about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted June 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 (edited) Back from the dead! Er, graduated in the midst of a terrible job market = more time spent down the basement working on the next mad creation! Big progress. Retrograde progress, actually. But I actually spent time thinking out my steps and actually taking advantage of the methods of the great builders around here. Scrapped the maple/walnut neck entirely. If you caught the other thread, it was my neck being too narrow, string-spacing-wise, and not wanting to chance a build that might turn around and suck on me. Picked up a hunkin' block of bubinga, 1/8" maple stringers, and made myself a 5-piece neck. THAT WEIGHS A TON. AND SANDS LIKE F@#%$^G DIAMOND. Well, that's where it's at now. Made a 5-piece BMBMB neck, cut the angle for the headstock, and spent SO much time sanding out a little divot made by the robosander it's not even funny. Don't laugh. Made the neck blank thick enough to cut the whole headstock without need to scarf it. I don't know what happened, but it just clicked one day. Why not do as much work as you can on the neck while it's still square? DUR. So I'm going to do the truss rod maybe tonight maybe tomorrow. The taper template I made will work if I either use the robosander or throw a few pieces of tape on the sides to bulk up the edge just a hair. Anyone ever used a toothpick as a dowel to keep the fretboard from moving when you glue it? I'm thinking about it. Pictures soon, when I get motivated. Edited June 2, 2009 by Xanthus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Picked up a hunkin' block of bubinga, 1/8" maple stringers, and made myself a 5-piece neck. THAT WEIGHS A TON. AND SANDS LIKE F@#%$^G DIAMOND. Anyone ever used a toothpick as a dowel to keep the fretboard from moving when you glue it? I'm thinking about it. So tell us how you REALLY feel about the bubinga. I've heard of the toothpick thing, or at least something similar. I'm clearly no expert - I've only made ONE neck - but this worked out great for me with zero movement. I routed the taper on both the neck & fretboard, then glued them. I used three clamps on the sides as guide rails which kept the f/b from sliding from side to side. One firm-but-not-tight clamp at one end stopping it from sliding around while I was doing the 'guide rail' clamps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 The bubinga sounded like a great idea! I like a stiff neck and softer body. Bubinga has a reputation for being a boutique wood, it doesn't need a finish, and it's a great red-brown color But it's a honkin' piece, as far as weight goes. It's 2-3/4" wide and 1-1/2" thick.... I'm hoping it lightens up significantly when I get to carving. Your method sounds good, but I would worry getting the wood stuck to the clamps on the side I think it's Brian's tut on the main page that shows him using zip ties (which I have a ton of), but he also had a carved-out neck too, not the block that I have. I used dowels when gluing up my neck and it worked like a dream. Tried the staple method with build 2 and it was terrible, had to reglue the fretboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 If you're worried about the side rails getting stuck on the squeeze-out, use a piece of wax paper in between. You might be able to take one off, clean up the area, then put it back and do the next one. Actually, once all the 'real' clamps are in place, you MIGHT not need the side clamps any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 That is actually an excellent point, John. I would feel much safer leaving the side clamps on and taking them off after an hour or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Anyone ever used a toothpick as a dowel to keep the fretboard from moving when you glue it? I'm thinking about it. Steal your mothers straight pins and use them. Locate your fretboard. Drill holes with a really small drill bit though the 1st and 12th fret slots into the neck. Use the straight pins stuck through the holes to locate the board while gluing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 I don't think I have a drill bit that small But I have heard of that method. I just don't think I have the tools! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 I use thumb tacks to line up my fingerboards. Just push it hard into the neck, give it a little tap with a hammer if needed (be careful--- they're easy to bend), then cut the head off at an angle with a pair of flush cutters. Then I just line up the fingerboard and push it down hard to fix it in place. After that, it's glue-up as usual. I usually use one thumb tack between the 1st and 2nd frets and another one towards the end of the fretboard on opposite sides of the fretboard. Haven't had one slip yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wood is good Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 How about just glue the oversized untapered fretboard to the already tapered neck? Then just trim with a flush cut bit. Eliminates all that hassle in the first place. I never understood why people liked to complicate things and make it hard to where you have to line things up like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted June 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 The issue is not having it slide during clamping. Like John said, it's easier to glue two tapered pieces and have them snug than one tapered and one square, especially when one is radiused. I already have the template made, so it's not a huge deal to run both pieces through the router beforehand. I might try the zip tie method actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Buttman Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I always use toothpicks during clamping, it's very simple. But there are a lot of methods, for example like John said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 Anyone try these yet? Fingerboard_Band_Clamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 Anyone try these yet? Fingerboard_Band_Clamp I use them with pins as they dont help with the sliding all that much. Also use clamps as well in between. They may help with back-bow if you introduce it into your neck with your clamping, just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wood is good Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 The issue is not having it slide during clamping. Like John said, it's easier to glue two tapered pieces and have them snug than one tapered and one square, especially when one is radiused. I already have the template made, so it's not a huge deal to run both pieces through the router beforehand. I might try the zip tie method actually. I must say i COMPLETELY disagree. How is it easier to make 2 pieces line up PERFECTLY and NOT SLIDE at the same time, than to have one square board? There is a ton of room on a non tapered board over an already tapered neck. If you want ot prevent slippage, just put a clamp on both ends so the fretboard has no where to go. ( No clamping it down, On the wood around it, to act like as stopper) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I now run both pieces through the router seperately using my template first then Glue as Xanthus says. My template extends past the end of the fingerboard as it is a set neck tenon. Routing the two together after gluing would leave a huge gap under the template at the heel end after the fingerboard ends. I dont want to play with shims to keep the template stable while I rout. Also if I screw up I only ruin one piece. Sloted but not radiused board, I add the inlay before I glue or glue then radius. If you already have a fingerboard / neck template here is how you make it so you can use pins. Now the pins can be anything solid. I would try a small rod of brass or aluminum 1/8" would be a good start as you can nip off a piece easy and its not flimsy. Even some 12 gage copper wire will work. First I make some drill guides. A steel round with the size of the pin drilled through the middle. It does not matter if the hole is off center just straight through the insert (straight being the optimal word). I use a 1/2" MDF template so my insert is 1/2" long. Put the inserts in the template in opposite corners, figure to stay away from the edge and any fret slots when you place them. One side is designated as the fingerboard on your template and one side as the neck (does not matter which). When you flip the template over it aligns the pins to the opposite piece. I usually drill the holes for the pins when the template is set up to rout, the fingerboard taper and the neck. Just remember to flip the template so the pins are not on opposite sides. This one happens to be 1/16" pin (I had a left over box of them) and I wish it was bigger. Martin uses a short 1/4" roll pin, its huge. The whole process takes only a few minutes to make and is well worth it if you use templates and hate chasing your fingerboard around when you glue. Also Lee valley sells drill guides about $10 to convert your template using a pre drilled guide (removable) and insert. Just drill a hole and hammer in the insert, several minutes of work. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=...180,42311,42321 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 (edited) I must say i COMPLETELY disagree. How is it easier to make 2 pieces line up PERFECTLY and NOT SLIDE at the same time, than to have one square board? There is a ton of room on a non tapered board over an already tapered neck. Yeah, but if you slot your board before gluing then you still don't want it moving around because the fret slots won't be square to the centerline of the neck. It's not that hard to line up the fingerboard while gluing, and I find the ability to slot before gluing more than offsets the work. I don't taper my boards until after gluing, but good alignment is still key. Edited June 4, 2009 by fookgub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Buttman Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I always slot and taper fingerboard before gluing. And then i clamp it to untapered neck blank. After this i can use tapered fingerboard as tempate to cut the neck blank to shape using pin router or table router. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted June 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Right-o, back with them pictures I promised! The work so far: bubinga set-neck with flamed maple stringers, rosewood fretboard 25.5", and the test body headstock with great grain from cutting across the bubinga blank. Traditionally this would be concern because of runout, but the sheer strength of the bubinga and the fact that it's a 5pc quartersawn blank make me laugh. I WANT to keep the great looking grain on the headstock, but I'll need to add just a bit of wings (under .5" each side). Not sure how to get the grain to match up well enough to not use a headstock veneer. Watched the Perry multiscale video endless times. I have the wedges that I cut from the headstock, so I'm looking for matching pieces there. Also, I've been toying with the idea of a reverse headstock. Thoughts? I've never played one. It's a little more radical than usual, just didn't know the general consensus. 3/4 shot with the fretboard held on. used a 1/16" bit in the first and last fret to attach it to the board when I glue it up tonight. Worked like a DREAM! one and two, mockups with the test body. Here's where I've been mulling things over, and would really like the opinion of the Academy. I generally get my wood from HERE. It's right down the street, lots of choices. Being inspired by Drak's recent work, I was toying with the idea of doing a topped RG. I just don't know what woods to use. I wanted to use a nice chunky, warm wood like mahog - which is still the go-to plan - but wanted to change it up a bit. I was thinking about getting black limba, if only because it's more interesting to look at than mahogany and would look great, presumably, with the 1/2" bevel, but this place only has it in 3/4". Then I was thinking about doing a black limba top with mahog back. Would this be moot, seeing as the two woods are very similar? I know some people, like Myka, like limba far more than mahog. I could go back to the place I got the neck blank for and get more bubinga, but I feel it would make the tone too sharp. Lacewood might be nice - would have to look at what pieces they have. A bit more expensive than I'd like to spend though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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