Gluing a blank cross grain

[willliam_q]

I haven’t been on in a while what with new baby and all but starting a new project, just a basic 50s 60s style strat as I’m missing one in my stable.

I bought a 2 piece poplar blank, stupidly without paying enough attention to the dimensions!  It’s about an inch and a half too wide in one direction and an inch and a half too short in the other.

The strat is going to be painted solid colour (sonic blue) so would it make any difference to cut the widest part down an inch and a half and then glue it on across the end grain to make the blank longer?  It only needs to be enough to give me enough wood for the top horn.  Picture below 

 

[curtisa]

It won't be terribly strong at that point if you do glue it that way. It'd need to have enough strength to take the weight of the guitar held by a strap on the upper horn.

A scarf joint where the two pieces meet would probably do it, but you'd need to have enough excess to play with in the piece you're trying to extend it by. How abut taking the 1.5" full length offcut you're creating, dividing it into two or three equally long 1.5" pieces, laminating them together to make a longer/wider extension piece, and then using that to create the extra long piece to scarf into the endgrain for your upper horn?

[curtisa]

Something like this?

[willliam_q]

I like it!  Thanks Curtisa, never would have thought of that!  Will give it a go.

[Bizman62]

Another option would be to cut along the center seam and reglue it so the upper horn side is a bit off.  It won't show as it's not bookmatched.

 

 

[willliam_q]

Yep @Bizman62 could try that too, I’ll have a look with my template this evening and try to decide what I’ll do.

[willliam_q]

I had a look at the blank again and decided just to order another one, Carter guitars does a one piece poplar for £47 delivered.  I’ll be able to use the smaller blank for when I eventually get round to doing a telecaster - it’s on the list of many, would like one in butter scotch blond but have a few others to build and do before then.  If nothing else the wood will be well seasoned!