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Questions about building my first neck


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  • 2 weeks later...

I have prepped my first FB. Used a fret slot miter box for the first time.  I learned a lot about what I should not do again mostly, but I think it is useable.

 

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I will add some headstock wings and fill the excess I cut on my TR slot.  After that, is the next step the glue up?

 

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45 minutes ago, curtisa said:

Taper your fretboard first before gluing. You can then use the attached fretboard as a cutting/routing template for the neck so it can be flush cut to match the fretboard edges.

Any advice for tapering a thin, figured FB without tear out?

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A couple of ways:

1  Cut as close as you can to the intended edges and finish off with some kind of straightedge used as a routing template with a flush-cut bit in the router table. Note, you'll get best results if your routing direction is always 'downhill' with the grain. This will necessitate flipping the fretboard upside down, having the template underneath for one of the two edges and having two flush-cut router bits - one with a bearing above and one with a bearing below the cutters.

2. Cut as close as you can to the intended edges and carefully finish off with a belt sander or some other long, flat surface with sandpaper attached. This is the least risky method of the two but is more laborious and entirely reliant on your eyes to determine when you've got the shape you're after.

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11 minutes ago, curtisa said:

A couple of ways:

1  Cut as close as you can to the intended edges and finish off with some kind of straightedge used as a routing template with a flush-cut bit in the router table. Note, you'll get best results if your routing direction is always 'downhill' with the grain. This will necessitate flipping the fretboard upside down, having the template underneath for one of the two edges and having two flush-cut router bits - one with a bearing above and one with a bearing below the cutters.

2. Cut as close as you can to the intended edges and carefully finish off with a belt sander or some other long, flat surface with sandpaper attached. This is the least risky method of the two but is more laborious and entirely reliant on your eyes to determine when you've got the shape you're after.

Thank you again!

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  • 2 months later...

My efforts continue. 14" radius sanded in, back shape complete.

Now for the headstock veneer. The idea was to have maple wings to match the maple veneers, but the tilt in the glue up came back to haunt me and tapered the wings unevenly. Casualty of first tries and a memory of my experience. Onward!

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Wow!

That headstock looks like it's done out of a single piece instead of what, four or five? And the back plate looks quite a lot like it's cut from the body - yet again an example of the importance of taking grain direction into account!

Good stuff takes its time to be finished. Well done!

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5 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

Wow!

That headstock looks like it's done out of a single piece instead of what, four or five? And the back plate looks quite a lot like it's cut from the body - yet again an example of the importance of taking grain direction into account!

Good stuff takes its time to be finished. Well done!

That you very much!

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