Neck Taper Prep

[Rones]

Well, I was wondering today as I get ready to band saw my neck, how you all go about crafting the taper into the neck. My block is about 2 and 3/4 thick, and I need about 1 and 11/16 (or so, off the top of my head) at the nut. should I make this taper on the band saw, plane it to the right side, or sand it down to the right side? I feel that it might be tough to band saw it with out damaging the future peghead, I think...

This is my last real issue before i do it up! Thanks in advance

Rones

[Hotrock]

Only having done this once, I could very well be wrong. Probably best to wait until one of the guys who can do it with their eyes closed replys but my 2 cents.

I took my neck to a cabinet making guru that lives near me. He cut it to the right thickness first (bandsaw) and then cut the taper. He cut the peghead square where it joins the neck. I took it home and sanded the taper square on either side using an old long plane as a sanding block. Then I cut the rough shape of the peghead using a jigsaw (as the jigsaw cuts on the upstroke I stuck tape over the peghead to try and stop some of the grain lifting out, I used electrical tape because it's what I can nick from work , it's probably not the best but it's free ).

Next I shaped the neck and then set to work on the final shaping of the headstock and blended it into the neck. Like I said, I'm no expert, this is just how I did my first one. I've not used it yet so who knows if I've done it right.

I think (but I can't remember now) I installed the truss rod before taking it to be bandsawn. I figure that if I'm removing wood I'd like the neck to be as stable as possible.

Anyhow, wait for one of the big boys that do it alot before starting. Hope this was of some help though.

[krazyderek]

yupperoo, get that truss rod in there asap, you want a wide blank surface to support the router.

once everything is draw out on the blank especially the center line, i ruff cut (scroll saw) the whole thing out leaving just under a 1/8" then i sand into the line on the peghead.

For the actual tapper of the neck, i'll use double stick tape and metal straight edge, now you can use this on a saw as the giude that the blade runs along, (scroll saws can't cut thru hard steel ) or you can use it as a router guide. Or you could always just sand to the line on a big belt sander like i know some people do, but i don't find that as accurate as using a straight edge as a guide. I'm krazy though

[Hotrock]

One thing I've just remembered: double check all dimensions and then triple check the thickness.

I measured mine out on the wood but included the fingerbored in that measurement . It's not much fun shaving off 1/4 inch from the back of your neck blank with a surform

[Brian]

Now I know why you have such an unusual Avatar, I think we all need to borrow it from time to time though

[Hotrock]

You don't know the half of it mate

[Guitarfrenzy]

yupperoo, get that truss rod in there asap, you want a wide blank surface to support the router.

once everything is draw out on the blank especially the center line, i ruff cut (scroll saw) the whole thing out leaving just under a 1/8" then i sand into the line on the peghead.

For the actual tapper of the neck, i'll use double stick tape and metal straight edge, now you can use this on a saw as the giude that the blade runs along, (scroll saws can't cut thru hard steel ) or you can use it as a router guide. Or you could always just sand to the line on a big belt sander like i know some people do, but i don't find that as accurate as using a straight edge as a guide. I'm krazy though

I use the same method as Derek suggested except I have templates that will route out each part of the neck. Like D said you need to really get the wood square and planed then route out your truss rod slot first. I then have a template that will cut out the side, that includes the headstock angle, neck width, heel. Then turn it with truss rod facing up, and using a tapered template I route out the neck taper on each sides. Then last but not least, glue the peghead veneer on and use a peghead template to route out the headstock shape. Then I do the back of the neck contouring with my duplicarver device. That's basically the way I do a neck nowdays. Just using routers and templates, it works for me, might not for you, so just find out what your most comfortable with. You could also cut close to the template with bandsaw then place the template back on and plunge route to the template. There are about a million ways to do this.. lol

Oh one thing I found out about the truss rod is that if I'm using a stewmac hot rod or any other one that will accept a straight channel. I will find out where the nut will be on the original block of wood then using a bigger router bit, route out the channel past the nut to the peghead so far, that way the truss rod channel will be wider and looks great also..

[frank falbo]

I put the taper into my fretboard before I attatch it. I'll also put binding on before attatchment too sometimes. That way you have a "built in" template if you're using a pattern cutting router bit, or if you are just going to bandsaw close and sand the rest, you know to stop when you hit the board! If you use a hard, straight sanding block to finish off you'll have a straight edge. I use a straight file to finish off that area, not unlike the file you'd use to bevel the fret ends. But I don't mix them because otherwise you'd push metal shavings from the frets into the wood or binding unless you seriously cleaned your files.

[john]

ditto

[krazyderek]

oh ya, lex uses router templates aswell, check out his pinned thread