Neck shaping

[MurphC]

Various tutorials reccommend a spokeshave for shaping the neck, but would a router work?

[krazyderek]

Yes but it requires the right size round over bit, aswell it will only work on strat style necks, angled back headstocks would get in the way. I would also recommend the router be mounted in a table instead of hand held. As with any routing operation, this can be very dangerous and damaging if you don't feed the wood the correct direction.

If you have a copy carver then, yes, and you'll just need to smooth it out with some sand paper after

Alternatively, spokeshave is my weapon of choice, but there is also a rasp (like a cheeze gratter for wood), or a stationary sander with the appropriate sanding grit.

[hyunsu]

Neck Shaping is not difficult..

only spokensave and sand paper, and scraper...

i have router.. but not use for neck shaping..

neck shaping is really funny work.. enjoy making your guitar neck.. ^^

[MurphC]

How much does a spokeshave cost?

[Hotrock]

Spokeshaves aren't to expensive, but as usual you get what you pay for. I think there was a topic in the tools section about spoleshaves a while back so try in there.

Personally, I've never liked spokeshaves but that's probably because my method of using them is poor. I did my neck with rasps and surforms and didn't find it too difficult, but if you can use a spokeshave correctly then thats probably a much better method.

[charlleyw]

I'm getting ready to dive into shaping my first necks. (Dang it, the summer is over and I have to go back to work and I'm not finished. . . grumble, complain, etc, etc.) Anyway, My question, addition here is about cabinet scrapers. It would seem to me that they'd be an excellent tool for neck shaping.

Does anyone have instructions/suggestions for fabricating them to the correct radius for a neck? I suppose I could just have at an old sawblade (That's the traditional scraper material) with a carbide hack saw, but how to smooth out the radius? Any suggestions?

[charlleyw]

Oh yeah, by the way, you can find a variety of hand tools, including and particularly spokeshaves at some antique stores. The antique lovers hang em on the walls. Woodworkers sharpen em up and use em. good luck!

[daveq]

This is a great spokeshave in my opinion. Someone else here has also reported that they like it as well. I have tried the cheaper ones with less success but with this one, it's been easy to work with.

I enjoy building necks and the shaping of the back is one of the more rewarding parts of the process for me. I guess if you needed speed, a router would be a good way to go but if you're not in a hurry, the spokeshave, sandpaper, and a sharp scraper work very well.

[gwm]

my $0.02, stay away from the router. shaping the neck by hand forces you to learn what feels good and what doesn't. it is also lots of fun.

i have used (with good success) a plain half round bastard file and a half round autobody file for the rough shaping. the autobody files are kinda tough to find (check eastwood.com), but they work great. better (smoother cutting) than most rasps i've used.

gwm

[Myka Guitars]

I also recommend using hand tools for the shaping just to give you a better idea of what is going on with neck geometry.

If you do want to try the router I have recently made a jig that allows you to route any type of neck. You have move the neck by hand and you have to be careful not to cut too far, it is by no means a perfect or complete jig yet, but here is a link to some pictures of it: neck carve jig

Keep in mind that if you use this or anyother roundover bit setup that you will have to do some hand shaping to make it right. All necks taper a little bit towards the nut and so the radius will have to decrease. I use my jig to rough shape the necks and then finish shape it by hand using rasps and files. It is not meant to produce a perfect neck, just to remove most of the wood before you shape it by hand.

[Dr. Jabsco]

the spokeshaft i bought from a local hardware store for 30 bucks (its a stanly) works very well.

I just had to re-adjust the blade and everything because it kept taking large chunks out of my work.

[SonofaMesa]

Spokeshaves are for pansies. Use a drawing knife. I think thats whats its called. Anyway... Use it.

[Primal]

Pfft... all ya REALLY need is a nice Swiss army knife to whittle yourself a neck!

Hehe. Personally, I used my belt sander to do the initial shaping of the neck. After that I went to rasps and files and finally sandpaper. For a first neck I think mine came out excellent. I probably won't be able to use my belt sander for my next guitar because it will probably be too long. With my bass neck the length of the belt sander was perfect; just shy of the distance between the volute and the heel.

[SonofaMesa]

Ha! I use my fingernails.

[aeli]

I personally clamp the neck tightly to the table and attack it with a chices and a hammer, then finnish it off with sandpaper and rasps. But there is the danger of chiselling too deep theis happened to me on a few occasions. I just had to stop and glue the chunk back to the same place it came out from and redo it. It was not a very hard process but there were left some ugly marks on the neck, unfortunately.

[bigdguitars]

I use the smallest spokeshave out there. its an exacto knife thumb planer works better than draw knives and large spokeshaves.

[Curtis P]

i used a stationary verticle belt sander, rouch shaped it all, and then took 100 grit sandpaper and cupped my hand what felt the best and went up and down the neck, kept doing the until i got to 400 grit, then i just wiped it all down with a cloth to get the dust off, then looked at it for imperfections, ran my hand over it (LOTS of times) if any bumps or anything, and when i was satisfied (about 3 days later) i applied the finish

Curtis