RIP Fretboard, 2 neck... Can I salvage this last neck?

[moikey]

So I've been making progress on my build (I'll save the pics for a new build thread). I've managed to shape the body with saws, a router and some rasps. The pickups cavities are a little shaky, my template, and router template bit left a serious gap at the edges so I hand finished with a chisel and dremel.

So I don't have access to a thickness planer (I envy those of you who have one), and in the process of using my power planer to reduce the neck, I have ended up with a tapered plane, i.e it is thicker at one side, than it is on another. I'm using a perfectly level workbench, checked with various spirit levels, flat bars and so on. So I have wrecked a laser cut rosewood fretboard which had my slots cut and a neat engraving at 12th... I have butchered a maple/walnut/maple neck, and have butchered a walnut/maple/walnut neck... All the same symptom.

My last neck, is a rosewood 5 piece with maple strips, and is absolutely beautiful. I have managed to get it flat, however, it is only 17mm thick, with my fretboard at around 7mm, is this gonna be thick enough for a flat mount neck (hipshot .125 floor)? It has stressed me out beyond belief. Power planers are the work of the devil.

 

[Hywel]

How wrecked are the neck blanks? If there is still some thickness there you could try to hand plane them flat again or use a router based planing jig to level it all out again. If you can get the wrecked blanks flat you could laminate them with something to thicken them up again. If you use a similar wood to the fretboard (or even just another fretboard blank) it wouldn't look too out of place either. Never seen it done so it's just an idea but it might work. You could even use a contrasting wood which might look interesting when its carved!

My heel on my build was 19mm but I brought it down to 17mm to get a better fit with the 0.125 hipshot I'm using so 17mm isn't unusable (disclaimer - my build hasn't been strung up yet so dunno if it's going to work yet). If your heel is too thin you could glue an offcut on to thicken it up much like how many acoustic or set neck guitars are built.

Hope you get it sorted mate, it seems that hobby luthiery is more about how you deal with problems like this than building the actual guitar!

 

[moikey]

How wrecked are the neck blanks? If there is still some thickness there you could try to hand plane them flat again or use a router based planing jig to level it all out again. If you can get the wrecked blanks flat you could laminate them with something to thicken them up again. If you use a similar wood to the fretboard (or even just another fretboard blank) it wouldn't look too out of place either. Never seen it done so it's just an idea but it might work. You could even use a contrasting wood which might look interesting when its carved!

My heel on my build was 19mm but I brought it down to 17mm to get a better fit with the 0.125 hipshot I'm using so 17mm isn't unusable (disclaimer - my build hasn't been strung up yet so dunno if it's going to work yet). If your heel is too thin you could glue an offcut on to thicken it up much like how many acoustic or set neck guitars are built.

Hope you get it sorted mate, it seems that hobby luthiery is more about how you deal with problems like this than building the actual guitar!

One is tapered 14-20mm. The other is tapered 16-22mm, so they aren't entirely unusable, I suppose I could try a nice laminate near the heel as you suggest on some other builds. My rosewood neck is 17mm, plus a 7mm rosewood fretboard, so I guess the 24mm thickness isn't too bad, especially given that I haven't cut the pocket yet.

Cheers man, true story too! I reckon if I had thickness planers, bandsaws and stuff I'd be done by now, but using jigsaws, power planes and chisels seems like hardmode for sure. I'm hoping its a kind of "rite of passage" thing for me and the gods bless me on the next build lol.

 

[Hywel]

I think the rosewood one should be fine as long as you're careful carving the profile. 16mm is probably also workable but 14mm might be cutting it a bit fine (although you might be just about able to squeeze a truss rod in there and use an off-cut to bulk up the heel).

You may want to try a hand plane instead of the power planer though. It's probably a bit more controllable and should be much easier to correct if you do make a mistake. I picked up a new #6 Faithful brand one from eBay for about £30 and once the blade was sharpened it did the job quite well.

Having said that, a bandsaw and good router certainly helps

 

[moikey]

Yeah I think a hand planer is the way to go. Power planers are great for doors and stuff, but I think they are a bit unwieldy for neck blanks. It might be better for me to try and plane the raw material with the power planer before gluing, then using the hand planer to refine.

 

[Berserker]

I'd recommend a thicknessing jig for your router, it's how I've done it for years. Something like this (pic stolen from the web):

 

[dankarghh]

What Beserker said. Make one of those jigs and thickness the 16mm blank and you should be sweet. I thickness everything like that.

 

[moikey]

That is a great idea guys. I've seen that used a lot for body blanks but never a neck blank. Is it the same idea really?

 

[electriceye]

I'd recommend a thicknessing jig for your router, it's how I've done it for years. Something like this (pic stolen from the web):

Ooh, that's pretty damn cool.....A hell of a lot simpler than the homemade thickness sander I've been building!

 

[DancingCloseToU]

This title if this thread was disheartening...

Don't give up, YOU CAN SALVAGE THIS BEAST!

Edit: Router sled is the way to go (learning that lesson the hard way)...
I am curious about your home made thickness sander though...

 

[Berserker]

That is a great idea guys. I've seen that used a lot for body blanks but never a neck blank. Is it the same idea really?

Exactly the same... wood is wood!

 

[pettymusic]

That is a great idea guys. I've seen that used a lot for body blanks but never a neck blank. Is it the same idea really?

+1 on the thicknessing router jig. I made one up in about an hours time. I used it for all my thicknessing and just finished up my first neck build. Made mine out of MDF. You can check out my jig and another forum member - DistinguishedPapyrus posting pics of his thicknessing jig here: http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/luthiery-modifications-customizations/286797-first-neck-build.html

For me, the router and accompanying jigs has proved the most valuable tools.

Whatever you do, don't give up!!

 

[moikey]

Cheers guys, that sounds like a plan. I'm in this for the long haul! After my startup costs in materials and tools, I'm well into the "expensive hobby" territory, I'm in too deep lol. I have a new respect for all things luthiery though. Some of you guys on here make it look so simple too!

 

[electriceye]

This title if this thread was disheartening...

Don't give up, YOU CAN SALVAGE THIS BEAST!

Edit: Router sled is the way to go (learning that lesson the hard way)...
I am curious about your home made thickness sander though...

I found out about it here a couple of months ago.

Here's the direct link:Thickness sander plans

The only issue I see (and I could very well be wrong here) is that you will still have to sand it completely flat.

 

[Renkenstein]

I found out about it here a couple of months ago.

Here's the direct link:Thickness sander plans

The only issue I see (and I could very well be wrong here) is that you will still have to sand it completely flat.

The most used tool in my shop, aside from my granite slab. I literally use it for every part of guitar construction. I spent maybe $75 making it, but I had a motor.

 

[moikey]

The most used tool in my shop, aside from my granite slab. I literally use it for every part of guitar construction. I spent maybe $75 making it, but I had a motor.

I'm seriously considering making this. The trouble with the wood that I have is that it is often bowed or mismatched in size. I buy my wood from a local guy who sells exotic hard wood for really good prices. The problem is though, I live in Scotland, so the wood is stored in a cold workshop, then brought inside to a warm house, so I reckon this affects the wood somewhat. So for a neck blank, I'm worried that a slight bow in the centre would just get pushed down by this, and it would still be bowed, albeit smooth on one side. Do you reckon this would be the case?

 

[electriceye]

The most used tool in my shop, aside from my granite slab. I literally use it for every part of guitar construction. I spent maybe $75 making it, but I had a motor.

Yeah, considering the time and money spent, I probably just should have put more effort into buying one. I'm excited to make something useful, but even just making those damn discs took a long time. Plus, I had to buy a 5" hole saw. The motor I got for free, only b/c I was able to use points for some purchases. But, the pillow blocks cost me about $20. Still have to buy a couple more parts.

I dunno. Maybe it's because I don't have a lot of free time is why I'm sort of regretting building it. Then again, can't shake a stick at it if it costs me less than $100 total in out of pocket costs..

 

[Renkenstein]

I've been using mine a year, and I can tell you it will flatten stock. I've ran pretty noticeably cupped boards through this and effectively erased the cup. You can ease off on the pressure and shave the high spot. I usually will start with the arch pointing up and bring back a flat enough surface to flip it over and work the other side. If the board is flexing flat, you're taking too much.

Here's another thing I've noticed about this miraculous tool. The friction of the drum pressing the piece against the rigid deck also heats the wood, and encourages it to lay flat. I've experimented with various degrees of cupping and I'm convinced the drum sander not only sands flat, but irons flat, essentially. I've left pieces of stock to settle, and even the most unruly have changed their wicked ways.

 

[moikey]

I've been using mine a year, and I can tell you it will flatten stock. I've ran pretty noticeably cupped boards through this and effectively erased the cup. You can ease off on the pressure and shave the high spot. I usually will start with the arch pointing up and bring back a flat enough surface to flip it over and work the other side. If the board is flexing flat, you're taking too much.

Here's another thing I've noticed about this miraculous tool. The friction of the drum pressing the piece against the rigid deck also heats the wood, and encourages it to lay flat. I've experimented with various degrees of cupping and I'm convinced the drum sander not only sands flat, but irons flat, essentially. I've left pieces of stock to settle, and even the most unruly have changed their wicked ways.

I'll probably give this a shot then. Should be easy enough to build and would save me a lot of headache.