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I have used pre-carved necks on my first 4 builds. A friend of mine gave me a neck that needed to be carved (very generous friend) and I will use this one on the next build. The tenon and the location that joins the neck to the body had been cut out and I carved the rest. I have ordered a neck from RC Tonewoods that will require the tenon and the location that joins the neck to the body to be cut out. I do not have a table saw... or a router (except a laminate trimmer) Can this be done by hand? (I guess they used to do that...) What type of hand saw (or manual set-up) could be used? I'm sure a table saw or routing set-up would be best...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I cut the (dovetail) tenons on my first 2 necks with a saw like this.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=187037-930-324PM14N&lpage=none
My saw isn't a nice new one like the one in the link, but it's the same type saw. Just mark the tenon carefully and don't cut too much. You can do the final fitting by hand. The same principals apply with a bolt on mortise/tenon joint, it's just one less angle. (or something like that)

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

William Cumpiano describes how to cut a tenon with a tenon saw in his book. Since I don't have a table saw I use my 14" bandsaw. I do have to flip the blank over right side up to saw the other cheek. I take it real slow and try to monitor what the sawblade is doing where it's not in good viewing spot.

Rene

I like this saw for neck work.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/inde ... rodID=5111

Actually, I bought the replacement blade and made a handle to suit me.

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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008907949110

I did the same, with this one, cuts very straight and vertical, I'm also back to using it for kerfling. This blade the teeth are straight, not angled. Made a 1/4 truss rod plane also with it~!:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/inde ... ProdID=892

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

You would be surprised, I mean, very surprised, by how fast and accurate a good Japanese saw can be. Add in a really sharp chisel, and this kind of joinery did by hand is far from being a source of headache.

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Build log

A ryoba (crosscut on one side , rip on the other) of good quality is a versatile tool. Mitsukawa
makes a 180mm quasi-handmade saw that is around $80 from Hida Tool that I highly recommend:
.016" kerf crosscut, a bit more on the rip side, and some of the feedback of a handmade nokogiri.
A good, sensitive tool.

It looks like using a japanese saw is a very common method for doing this job. I guess the trick is being able to keep the saw straight.... Would it be a good idea to use a piece of wood as a guide to ensure you start the cut straight? I hate to sound so tentitive...

I bought my japanese saw to cut the spanish-V headstock joint. I find that a well-marked line is all I need.
You should practice on some similar wood to get the feel of it, but it takes no force at all for the saw to cut, the weight of the blade is enough.
Get the finest teeth that you can, for dovetail cutting.

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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008907949110

A sharp straight saw with teeth cut and set for the intended use is the most important thing.
*Guides et c won't help* if your saw doesn't cut. Once you use a decent saw you'll feel it and
understand immediately. For small work, the Mitsukawa 180mm ryoba I mentioned above is very good.

For a less expensive alternative in saws Gyokucho is good. If you'd like details, just pm .

Definitely. One hand does the sawing, the other holds the saw gently against the guide to ensure that the cut is the correct angle. Works amazingly well with these pull-cut saws.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

I cut almost everything on mine with my Vaughn Bear Saw (which is a type of Japanese pull saw)
You can rough out the basic curved shape with a coping saw or something along those lines...

The key to getting good hand saw cuts is to realize that the Saw will follow the line you are sawing.... and a good saw is made to follow the cut... Those 1st few passes literally determine how good the cut will be!

I very carefully layout the cut and then level my pieces to be cut so that the cut goes straight up and down... Then eyeball down the blade watching for twist and cant. The goal is to move the saw smoothly straight in and out. Focus on keeping the push/pull action straight and true... Then you just let the saw do the cutting.. If you try to force the saw to cut faster or force it to hold a line... it will make a mess.

Then for mortises and tenons, have a good sharp chisel handy to true and smooth up your cuts to your final dimensions...

Good luck

John