Official Luthiers Forum!

My dovetail neck is set (thanks to Johns neck set tutorial at Bluescreek). Never could have done it without him.
I see most steel stringers finish the body and neck separately. I assume this is done to spare potential finish problems if a neck needs a reset. Having a fretboard/top and neck/body adjoining finish (especially a spray finish) when removing a neck would be an issue. Is this the reason?
Being a classical guy...I would prefer to spray the whole dang thing together. Took me 2 classicals to finally get a reliable one handed spray system of flippin, turnin and flyin that works with me.
If you spray a body separately with a dovetail, do you make a special jig to hold the body?...or use my official cloths hanger approach? Do you also try to leave the side finish near the neck joint a bit lighter so as not to change the actual dovetail joint fit too much? Some leave the neck a tiny bit proud of the top to compensate for top finish...but if you apply several coats of finish to the side, I would expect the neck not to seat as far down as before finish....so setting flush with the top in the beginning might be the proper compensation if sprayed separately.
Kent

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Really it is done to give a nice clean edge at the heel to rim joint without finish build up in this 90 degree transition.

I use the strap button hole ( 1/4") to use an eye bolt to hang the body to finish It facilitates resets without damage later. I am happy the tutorial helped you , that is why we did them.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
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I finish mine seperately but do it however you like. After the finish is.....finished I have to floss the neck a little to get it to fit.

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