Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello again to all from Greece.
I made my neck's dovetail but after working with it it became a little loose.
Is this fixable or do i need to set an other neck?
Is the glue strong enough to hold it in place or do i need to fill up the gap?
The gap is aproximatelly 1mm to its side of the dovetail.
Please advise how would you manage this issue.

Many thanks

Yiannis

_________________
http://www.yiannis.com.gr

http://www.luthier.gr

Glue veneer onto one side (or both sides) of the male portion of the dovetail. It won't make it any weaker. Once everything is glued it's not as though the veneers can go anywhere.

You should also make sure that your sides are flat - the part where the shoulders of the heel contact the sides. That makes fitting much easier.
You can also undercut the shoulders of the heel slightly. Again, it makes fitting a little easier.

Yiannis, take a look at these fine videos by John Hall. They explain everything perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3YJh9OT4mw

You can glue a thin shim to each side of the dovetail and re-fit it to the box. You cannot fill the gap with glue. It won't hold.

Ok thanks,
i 'll give it a try and see what will happen.
For the veneers should i use mahogany or is it better to use some pieces os rosewood tha i have?

_________________
http://www.yiannis.com.gr

http://www.luthier.gr

Use mahogany.