I rough cut it with a band saw or coping saw or what ever is handy.
Then I chuck one of these in the drill and go to town. Takes 20 minutes to get the heel looking the way I'd like it. Finish sanding comes later.
Hope this helps.
Dave
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| Author: | cgal_1 [ Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:50 am ] |
| Post subject: | best tools and hints for carving the heel |
I find carving heels really difficult and very time consuming. At the moment I use a rough, then a medium rasp. Then just sand away. I always seem to get a lot of uneven areas. What tools and methods work best? |
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| Author: | Dave Livermore [ Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
I rough cut it with a band saw or coping saw or what ever is handy. Then I chuck one of these in the drill and go to town. Takes 20 minutes to get the heel looking the way I'd like it. Finish sanding comes later. Hope this helps. Dave |
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| Author: | Steve_E [ Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
Todd Stock wrote: Terry Kennedy's RoboSander-based heel jig reduces the time spent doing the rough taper, then a cabinet rasp, cabinet files, scrapers, and mill bastard files. Try keeping the flat of the file on the work to fair in... Can you share? I searched and didn't find any reference to this. I'm using a #3 gouge, chisels, Japanese file and LN brass spoke shave, but would love something to reduce the finger fatigue. Steve |
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| Author: | Terence Kennedy [ Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
Here's a link. I use the grizzly pneumatic drum sanders to rough in the heel and follow with chisels, rasps, and scrapers. http://kennedyguitars.com/_Kennedy_Guit ... e_Jig.html http://www.grizzly.com/products/4-x-1-1 ... ders/H2881 http://www.grizzly.com/products/7-1-2-x ... ders/H2882 |
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| Author: | cgal_1 [ Sat Apr 30, 2011 3:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
Thanks for the replys. It's more after the stage that Terence has shown, once the heel has been routed (or sanded) to profile. I have real problems shaping the heel after that. |
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| Author: | Ian Cunningham [ Sat Apr 30, 2011 3:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
I like to widdle it out old school, with a knife. To rough it out though a use chisels and rasps. I might not be the one to ask though because I find this bit very theraputic. 
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| Author: | Don Williams [ Sat Apr 30, 2011 3:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
CNC.  A good scraper can be very useful when trying to blend facets together and finalizing the shape as well. They are great for taking file marks out and preparing for sanding. |
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| Author: | Colin North [ Sat Apr 30, 2011 4:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
At what stage to things seem to go wrong? At the "rasps" stage should be relatively easy to judge if sides of the heel are symetrical using the facets formed. At at the sanding stage, what do you use to back up the abrasive? Sanding by hand without backing it up will almost always cause thing to go off.. e.g, I sometimes use a drum sander set worked by hand, 1.5/2/3/4" diameters, anything cylindrical - I like a surface with some "give" from the start. I like to stand so I look down directly on the heel cap area, then I try to judge/maintain the heel symetrical using focused light (read small halogen desk light at the peghead end) to cast a shadow from say, the edge of a scraper/6" rule put against the heel in various positions to judge how it's going, working up the grades, progressing to softer backings (maybe rubber blocks/erasers, various sizes and hardnesses) as it gets closer. Sometimes I move the light above the heel cap, and shine down, again using the straight edge to cast a shadow on the cheeks and look from the peghead end I also just got a profile template "thingy" to try checking one side against the other at the suggestion of Robbie O'Brien (online course) but have not used it yet. Don't know if any of that would help? |
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| Author: | Bailey [ Sun May 01, 2011 5:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
Thise will reduce the heel carving time...........Look here: http://www.katools.com/shop/merlin-univ ... -p-69.html Thennnnnnnnn....test your courage......and have plenty of neck blanks to practice on.  kent |
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| Author: | DennisK [ Sun May 01, 2011 8:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
Try a 3/4" violin knife. I've only carved two heels thus far, but the second was much easier and more comfortable compared to doing the first mostly with a chisel. Great knife for various other tasks too. Mine's a Hock, from LMI. I'll give another vote for scrapers to smooth out knife marks/facets. Try to find a method that makes the task enjoyable, rather than a pill to swallow to get the guitar done. Doesn't have to be fast if you're having a good time working on it  And I assume you're using mahogany? It carves so easily, that at least brings the challenge down to just comprehending the 3-dimensional shape and judging where to cut next, rather than fighting with the wood. |
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| Author: | jmanter [ Sun May 01, 2011 10:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
foredom tool with carving burr... |
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| Author: | jac68984 [ Mon May 02, 2011 1:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: best tools and hints for carving the heel |
I use a mallet and chisel to remove a majority of the waste. Then I use, in order of appearance, a knife, course rasp, fine rasp, sometimes some metal working files, and sandpaper. I also find the process cathartic. Aaron |
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