Official Luthiers Forum! :: View topic - 1st classical neck build

Official Luthiers Forum! http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/

1st classical neck build http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=35019	Page 1 of 1

Author:	nyazzip [ Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:19 am ]
Post subject:	1st classical neck build
ok, i guess i'll start a new thread for this one, while it is/i am still young. Menard's mahogany, ebony center stripe(from the '80s i might add), and now a cocobolo headstock lam that i got today from Woodcraft, with what i THINK is padauk for the center stripe. it was floating around the shop and it was exactly the right thickness, so i used it. the neck is turning out pretty crude. thats ok, my goal is to get it functional, not too purdy. i am tempted to lay blame on my $4.00 small block plane for marring it, but my favorite saying is "the poor craftsman blames his tools", so i cannot. i think cocobolo is my new favorite wood! so waxy and easy to cut....i didn't read up on it though, and didn't prep with solvent before gluing, so we'll see how it holds. not exactly a critical joint. oh, and i switched to titebond. i have too many other things to worry about without hide glue BS, at this point. ...and the dark ugly stains are a mix of CA and sawdust, in attempts to fill in low spots from poor planing. should look wonderful on the finished guitar!

Author:	Mike Collins [ Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:12 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
Looks great! I like coco also. No need to use solvent;you'll just get the resins to come to the surface. Mike

Author:	Darryl Young [ Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:16 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
The Coco is beautiful!

Author:	douglas ingram [ Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:19 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
But why did you plane the headstock laminate flush with the top of the neck? The end at the nut should be square to the top of the neck. There will be a little slot between the headstock laminate and the fingerboard for the nut. What's your plan here?

Author:	WilliamS [ Thu Jan 19, 2012 11:02 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
You could still cut back the coccbolo veneer at the break and put the nut on the head surface. Not the preferred method by most and it looks like it's gonna make for a wide nut, but I think that may be your only option at this point unless you want to take off that head plate.

Author:	nyazzip [ Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:24 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
the nut isn't going to be in a slot, its going to sit right on top of the flattened part of the cocobolo veneer, with an ebony fingerboard butting up against it. at least thats what i had in my head. i don't see why that wouldn't work...

Author:	Carey [ Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:59 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
I had a classical guitar by Sakazo Nakade (excellent Japanese CG building family) with the nut sitting atop the head veneer in this way. Uncommon but not unseen.

Author:	WaddyThomson [ Thu Jan 19, 2012 11:44 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
Generally, the head plate, is cut at a 90* angle to the plane of the neck, and acts as a stop between the nut and the fingerboard. However, I, too, have seen nuts glued to the plane of the neck and sitting at the edge of the headplate. I generally do the angle thing and, actually, taper the nut and the slot so the nut wedges into the slot and won't fall out.

Author:	douglas ingram [ Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:54 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
nyazzip wrote: the nut isn't going to be in a slot, its going to sit right on top of the flattened part of the cocobolo veneer, with an ebony fingerboard butting up against it. at least thats what i had in my head. i don't see why that wouldn't work... As long as you have a plan and that your shaping the headstock this way wasn't an oversight, you should be OK.

Author:	nyazzip [ Tue Jan 24, 2012 11:59 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
more "progress", or shall i say brutality.....early in the game i began filling(i am not used to how darn soft and splintery mahogany is) depressions with cyanoacrylate and whatever dust was on the bench. this is gonna be one UGLY neck! lol i hate the way the wood crushes in clamps and vices. oh well. i'm not looking for compliments; these pics amuse me. it will be a "folksy/rustic" guitar. the headstock face has been covered in paper, then partially sanded. the white deposits on the back were when a tube's worth of CA leaked onto the back and welded my hand to it last night. the yellow is shellac, to prevent chipping and tearout around the bore holes. the worst of the drilling should be done; it wasn't easy for me. tomorrow i start the carving and channeling. enjoy

Author:	Barry Daniels [ Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:01 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
A little less use of random glue and sawdust would be advisable.

Author:	nyazzip [ Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:06 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
Quote: A little less use of random glue and sawdust would be advisable. the mode is function over form, in this experimental build. i ruined the face of the neck with a cheap little block plane- it took out the mahogany but not the ebony stripe. that needs to be level, and CA + dust is the hardest, stiffest filler i have on hand, so, it is to be...

Author:	nyazzip [ Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:00 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
i let some rats out of the cage tonight and let them gnaw away a bit. that mahogany is miserable, weak, splintery stuff. and the cocobolo twice chipped my little u-gouge! believe it or not my chisels are razor sharp, but you'd never know by these photos......ah but she'll clean up, i know she will

Author:	douglas ingram [ Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:19 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
nyazzip wrote: believe it or not my chisels are razor sharp, but you'd never know by these photos......ah but she'll clean up, i know she will You're right! My first thoughts were that you need sharp drill bits, especially brad point tips, and sharp chisels. But you say that they are sharp. Soldier one. Looking at the photos makes me cringe. Good luck!

Author:	PT66 [ Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:30 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
Is there anyone in the Chicago area that can mentor this build? I'm a little too far away.

Author:	nyazzip [ Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:56 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
You're right! My first thoughts were that you need sharp drill bits, especially brad point tips, and sharp chisels. But you say that they are sharp. Soldier one. he heh heh. actually my large drill bits are all dull. i am going to see if sharpening them is feasible. haven't figured out/looked into it yet, but they definitely "aren't cutting it" as is... i like making you guys cringe, especially the uptight classical crowd aside from cosmetics, it should be ok; the worst is over and all the holes are where they should be, plus or minus a millimeter or so. unfortunately i have to still bore out the roller holes bigger, and there is very little structural wood left now. should be interesting

Author:	nyazzip [ Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:46 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build

Author:	douglas ingram [ Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:26 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
I'm not cringing because I'm uptight!

Author:	WaddyThomson [ Fri Jan 27, 2012 11:40 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
+1

Author:	nyazzip [ Fri Jan 27, 2012 2:13 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
Quote: I'm not cringing because I'm uptight! ...you guys are gonna be lighting up my phone to build you one, when you see it completed! he heh heh just kidding. but i'm havin fun here; name of the game for me

Author:	WaddyThomson [ Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:23 pm ]
Post subject:	1st classical neck build
You are right. It's all about having fun! Not only that, but it does look much better now!

Author:	jfmckenna [ Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:55 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
YEah it was a relief to see those last two pics I knew you could pull it off. Get yourself a nice block plane... do it... NOW! Oh and then tune the block plane up.

Author:	nyazzip [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:19 am ]
Post subject:	Re: 1st classical neck build
ok......FINALLY got the heel stacked up. this part ought to get interesting, as i'm not totally sure how it all goes together, nor the geometries involved...i lost some length on the neck overall due to bad glue up/separation, so i didn't have enough headstock real estate to make the design as i wanted. its a bit compressed. but thats going to be the least of this project's worries.

Page 1 of 1	All times are UTC - 5 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/