Official Luthiers Forum!

I am studying the MJ neck block & did find some stuff on grain direction in the archive. On this design however it appears MDP is suggesting a 2 piece. I would be inclined to make the main 1.25 thick piece with the direction going the same as the sides, (even though my sides are 3 ply laminated). The top piece .375 x 2.062 x 2.875 I would make parallel to the top.
Also 2.062 doe not seem very long. Does anyone else make those longer.
Also #2, I can't tell in the Somogyi book what direction his is.
cheers
Mike McNerney

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Mike McNerney

I'm not sure what everyone else does, but I orient the top paddle so that there are no end-grain glue joints (i.e. perpendicular to the top grain). A while back I heard someone here say that they taper their paddle so that it is not glued along a single grain line on each side, which sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

I let the distance to the upper transverse brace dictate the length. I have been stopping mine just short, but I know that some people butt the paddle right up against the UTB--perhaps to help share the rotational forces upon the neck block?

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Evan McCartney

One approach is to build up the block from solid easy-to-shape-and-sand wood (mahogany) with grain parallel to the part glued to it, combined with some baltic birch plywood for strength and stability. (or, just use birch ply).
It doesn't look as good as solid wood, but is tougher.

Cheers
John

Most of my neck blocks are built up, keeping the grain the same as the sides. I also like to slightly taper the "paddle" and butt and glue to the UTB. My reasoning is that it will help resist rotation.

Chuck

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I make mine with the grain running the same direction as in the neck: along the top. This means that the sides are gluing to end grain, and I use slow-cure epoxy for that. The sides of the 'tounge' are tapwered, as has been said, to avoid conscentrating stress along a sinlge grain line. The tounge is wider than the fretboard at the upper edge, and tapers down to the same width as the fretboard at the end. I inlet A-braces into the block, and don't use a popsicle stick brace: I find that works better in keeping the neck from shifting inward.