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Anyone know a good way? Jig?

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Pat

Flexible long ruler.

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ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
http://elevatelutherie.com
&
http://ensorguitars.com

Pat, if the headstock blank is still square, I would use a try square registered off the top of headstock. Match the two lines up.

I sand flat one edge of the neck blank on the edge sander, then sand the FB and headstock plane square to that. That side becomes my reference surface. I use a square to mark the FB plane HS transition, the end of the nut slot, and the body join. Then I use one of those tools with an adjustable arm with a nail coming through it that butts against the edge of the neck. Basically it marks a small hole where you press it into the wood. The next hole will be the same distance from the surfaced edge. Two hole is the hs plane, two in the FB, connect the dots and boom"

Near enough for jazz. (Apologies for the crude sketch)

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I've got a mind like a steel......whatsername!!?

I just measure the centerline on the neck blank at the 12th and the 1st fret, and then at the bottom of the headstock and the top of the headstock, connect the dots. Draw line before any shaping.

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

If one side is still straight and square, I've had great luck with one of these Incra T-rules:

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Nice ruler! My biggest challenge is getting a centerline on the headstock that is in direct line with the truss rod slot to use in positioning the headstock veneer that already has the logo installed and then later pinning the routing template in proper position to shape the headstock making sure the logo is still centered.

This is what I've been doing lately.

Put a true side on one side of the neck blank (as several others have mentioned) and use that against the router fence when routing the truss rod slot.



Use a fretboard surrogate with dowel pins in the midline that fit snugly in the truss rod slot and which has a center marker on the end.



Measure the distance to the trued edge and use that measurement to mark the peghead upstream and draw a line.






This has worked well so far. I always double check it by making sure the nut slot is a uniform width when the peghead veneer is clamped on.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Draw lines at each side of the neck at the nut, equal distances from the center line. Draw an arc from each of the points, onto the peg head. Where the two arcs intersect is the center line of the peg head. Measuring from the edge of the peg head will only work if your peghead is symetrical and the blank is squared up.

James

http://www.amazon.com/Incra-RULE18-18-Inch-Rules-Marking/dp/B0000DD2UT
Very flexible and works great for me.

Bob

I can't believe that Stew-Mac haven't devised a dedicated tool for this purpose.

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Cheers
Pete

this thread is great- so many methods. I have to admit being a bit off sometimes when it comes to this. For me the winner is

have to try that next time, thanks James.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

+1

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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com

there was ar least one purpose built tool created for this purpose by a lutherier/toolmaker in bc. lmi briefly sold his creations in the late '90's. absolutely beautiful tools at equally beautiful prices. i have no idea if he still makes them.

a more reasonably priced but by no means cheap solution is the brige city tools corner square.

Filippo, I think you're right. After writting my last post I thought about it and came to the conclusion I'm more likely to get it wrong with drawing arcs than with a ruler.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

Incra flexible rules work very well and so does their centering rule.



INCRA Precision Specialty Rules -
12" Precision Centering Rule
Part Number: CENTER12 & CENT300M






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