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Another scarf joint question.

Posted by John Stevenson on November 22, 2011 at 6:06pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Hi I have read a bunch of the threads on cutting a scarf joint

and will have to give it a try with a hand miter saw since I don't have a band saw, table saw etc.

My question is where should the joint start from down the neck compared to the nut or 1st fret or???

I have the neck already layed out into the body (which in hindsight was a mistake on a first build).

I have plenty of neck to work with but don't know where to start the cut from. 

Thanks for any help.    John Stevenson

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Replies

  • Mungo Park November 24, 2011 at 11:07pm

    I like the alternate method in the diagram, that way the joint does not interfere with the neck and fret board if it is a little wonkie. also like mentioned above you can veneer the joint to cover it up if you want. Photo of joint and finished with home made veneer. Cheers Ron305756467?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

    305757743?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024305757812?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

  • John Stevenson November 24, 2011 at 10:02pm

    Yeah,  I am going to try to stick to the hand cuts for now.  The actual cuts were looking pretty straight and clean.  I think I screwed it up and destroyed the joint by using a powered hand sander to try to thin the poplar headstock piece (and then sanding on the neck cut).   Thanks again to all who posted.  John 

     

    ChickenboneJohn said:

    That's all fine and dandy using a router, but I really don't like having to rely on power tools as a substitute for being able to do the job properly with hand tools..old school I know, but I was brought up learning how to use hand tools, whether that was a chisel, a spokeshave or a felling axe. A scarf joint is a simple joint that can be relatively easily managed by hand - if you need to do the job quickly and efficiently (and repeatedly), then that's where powertools come into their own. I only bought some serious workshop powertools after I'd built around 150 guitars, so don't get hung up on the idea that you need to get loads of tools and jigs to do the simplest jobs....I still like the idea of "Start with a piece of wood and cut off everything that doesn't look like a guitar"...

  • ChickenboneJohn November 24, 2011 at 4:16pm

    That's all fine and dandy using a router, but I really don't like having to rely on power tools as a substitute for being able to do the job properly with hand tools..old school I know, but I was brought up learning how to use hand tools, whether that was a chisel, a spokeshave or a felling axe. A scarf joint is a simple joint that can be relatively easily managed by hand - if you need to do the job quickly and efficiently (and repeatedly), then that's where powertools come into their own. I only bought some serious workshop powertools after I'd built around 150 guitars, so don't get hung up on the idea that you need to get loads of tools and jigs to do the simplest jobs....I still like the idea of "Start with a piece of wood and cut off everything that doesn't look like a guitar"...

  • Stubby November 24, 2011 at 3:57pm

    If you're (or anyone) nervous about the whole planing deal that most scarf joints will need after being cut with a mitre saw, you could decide to go the router way. Here's something I saw on TDPRi, which I will be using when I need to do one;

    http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/223263-scarf-joint-metho...

  • Bob Lumpkin November 24, 2011 at 1:38pm

    Great diagrams by CB John. I use his first method when using a seperate fretboard. When I want a Maple fretboard look (one piece neck) I use his alt. method & either paint or vaneer the headstock. The trick is in the gluing (sp?) Good cut, smooth mating surfaces, clamping (very important) & correct glue. I use Tightbond (sp?) or Titebond II (sp?). I use it to repair Epiphone LP & SG necks & have never had one fail, works super on CBG necks & a bottle last forever. Good luck!

  • ChickenboneJohn November 24, 2011 at 12:54am

    Getting clean flat joining surfaces is the key to getting these joints to work.  

     

    I used to cut by hand (now I use my bandsaw, but in all honesty my hand-cutting was just as accurate), and I clean-up the faces with my bench sander.  You should be able to do it all by hand - if you are using a plane and/or sanding block to clean-up the cut faces, it's very easy to 'rock' the plane or sanding block thus creating an uneven and curved joint face.  Make sure the work is securely clamped, use long steady strokes, and check constantly the squareness and trueness of the surfaces with a square and steel straightedge. Ideally you are aiming for a virtually invisible glueline, as most glues aren't good at filling large gaps.

  • John Stevenson November 23, 2011 at 11:36pm

    Thanks to everyone.  Cut the stuff , but could not get a good fit from 2 different wood pieces (and 2 miter cuts) & sanded till it was too far gone to get a clean joint. In hindsight -- I should have glued it when it was close to good. 

     Will run up to Lowes and get a new neck- @ $3.00 (a bargain)     Just learning on this one anyway.  Thanks again!  John

     

     

  • Richard G Caudill November 23, 2011 at 10:00pm

    Thank u  John !,,this a visual that i needed badly

     

     

  • jim November 23, 2011 at 2:23am

    http://handmademusic.ning.com/group/jimfretshowtovideos

     

  • ChickenboneJohn November 23, 2011 at 1:57am

    Heres a sketch showing the position of the cut relative to the nut. You just need to figure out the position of the nut, decide on the headstock thickness and angle, then mark-out the cut accordingly.

     

    I show my preferred method where the joint is covered by the fretboard (which also helps reinforce the joint). The alternative is to put the cut on the headstock, which leaves the joint showing unless you veneer it.

     

    305756507?profile=original

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