Just curious what kind of tools used to shape necks. I've been using router, rasp, sandpaper. I like old hand tools. and have been looking at draw knives and spokeshaves. Not very familiar with them, never used either. Anyone use them. Lots of old ones on eBay, but lack of knowledge keeps me from buying.
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In an earlier post back in June I believe, I said that I use handtools to get the final shape.Thats no longer true except for hand sanders.
Now after I cut out the basic shape with the bandsaw,It goes to the table belt sander. There I get the shape very close to final sanding ready using rough belt paper.
Then I switch to smooth belt paper to get closer to the shape. Then the neck goes to the workbench and I spend a few minutes with 60 grit on a handsander to get it to the point where its almost ready to stain.
I grab another sander thats preloaded with the final smooth grit and get that final look I want.I tend to attack the neck moving the sander so fast that sometimes my hand is a blur.
I cut a hole in the other end ( I cut all my necks slightly long) so I can hang the necks upside down for drying.
So I have found that the less handtools used ( for me) not counting hand sanders , the faster I can get that necks painted or whatever its getting.
I do neck sessions where I'll take as many as 6 to 8 necks from log form to ready to paint necks in a couple of hours.Few breaks, as I hate to lose my momentum when I'm in a session.I build my necks during the week , before and after my real job. Fri-Tues. Wed and thurs I assemble all the parts I've been working on all week. By Fri I'm ready to haul all the stock to my retail shop and hopefully swap em for money.
During the season I will build as many as 8-10 3 stringers and 4 to 10 1 stringers .All built using as many methods as I can to avoid as much handwork as possible.
It works great for me,I dont see any way I could get as many pieces done if I used as much handwork as I used to.I'm exploring ways to cut more handwork down so I can get the higher numbers built and ready during the heavy part of the season here.One thing I'm looking at is a longer table sander to make it possible to sand more of a neck at a time cutting even more time.
I use an old drawknife, spokeshave and rasps before it gets the sandpaper treatment. Once you use a drawknife and get the knack of using one you'll wonder why you didn't use one before. I use it for shaping just about anything wooden...from necks to carved wooden spoons! Trick is to keep'em sharp and you can do wonders.
That is a great idea, I am constantly breaking the sandpaper and that will help alot---thanks
Paul Doug said:
Another method i use for sanding, I use a strip torn off a sheet of sanding paper. I stick clear packing tape on the back of the strip. Last real long with out tearing.
Even better, I have started using Klingspor's sandpaper. Buy in rolls, cloth backed. A roll will last me for a very vewry long time.
That is a great idea, I am constantly breaking the sandpaper and that will help alot---thanks
Paul Doug said:
Another method i use for sanding, I use a strip torn off a sheet of sanding paper. I stick clear packing tape on the back of the strip. Last real long with out tearing.
using alcohol accomplishes the same thing but does not add moisture to the wood.
Mark Werner said:
A trick I learned from bow-making... (might be common knowledge...) When you get down to the final finishing with ultra-fine sandpaper, wet the wood with a damp cloth. This will raise the grain; you'll be amazed at how rough your previously-smooth piece feels.
Go over that with very fine (300-400) sandpaper and you'll have a nice, smooth finish that won't raise any more when you apply finish.
Another method i use for sanding, I use a strip torn off a sheet of sanding paper. I stick clear packing tape on the back of the strip. Last real long with out tearing.
Thanks. I thought my cheap HF spokeshave was junk until I bought a better sharpening stone and lowered the angle of the spokeshave and set it so that the blade was barely sticking out of the surface. Works great now.
Don Miller said:
Rasp and file to shape the ends of the neck, then spokeshave to connect them. Scrapers to get rid of spokeshave and rasp marks, and 220 grit to make it smooth and ready for finish.
Wade, I find that some chunks of wood don't like to be shaved one direction, even with a sharp spokeshave making a very light cut. If I start to get chatter and chunks, I can usually just go the other way.
I use a spokeshave to do the basic shaping of the back of the neck and then successive grades of abrasive paper (80, 180, 240 and finally 400 to finish). I have a small electric sander (which was described as a "detail sander"), but mostly I do the sanding by hand.
For cutting out substantial sections (eg. for the headstock or for pickup recesses) I use one of a variety of saws, followed usually by a bit of work with a coarse file. Then, once more, it's abrasive paper to finish.
I guess the timber you use will affect how easy or how well various tools and techniques will work out. I've been using sapele (because it was easy to get small pieces from local joinery firms). It seems to be a very easy wood to work while also being very strong and I've found the spokeshave and other handtools to be all I need with this material.
I need a new blade for my coping saw. It is bowed. It is amazing how much you can accomplish with a simple coping saw. I use the coping saw for the first cut.
I hit the neck with the sanding drum in the air die grinder to shape it, but finished it with a half round bastard file, then sanding paper.
The Air Die Grinder is just for clean up after shaping with the coping saw.
Replies
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/xac/xacx75330.htm
these are perfect for cutting fret slots in 1.5 in (1*2)s and it's CHEAP!
Now after I cut out the basic shape with the bandsaw,It goes to the table belt sander. There I get the shape very close to final sanding ready using rough belt paper.
Then I switch to smooth belt paper to get closer to the shape. Then the neck goes to the workbench and I spend a few minutes with 60 grit on a handsander to get it to the point where its almost ready to stain.
I grab another sander thats preloaded with the final smooth grit and get that final look I want.I tend to attack the neck moving the sander so fast that sometimes my hand is a blur.
I cut a hole in the other end ( I cut all my necks slightly long) so I can hang the necks upside down for drying.
So I have found that the less handtools used ( for me) not counting hand sanders , the faster I can get that necks painted or whatever its getting.
I do neck sessions where I'll take as many as 6 to 8 necks from log form to ready to paint necks in a couple of hours.Few breaks, as I hate to lose my momentum when I'm in a session.I build my necks during the week , before and after my real job. Fri-Tues. Wed and thurs I assemble all the parts I've been working on all week. By Fri I'm ready to haul all the stock to my retail shop and hopefully swap em for money.
During the season I will build as many as 8-10 3 stringers and 4 to 10 1 stringers .All built using as many methods as I can to avoid as much handwork as possible.
It works great for me,I dont see any way I could get as many pieces done if I used as much handwork as I used to.I'm exploring ways to cut more handwork down so I can get the higher numbers built and ready during the heavy part of the season here.One thing I'm looking at is a longer table sander to make it possible to sand more of a neck at a time cutting even more time.
Even better, I have started using Klingspor's sandpaper. Buy in rolls, cloth backed. A roll will last me for a very vewry long time.
http://www.woodworkingshop.com/cgi-bin/A6B13374/mac/additmdtl.mac/s...
Paul Doug said:
Mark Werner said:
Don Miller said:
For cutting out substantial sections (eg. for the headstock or for pickup recesses) I use one of a variety of saws, followed usually by a bit of work with a coarse file. Then, once more, it's abrasive paper to finish.
I guess the timber you use will affect how easy or how well various tools and techniques will work out. I've been using sapele (because it was easy to get small pieces from local joinery firms). It seems to be a very easy wood to work while also being very strong and I've found the spokeshave and other handtools to be all I need with this material.
I hit the neck with the sanding drum in the air die grinder to shape it, but finished it with a half round bastard file, then sanding paper.
The Air Die Grinder is just for clean up after shaping with the coping saw.
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