I'm at the point now where I'd like to make a tapered neck. I only have a very inaccurate table saw (50+ years old, park district woodshop). Would I be better off working with the band saw instead? (Sorry if this is a more rudimentary woodworking discussion, but CBG 101 didn't seem like the right place either, and better to go to the fount of knowledge . . .)
You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!
COOL Randy!! I like that very much!
Randy S. Bretz said:
I probably am the only builder that uses tree limbs as necks. The biggest reason I started making instrument necks this way, is the peghead has a natural angle from the growth of the limb. I start by taking an electric chainsaw and cutting out a rough shape. The top of the limb is cut as flat and as straight as I can get it by eye, then the peghead and then underneath. After the rough cutting I take to my 36" delta belt sander start doing the contours and flatting the fretboard part[top]. After the basic shape is obtain, I use a spoke shave to give it a round profile on the belly. One more time on the belt sander and lots of hand sanding. The result is an all natural neck, with a strength that will "never break" from string tension.
Thanks, Richard! I think I'll work your method for the fiddle (s) on the bench. I have a plan with a much more extreme angle for the head, but maybe that is unnecessary and I can get away with less angle and have it on in one piece.
Thanks, Richard! I think I'll work your method for the fiddle (s) on the bench. I have a plan with a much more extreme angle for the head, but maybe that is unnecessary and I can get away with less angle and have it on in one piece.
After the neck is where I want it, then I make a fretboard, cut the frets when the board is parallel, then set the frets, and taper it till it matches the neck. Then I glue the fret board to the neck. If you glue it straight, use little guide lines marking the centerline, then everything will line up. Then finish sand.
Now transfer the template to the three woods that you want to use. The inside strip might be a dark wood, and the two outers maybe Maple for a contrast. I like to use about 1/4 inch on the inner strip, then 3/4 in on the two outers. Then glue the three pieces together. Now you have a neck about 1 3/4 inches wide. Then with a bandsaw, not a table saw, remove about a quarter inch down the neck, towards the peg head, with a turn out as you meet the peghead area. Lay out a pencil line either straight or with a taper, and follow the line with a bandsaw, then turn out to form the peghead "ears". I like to use the laminations because the wood is a lot cheaper then buying a big 2x2x18 piece, which will probably warp later, and can be difficult to cut. I have even enclosed a steel rod inside my necks for straightness, Its easy to do if you are gluing up the neck from laminations. The numbers on the template have to do with the fret number, not the length. Don't try this on a table saw without the proper taper guides, because if you do not accurately feed the wood straight on a table saw, the blade with grab the wood and raise havoc, and maybe a trip to the emergency room. I can make a neck and show you the different stages if you all like. This process is clear to me, but may not be for yo'all. ASK QUESTIONS, SO I KNOW WHAT TO ADDRESS...glad to help.
G'day friends. When I make a tapered neck, I like to use laminations, different colored woods, along with the better strength of different strengths of a good joint. The main power tool I use is a bandsaw, used properly, it offers a great variety of useful cuts. I use a table saw just to get manageable size pieces, then the bandsaw for the real cuts. The table saw can be dangerous if you try to cut tapers without the proper guides. I have seen violent kickbacks, and nasty injuries by folks trying to rough cut tapered necks. First make a template. Look sideways at a neck profile you like, draw it on a piece of 3/8" wood, and carefully cut it out on a scroll saw or bandsaw with a narrow blade. I use a bandsaw with a 1/8" blade, which allows tight radius cuts. the template will guarantee consistent results. Here's a picture...
Hi DIane,
Yes, a bandsaw can help but you need to be carefull to cut just inside (on the waste side) of where you want the cut to be. If you need to cut a taper, then you can use a tapered block as a support for the neck as it goes through the bandsaw to help achieve this, but if you are making the neck, headstock and heel allin one piece then you have to work 'freehand'. It just takes care and practise, that's all.
I tend to start off with a rectangular block of wood and markout the neck on all four longsides. Then I rough-cut away most of the waste with a coping saw (like a band saw but human-powered only) and put back the markings as I go.
I then do most of the shaping with a couple of spokeshaves - one with a flat foot and one curved - and find these the best tool for shaping necks. Provided you have them carefully honed and the blades set just right, they can be used very accurately and it doesn't take too long to do.
I finish off with freshly-prepped scraper - one flat and one curved to the sort of radius I want the back of the neck to be at.
Many guitar makers try on many different methods for each part of the process. I've found that if I take my time and cut carefully (staying about 1/8" off the line) a band saw works just fine for this type of operation. Following that, a block plane, sanding block, and straight edge are usually all I need to true up the sides. The trick is that when you're straightening up your sides you don't want to take it all the way down to the final level because you're still going to go over the whole neck with rasps, files, and more sandpaper. If you plane all the way down to your final dimension, your neck will actually be smaller than you intended by the time you have it finish sanded.
Be careful with a belt sander if you decide to go that route. They are fantastic for sanding something straight but they are also fantastic at turning large pieces of wood into even larger piles of fine grained saw dust in about .5 seconds.
Replies
Makes me feel a little different about tree limbs down in the park after a storm. Mebbe I should keep a saw in my back pocket when I'm out for a run.
Randy S. Bretz said:
Diane said:
Off to Woodworld!
Yes, a bandsaw can help but you need to be carefull to cut just inside (on the waste side) of where you want the cut to be. If you need to cut a taper, then you can use a tapered block as a support for the neck as it goes through the bandsaw to help achieve this, but if you are making the neck, headstock and heel allin one piece then you have to work 'freehand'. It just takes care and practise, that's all.
I tend to start off with a rectangular block of wood and markout the neck on all four longsides. Then I rough-cut away most of the waste with a coping saw (like a band saw but human-powered only) and put back the markings as I go.
I then do most of the shaping with a couple of spokeshaves - one with a flat foot and one curved - and find these the best tool for shaping necks. Provided you have them carefully honed and the blades set just right, they can be used very accurately and it doesn't take too long to do.
I finish off with freshly-prepped scraper - one flat and one curved to the sort of radius I want the back of the neck to be at.
Many guitar makers try on many different methods for each part of the process. I've found that if I take my time and cut carefully (staying about 1/8" off the line) a band saw works just fine for this type of operation. Following that, a block plane, sanding block, and straight edge are usually all I need to true up the sides. The trick is that when you're straightening up your sides you don't want to take it all the way down to the final level because you're still going to go over the whole neck with rasps, files, and more sandpaper. If you plane all the way down to your final dimension, your neck will actually be smaller than you intended by the time you have it finish sanded.
Be careful with a belt sander if you decide to go that route. They are fantastic for sanding something straight but they are also fantastic at turning large pieces of wood into even larger piles of fine grained saw dust in about .5 seconds.
Josh
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next