Ok, started my first build (finally) and am trying figure out the best method for getting the corners rounded on the back of the neck. Practicing on scrap wood, I've tried using a block plane and then sanding. This takes the sharp edge off, but is still not as round as I would like. Any suggestions?
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I start with a router as well to take off the lions share of the waste, and then move into a little finishing work with a nice shoulder plane, spoke shave, and lots and lots of sanding.
Hal, I start most of my necks using a 1 inch roundover router bit on a router table.... then I use a combination of scrapers and dremel to hand finish the neck to the customer's specifications... just be careful, work slow and smooth... that why you don't take off too much wood or meat.... the best, Wichita Sam
My first thought was to use a spoke shave, but no one around here had one for a decent price, so I opted to get a router and table set up, along with some variety of bits. I finally found a spoke shave today in the local classifieds on-line. It is 70 plus years old and has 2 extra blades for $10.00. But for now, I found the router with a shallow round over and long leg edge will do the job with great finish cuts, a lite sanding for the finished neck. Once I get the spoke shave sharpened up and tuned, I will use it more so for blending the finish cuts.
I have 2 spokeshaves, one is an old Stanley from the 30's. It has an adjustable front plate and works great. Its flat not concave. I did a lot of reading online before getting it and it seems old is better with these unless you want to spent a buch of money. Ebay always has a few decent old stanleys. I also have one of the wood ones Josh is talking about. Mine is over 100 years old and the blade is a bit worn. I like the Stanley better but I can see how a good wood one will get into some tighter corners. With my stanley I can cut on the pull and push no problem. There is a place that makes the blades for the wood shaves and you make your own handle, saves some money and should be another fun project.
As luck would have it both my spokeshaves were in my parents garage.
So I first bought a metal spoke shave with a flat blade. It had the little depth adjustment wheels and whatnot. I tuned that sucker till I could shave the hairs off the back of my hand. It worked well enough but didn't give me the feel I was looking for. Then I went to an antique store and bought a couple of boxwood spokeshaves (one large, one small). They were turn of the century stuff with gummed up blades and a lot of TLC needed. I brought them home, sanded down and polished up the metal blades, and sharpened them up razor fine. In both case the blades are very slightly convex but I suspect they were originally flat when they were forged. At any rate, the old school boxwood spokeshaves are some of the finest tools I've ever owned. I can't tell you what kind of fine control I can get with these things. I think a large part has to do with the fact that they'll work both on the push and on the pull stroke. Anyway, I advise you to google "boxwood spokeshave" and explore that fully. They still make them today. The more expensive ones have height adjustment wheels but the ones I bought just have two tines that push through the wooden handle. Old school, baby.
Thanks for all the input. I've gone to Lowe's, Home Depot, Tractor Supply and three hardware stores in town and can't find a spokeshave. I guess I will order one on Ebay. As a follow up question about the shaver, I see them listed as flat, convex and concave. I guess the convex or concave is what I need, or is it? And convex or concave in relation to the shaver or the wood? Which one will round off like I need.
I'm excited about finishing my first build. I DEFINITELY have some room for improvement in the wood-working department...but that's part of the challenge I enjoy. Thanks again for all the friendly and helpful advice.
I have tried all sorts of ways to do this - couldn't handle a spokeshave and not for me, so this is how i do 'em;
Measure out and mark off the beginning and end of "rounding" area or zone, making two double marks at each end, then mark each corner all along the neck within the "rounding zone", then gently gouge out the four corners within the marks.
Using a block plane take off the corners along the length of the neck being careful not to go outside the zone, then finish off the ends with a flat chisel...very tricky at first but works well.
Having got the right shape sand the whole neck until nice and smooth!
It is not really necessary to round the back of the neck in a half moon shape, i just like the corners rounded off to keep the strength along the neck...may not suit everyone but it works for me (-;
Chickenbone John is one of my favs. Listen to this dude. He can make anything sound like a million bucks given strings and time.
ChickenboneJohn said:
The spoke shave is handy for taking off relatively large amounts pretty quicky (be careful not to set it to take off TOO much in one pass), but you will probably have to work into the tighter corners at the heel and back of the headstock with something else, like a half-round coarse file or rasp. I use my trusty bench belt sander to do these radii and to even-out along the length of the neck. You can do all the work by hand, you don't need power tools, it just takes longer and more elbow-grease. I use power tools like my bench sander because sometimes I'm shaping 5 necks in a day, and it helps me work quicker, easier and more consistently, but I managed to build loads of guitars without one.
Replies
Hal "PairsNPaint" Spalter said:
I have 2 spokeshaves, one is an old Stanley from the 30's. It has an adjustable front plate and works great. Its flat not concave. I did a lot of reading online before getting it and it seems old is better with these unless you want to spent a buch of money. Ebay always has a few decent old stanleys. I also have one of the wood ones Josh is talking about. Mine is over 100 years old and the blade is a bit worn. I like the Stanley better but I can see how a good wood one will get into some tighter corners. With my stanley I can cut on the pull and push no problem. There is a place that makes the blades for the wood shaves and you make your own handle, saves some money and should be another fun project.
As luck would have it both my spokeshaves were in my parents garage.
Thanks for all the input. I've gone to Lowe's, Home Depot, Tractor Supply and three hardware stores in town and can't find a spokeshave. I guess I will order one on Ebay. As a follow up question about the shaver, I see them listed as flat, convex and concave. I guess the convex or concave is what I need, or is it? And convex or concave in relation to the shaver or the wood? Which one will round off like I need.
I'm excited about finishing my first build. I DEFINITELY have some room for improvement in the wood-working department...but that's part of the challenge I enjoy. Thanks again for all the friendly and helpful advice.
I have tried all sorts of ways to do this - couldn't handle a spokeshave and not for me, so this is how i do 'em;
Measure out and mark off the beginning and end of "rounding" area or zone, making two double marks at each end, then mark each corner all along the neck within the "rounding zone", then gently gouge out the four corners within the marks.
Using a block plane take off the corners along the length of the neck being careful not to go outside the zone, then finish off the ends with a flat chisel...very tricky at first but works well.
Having got the right shape sand the whole neck until nice and smooth!
It is not really necessary to round the back of the neck in a half moon shape, i just like the corners rounded off to keep the strength along the neck...may not suit everyone but it works for me (-;
ChickenboneJohn said:
What about using a quarter-roundover router bit?
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