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
Replies
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 Ron
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"...
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...
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!
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.
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
Thank u John !,,this a visual that i needed badly
http://handmademusic.ning.com/group/jimfretshowtovideos
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.
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