I haven't done a great amount of wood working in the past, at least not where I would need to glue two integral pieces together. So, I figre I would ask this here.
Would the overall strength of the neck/headstock be compromised if I were to glue a headstock on in a lap joint method.
Something like this:
Obviously, I'd be using a strong glue and a clamp while it sets. But would this take away from the overal strength of the neck as a whole?
Thank you.
Replies
I use staples to keep the scarf joint from slipping. I shoot in a couple, not very deep, and then snip them of close. It leave sharp little tips that keep the joint from slipping during clamping.
Here's how I have been doing it, but I like the staple idea.
Man, you do not mess around when it comes to clamping sh** down...:-)
Good Idea, though.
Ha. Yeah. That large bar clamp is just holding the 4x4 in place so the headstock pieces have something to butt-up against. Makes for a nice snug joint. You could just as easily push your bench against a wall & do the same thing. The three-spring-clamp idea is something I picked up when I was lurking around here a long time ago. Anyway, I still never seem to have enough clamps. :-)
Haha. I don't see a problem with it at all. Whatever it takes to get the joint correct.
Then, later on, I will give my shamrock idea a shot.
Probably for the best, yes?
Practice, practice, practice. Otherwise known as getting the feel.
Just like learning to play...:-)
Whatever works with stopping the joint slipping. Some people say they put sand or salt in the glue joint to get the two parts to "bite" together, but I just hate the idea of contaminating the glue joint that way. I tend to clamp really tight, and doubt whether taping would work for me to counter the wedging effect, and sometimes I will clamp the parts down to a flat surface to prevent them slipping apart, then glue and clamp the joint. I always use cast iron g cramps to ensure I get the optimum thin glueline..you don't want to squeeze the joint dry of glue, but for me no other clamps do the job for important structural connections like headstocks and fretboards - with a good cast iron clamp you get great mechanical advantage and can learn gauge how much pressure you are applying to the glued-up joint.
Handy hint...glue the oversized and unshaped headstock to the neck first, then plane & sand the joint flush on the top of the neck (that will establish exactly where the nut needs to be, then draw and cut out your design. The reason for gluing first and then shaping is that it is VERY easy to miscalculate where the nut will be when you are just clamping two lumps of wood together - and the design could end up either too far away or too close to the nut than you intended..also if it slips out of alignment ever so slightly, it's going to look really wierd if you've shaped it before glueing..so glue, trim the fretboard face flush and then finally do the shaping.
Before you clamp up the joint, drive in a couple of veneer pins or thin panel pins into the mating surface of the neck, nip them off so they protrude only a couple of mm then glue and clamp. The pins will help prevent the joint slipping when you clamp it.
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