Building a 7 layer laminated neck (alternating oak with poplar) and want to scarf the head join. Is it practical to do this by hand? I do have a compound saw but not sure if it would cut at 15 degrees so am thinking of making a simple mitre box. Antone done this with any success before? This is for a CBG P-Bass btw.....
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I cut my scarf joints on my bandsaw and then clean it up as much as possible with a small block plain and then sand the jointing surfaces in a "sled" that I built out of some scrap laminated mdf and chipboard, it's approximately 15 degress (give or take) and gives a nice clean joint.........I just use double sided tape between the neck and headstock joints and then double sided tape to secure the both pieces into the "sled" Gives me very good and consistent results. I also glue up with the join on top so the fret board covers the join!
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Hey Marcus - looks good - and that is one "stylin'" Border Collie!!!
Are you going to the Fort Henry Fright Nite thing they have going on???
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Nope - I'm just north of Barrie but I seen that story about Fort Henry Halloween on Canada AM and it looked like a lot of fun - if I was closer I'd be going. I could sit in a corner playin' my CBG - that would sure scare them!!!
Stayed in a cheapish motel and it was awesome. Everyone in Barrie smokes doobie.....I was quite surprised.....
I have used both methods in the last 2 weeks to make a scarf joint on the neck/head stock.
I spent an hour or so creating a simple sloping jig, clamped the 2 pieces in and routed the angle on to them. I glued up straight from the router using small and flat hardwood cauls. It was good but not perfect, there was a slight hairline shadow.
I also tried doing it using a hand saw and a sharp fine set block plane and a good try square. This method was far quicker and far more accurate. Not 100% perfect (top luthier standard that is), but way better than the routed version.
To be fair, if I had fettled and adjusted the routed version (take a couple fine passes down the centre to leave micro concave surfaces) it would have been better, but if you need to fettle, why use the router to begin with? (I used a good quality cutter BTW) Saw takes just a few seconds.....
But next time I will stick with the saw/plane/square version. For one thing, doing it manually you can custom-make the angle each time, a jig restricts you to using the same angle. If you need a new angle, another hour creating another jig that takes up yet more storage space
Nope I won't do fort Henry...
I have to disagree with the statement that one-piece necks are stronger, as someone who's had Gibsons and Epiphones with broken heads. On a one-piece neck, the grain is running diagonally to the headstock, making it a weak point. With a scarf joint, the grain is running parallel to the head, which makes the head much stronger. So, if you can get a good strong joint at the scarf, you have the overlay on the headstock or, even better, the fingerboard reinforcing the scarf joint. Personally, I prefer the method where the fingerboard reinforces the joint.
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