There is something about using a coping saw and a chisel to make a guitar neck. a great feeling knowing you made the guitar without more than mainly just a drill . Those cuts in the neck for the cigar box to close and the recess the headstock require difficult and time-consuming effort for me...
I'm thinking of a jigsaw? to make those cuts but also wanted to know what other tools people use to cut those areas. I seem to make the most mistakes at these points because of the chisel/sanding.
The only power tool I ever use to shape a neck is a small sander to finish it off. My latest neck was whittled down by hand with a saw, chisel and hammer, and this cool little shaver that cost me about £4...
Exactly Wayfinder! I highly reccommend the Dragon rasps which I use in the video. Prior to getting them from Stew-Mac I was using decent quality Nicholson rasps and the difference is like hatchet compared to scalpel! I also use them to fit the opening in a box to the neck extension. Slow enough to not mess up but fast enough to not be tedious.
Out of curiousity I've built a couple of necks only using hand tools. I've got a pretty complete shop but get much more satisfaction using non powered tools. I do use scarf joints for the head angle and I lay out the 7 - 10 degree angle and draw a pencil line. Then use your best saw to follow that line. You can touch up the cut with a sanding block and 80 grit paper for a tight fit. Shaping the neck starts with a draw knife, a spokeshave, rasps and a cabinet scraper and then sanding. Here's a vid I made of that process last year. http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/slow-but-satisfying-my-most-bor...
Richey Kay > Jim MorrisDecember 1, 2014 at 12:05pm
I've tried using power tools a few times, but always miss the hands on feel. I have used only hand tools (and an electric drill) for about my last 20 builds...
Thinning the headstock and recessing the neck under the lid are jobs for chisels and rasps. If I tried to use a coping saw or jigsaw for this I think I would make a mess!
I wouldn't recommend a jigsaw. I have a scroll saw which is pretty useless except for occasional cuts in thin plywood. If you are using hardwood for the neck, the jigsaw or scrollsaw just doesn't have the punch to get through it. I can't get a straight cut in oak with the scrollsaw. When I push the work, the blade just turns and I have no control over it.
Beg, or trade something or some labor for use of a tablesaw or bandsaw. Have everything laid out before you show up and bring your own clamps, pencils and measuring tools. That way, the owner of the saw doesn't have to stand around while you get set up.
There are affordable table saws, but they are not so good and I think they are a bit dangerous.
I was not very clear. I love my jigsaw for doing some parts of a neck, like shaping the headstock or cutting the top relief. I use it for a lot of other stuff but to round off the back of a neck I prefer to do it by hand with a spokeshave.
Replies
haven't got a power saw , i use a panel saw , spoke shave and a scraper. brace and bit for the tuners..sandpaper..
The only power tool I ever use to shape a neck is a small sander to finish it off. My latest neck was whittled down by hand with a saw, chisel and hammer, and this cool little shaver that cost me about £4...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-Multirasp-Shaver-190mm/dp/B00NHOW554...
Awesome video Jim, thanks. I must have one of those benches!
Oh, and I still use power tools pretty regularly otherwise I can't keep up with orders!
Not such a big fan of chisels - too many nasty cuts! Not the chisel's fault!
Exactly Wayfinder! I highly reccommend the Dragon rasps which I use in the video. Prior to getting them from Stew-Mac I was using decent quality Nicholson rasps and the difference is like hatchet compared to scalpel! I also use them to fit the opening in a box to the neck extension. Slow enough to not mess up but fast enough to not be tedious.
Out of curiousity I've built a couple of necks only using hand tools. I've got a pretty complete shop but get much more satisfaction using non powered tools. I do use scarf joints for the head angle and I lay out the 7 - 10 degree angle and draw a pencil line. Then use your best saw to follow that line. You can touch up the cut with a sanding block and 80 grit paper for a tight fit. Shaping the neck starts with a draw knife, a spokeshave, rasps and a cabinet scraper and then sanding. Here's a vid I made of that process last year. http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/slow-but-satisfying-my-most-bor...
Thinning the headstock and recessing the neck under the lid are jobs for chisels and rasps. If I tried to use a coping saw or jigsaw for this I think I would make a mess!
I wouldn't recommend a jigsaw. I have a scroll saw which is pretty useless except for occasional cuts in thin plywood. If you are using hardwood for the neck, the jigsaw or scrollsaw just doesn't have the punch to get through it. I can't get a straight cut in oak with the scrollsaw. When I push the work, the blade just turns and I have no control over it.
Beg, or trade something or some labor for use of a tablesaw or bandsaw. Have everything laid out before you show up and bring your own clamps, pencils and measuring tools. That way, the owner of the saw doesn't have to stand around while you get set up.
There are affordable table saws, but they are not so good and I think they are a bit dangerous.
I thought about doing a vid building a guitar without electricity. Just a basic stick through box screwed and glued but it time consuming.
I was not very clear. I love my jigsaw for doing some parts of a neck, like shaping the headstock or cutting the top relief. I use it for a lot of other stuff but to round off the back of a neck I prefer to do it by hand with a spokeshave.
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