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Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on July 6, 2010 at 5:40am

You apply a 1/4" fingerboard to the top of the neck and put a bit of that same stock on the back of the neck at the head. That way you get enough break angle over the nut and enough thickness to add your tuners, all without a table saw or a band saw.

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Permalink Reply by Josh Gayou (SmokehouseGuitars) on July 6, 2010 at 6:36am

A saw cut alone is not enough to get a good scarf joint. After you make the cut, you need to clean up the mating surfaces of the wood with a block plane (I use a low angle block plane). Set the plane to whisper so that it will self level. Check work often with a straight edge to ensure that it is perfect. If you get this right, the scarf joint practically makes itself.

Douglas Eric Marsalis said:

Thanks everyone. I have tried two scarf joints so far. It is not as easy as it looks.

One problem, because I do not have a table saw, I had to go to the hardware store to get my cuts. I don't think the guy did too good of a job.

I am trying my best to get my pieces together with NO seam, but it is just not happening this time around.

Another problem is that my head stock end is a milli or two higher than the neck end, so it will make problems for when I glue down my fret board. I mat have to have the fret board area plained again at the hardware shop. OR just try to file that area down. Any ideas?

God I wish I had the proper tools (table saw). Life would be so much easier.

Thanks again for all of your comments.

Douglas

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Permalink Reply by Josh Gayou (SmokehouseGuitars) on July 6, 2010 at 6:41am

BTW, I don't have a table saw. I cut my scarf joints with a handsaw. My cut is never dead on the line (I'm thinking about making a miter gauge that is designed to clamp onto a neck blank). You get a straight and invisible glue line with the block plane. Also, with your headstock end being too high, this is easily fixed as follows:

Douglas Eric Marsalis said:

Thanks everyone. I have tried two scarf joints so far. It is not as easy as it looks.


One problem, because I do not have a table saw, I had to go to the hardware store to get my cuts. I don't think the guy did too good of a job.

I am trying my best to get my pieces together with NO seam, but it is just not happening this time around.

Another problem is that my head stock end is a milli or two higher than the neck end, so it will make problems for when I glue down my fret board. I mat have to have the fret board area plained again at the hardware shop. OR just try to file that area down. Any ideas?

God I wish I had the proper tools (table saw). Life would be so much easier.

Thanks again for all of your comments.

Douglas

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