Official Luthiers Forum!

I should of butted the left side to the cutaway side so now I have to cover the joint in the cutaway next to the neck. After the neck is installed, you can see the edge of the side. However I can't use my router so I'm left ctting the channel by hand. How do you guys do this? I could kick myself, I thought this through and did it anyways! Now I'm left with a task I don't know how to tackle. Clinton

Use a marking gauge or gramil or clamp a straight edge to the cutawy area and scribe deeply the line you want to cut. Using a very sharp chisel you will be able to clean out the area for the binding. It's not as bad as it sounds. A very sharp chisel is key though.
This is the way I recently bound a florentine (pointy) cutaway.
Good luck.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

I guess I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill. Once I figure how to clamp a staight edge to it, a little patience and handwork and it should be fine. Clinton

Why can't you use your router? I use mine for this. Just be careful of the tear out.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I like to put a small square block in there (cutaway/neck joint area), so I route a 1/4 by 1/4 ledge on the router table with a short fence.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Brock, My cutaway isn't large enough to get my router in there unless I caome from the other side, then my index (under the bit) would be on the wrong side of the cut.
Tony, I don't know if I understand what you mean, but you gave my a great idea, and the next time I'll route my neck block prior to attaching the sides. Ideas come from all kinds of sources! Clinton

I route this ledge/channel after the body is all together Crich, prior to routing the binding channels on the other edges. The short (in height above the table) fence on the table allows the cutaway to hang over this, and thus allows the bit to get right against the cutaway neck block area. I dont have pix of this right now, but have three or four to do this year ... maybe later

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I just hold a piece of wood near the area as a fence and then use a good sharp fret saw to cut the area. Then I remove the excess with a chisel. It is not really as hard as you think.