Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi,
I have done a search and found nothing relating to this so apologies if I have missed it though.


Can someone point me in the direction of a good resource to learn how to laminate and carve my own necks. I am some way off needing to do this just yet but I would like to understand the principles ahead of time as it were.

Thanks
Barry

When you do a search, make sure that you specify to search in the archives. If you only type in your search term and click enter, the default is to search the currently active topics. So make sure you are searching the archives. There should be lots of info in the archives about neck carving.

lamination is just a simple glueup. woods of your choice, trued and planed, to make a block about 3" thick by 4" wide. will yield 2 necks. much easier to do if you have, or have access to, a jointer and a thickness planer.

once glued up and trued, lay out the neck profiles on the 4 inch wide side using the edges for the fb surface and nesting the headstock in the other profiles heel curve. cut out on the bandsaw. true the headstock face on the jointer. the back surface of the headstock can be trued on a belt sander or using a safety planer.

carving the shaft and heel offers any wide range of options of options. some use a right angle die grinder with a sanding disk(messy), some use spokeshaves and gouges, others sanding drums. read of one chap who uses a carbide burr in a die grinder. the safety planer is used by some to taper the shaft and the rounding by any of the other means.

there are so many options and all work. it's a matter of selecting one and trying it, then adapt, modify, or try something else till you find the method that you prefer..

not having an edit button is a pain.....

and i should have mentioned, it is well worthwhile spending time practicing on some scrap timber will you are comfortable with the techniques.

also, one of the advantages of laminating necks is that you can use flatsawn stock which is more readily available than qs at general lumber vendors.

Ahh excellent and many thanks to you all.
(Sorry about the search faux pas too...)


Barry.

Barry-
You gotten some excellent advice already.
For one method (using neck templates-which you can make yourself from the plan or pull from an existing guitar), see:
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com/products/p10-2.html

As Michael has pointed out, lots of different tool combinations will work for shaping. I've recently gotten a few Microplane (TM) tools (both handled and to fit a hacksaw frame) and find they are good for rough shaping. Much sharper and smoother than Surform tools, and faster-cutting than expensive rasps, they're worth checking out.

(BTW, I also use a SafetyPlaner, and 3" sanding drums, along with block plane and sections of sanding belt for neck shaping.)

Cheers
John

Thanks for the plug John! Barry, we just came out with these new Neck templates to guide you as you carve a neck. I also have video's and instruction on how to carve a neck from my website HERE.

A comment about laminating necks...if you plan to use a scarf joint on the peghead, then I suggest you should go ahead and glue the scarf joint and then glue the heel block on place, then slice it down the middle and glue in your laminations. Don't ask how I know this

Good luck!
Tracy

_________________
Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Microplanes do work well, but they clog fast and that is kind of a pain.

I use a stationary belt sander to put on the volute, and rough in the barrel of the neck, then bring the rest in with rasps and sanding sticks.

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

Very nice video tutorials on the luthiersupplier link. Great job Tracy.

Thanks Donovan Very nice of you to notice!
Tracy

_________________
Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

I use a long flat surfoam plane along the length of the neck to countour it and it works great! I use the table saw to rough cut the heel then use a sharp gouge to refine it.

Thanks everyone especially Tracey fro the vids much appreciated. Lots of reading to do now

Barry.

Check out LMI's Dragon rasps....mine get lots of use when shaping necks and heels.

I don't find that Microplanes clog. The chips go right through. I use a flat MP blade in a surform handle, and a curved MP blade in a hacksaw frame. These particular blades only seem to be available from Japan Woodworker. Using them, I can plane a neck in about 10 minutes.

[QUOTE=BarryDaniels] I don't find that Microplanes clog. The chips go right through. I use a flat MP blade in a surform handle, and a curved MP blade in a hacksaw frame. These particular blades only seem to be available from Japan Woodworker. Using them, I can plane a neck in about 10 minutes.[/QUOTE]

Barry-
I've not found clogging with the hacksaw blade either.
BTW, LeeValleyTools sells the microplane blades as well.

Cheers

John