Official Luthiers Forum!

Just pondering the pros and cons of finishing the guitar with neck attached or without. If I finish the body without the neck attached do I need to scrape the finish off where the neck butts up or is it ok to just bolt the neck straight over the finish? I realise I will need to remove the finish where I glue the fretboard to the top but wasn't sure about the heel to body join. I am using a mortise and tennon type join. Also with finishing the neck with the fingerboard fretted and glued  do you mask the fingerboard right to the edge?

 

Regards

Craig.

Finish seperately, mask the tenon surfaces, don't worry about the glue anywhere else. If you're gluing down the fretboard extension, it's easy enough to scrap finish off from that area. Buffing a seperate body is easier than buffing a body and neck combo.

I mask the face of the fingerboard, well, and finish the sides with the rest of the neck shaft.

Craig,

I would definitely finish the neck and body separate. Only scrape the finish off the top where the neck extension is glued down. Don't scrape the finish off where the neck cheeks butt against the body. Don't glue that area either.

Thanks Mattia and Colby. I will do as you both suggest and finish separately. By the way what do you guys use to remove the finish?

I will be spraying with nitrocelluose

Regards

 

Craig.

Todd routers make me nervous at the best of times so will pass on that one . How does blue tape differ from the standard masking tape? Refloss? not sure exactly what you mean .

Thanks

Craig.

 

Todd thanks for clarifying that for me and also for the detail of how to do. It's hard reading between the lines at times when you are a first timer with building and I really don't like doing things more than once if I can help it.

 

Regards

Craig.

If you are using a bolt-on mortise & tenon joint & you finish with the neck on, the lacquer will eventually crack where the heel meets the sides.
Recently, I have been masking my fingerboards a tiny bit (1/64" or so) inside the edge. When taking off the tape, this will leave a very narrow ridge of finish on the board which is easy to remove with a SHARP chisel. If you mask right to the edge, you run the risk of lifting chips of finish off the edge of the fingerboard when you pull the tape off.
When removing tape, always pull it at an acute angle, away from the finished edge.
Good Luck Craig!

Thanks Daniel I'll do that.

Regards

Craig.