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I'm borrowing a tip from Hesh's great tutorial on using tape to join top plates. In this case, it is for holding the heel cap tightly against the binding when clamping the cap to the heel.
I'm a first time builder, and really appreciate all of the great tips on OLF.

Ray

Good Trick!
I'll use that one. Why didn't I think of it???

All the best tips... why didn't I think of that. It is this stuff that keeps me coming back.

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Greg
http://garibaldiinstruments.com/

Isn't it easier to join an oversized piece to the heel of the neck before it's carved and then shape it as you shape the neck?

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

I don't know if that would be easier. I'm just a first time builder. I'll have to consider that for my next build.

Thanks,

Ray

[QUOTE=drwhite] Isn't it easier to join an oversized piece to the heel of the neck before it's carved and then shape it as you shape the neck?[/QUOTE]

Thats the way I do it but I find trimming the cap when youre cutting with a chiesl with the grain is a pain.....50% of the time the cap will split along the grain just where you don't want it to. Doing it as in the above post you could trim it to slightly oversize, glue it on and then do a final trim with a sanding stick. Im going to try this on my next classical.

Note my post applies to classicals.

It sure looks good to me too.  I'm sticking it in the back of my mind.  I only hope it doesn't get lost in there with all the junk.  

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Maple sides Coco back interesting combo

[QUOTE=MichaelP] Maple sides Coco back interesting combo[/QUOTE]

The back is actually Ovangkol. I ruined the Ovangkol sides when I measured once and cut twice. I couldn't replace the Ovangkol, so I used Maple. I like it.

Ray

[QUOTE=drwhite] Isn't it easier to join an oversized piece to the heel of the neck before it's carved and then shape it as you shape the neck?[/QUOTE]

Your method would require chiseling a perfect binding channel thru the Ebony heelcap material (not easy for me)

My method is easy and almost guarantees a perfect joint.

Ray

[QUOTE=drwhite] Isn't it easier to join an oversized piece to the heel of the neck before it's carved and then shape it as you shape the neck?[/QUOTE]

Your method would require hand chiseling a perfect binding channel in the unforgiving Ebony cap material. (Not easy for me)

My method is very easy, and almost guarantees a perfect joint between the cap and the binding.

Ray

I always trim my heel to length & glue on the heelcap after the neck alignment is finished. After trimming the heel to the right height & angle, I bolt on the neck with some sandpaper stuck to the body under the heel. I use an oversized piece of material for the cap & sand it to fit perfectly against the sides... remove the neck, remove the sandpaper put a strip of packing tape around the mortise to keep the glue on the cap joint & nowhere else. Then bolt the neck back on & glue the cap in place. Once the glue has dried, off with the neck one more time & trim / sand the cap fair with the heel.
It's a bit of a lengthy process, but it solves the problem I used to have getting a good fit at the cap end of the heel.

I'm sorry that I didn't make it clear that my guitar is a classical with spanish heel construction. I thought that the picture established that.

Ray