Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi
The newbie again
For those of you who use a bolt on neck with cross dowels, I am curious as
to when you drill the holes in the neck block. Do you wait until the box is
complete, route the tenon slot, then drill the holes for the bolts. or do you
have the holes in the neck block before completing the box.

Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

I usually cut the mortice in the neck block before assembly on my table saw. Then after the box is assembled and fully trimed and sanded, ready for finish, I fit the neck. I install the hardware and using dowel points inserted into the bolt holes in the neck, I mark the location of the holes in the neck block and then drill them. I used to counter sink the head of the bolt which would require drilling before assembly but not any more now that I use a flathead bolt.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

   I make alot of these so I usually just drill them before assembly. I use a 5/16 hole for the mail part and 1/2 for a countersink.
     Since I know where the threaded insert is on the neck it is easy to layout the spot for the block. We all have our own ways . We are all right , no one here is ever wrong
john hall

The way I do it is to wait until the box is complete. Then using a mortise cutting jig that clamps on the guitar, use a router to cut the mortise. The reason is because if the neck block is glued a little crooked, it doesn't matter that much because I'll be cutting the mortise perfectly straight.

I then move on to the neck. I then drill the holes in the tenon and cut the tenon and insert the bolts. Now it is finally time to drill the holes into the neck block by putting some cutoff chop sticks in the holes of the bolts and marking the tip with chalk or carbon paper to determine where to drill the holes in the neck block. It doesn't have to be exact(just pretty close), because when you tighten the bolts down it will pull everything tight anyway. Hope this makes sense.
Tracy