The router light is a godsend. That an interesting Forstner bit, haven't seen one like that.

Might just be the angle of the photo. It's a normal one, just small. Looks like it has paddle blades in the pic, but it's a cylinder

I only got a couple hours in the garage over the holiday weekend, what with going up to mom's twice and being pretty busy at work Friday and Saturday. I neglected to take pics of the beginning of the neck creation, but you didn't miss much. This is a 1.5" thick lace wood board that I've had for over a year. I sanded both sides. One so I could glue the board down, one so I could trace the template and get clean lines.

Then I cut out the head stock shape, leaving a 16th or so for sanding. Then I superglue masking taped it down to the bench. I'm just going to say glued from now on when I use that technique. Assume I did it that way unless I specify else wise.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...47162430f8.jpg


I also used my new electric hand plane to take the headstock down to about 5/8" at the end, on an angle from the neck. Then I went across with the plane to lower the neck side a bit further.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b7f40a240f.jpg

I did that between weds morning and this morning. Tonight I cleaned it up a bit.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ded3388145.jpg

This is a spoke shave. It's set up like a plane, but it's for carving, not flattening.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4b86e89579.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0e2bf17bb5.jpg

I did some more video for you, so you could see what I did.





Carver planer thinger = spoke shave... The name escaped me as I spoke



Turn your speakers down for this last one:

Looks nice.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6cff6bfc4e.jpg

I think the next step is the truss rod trench.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6e6699104e.jpg

I know what a truss rod does. It arches the neck against bends that come from changes in weather or humidity. But I never really understood how. Now that I have a couple, and can play with them, I see. There are actually 2 rods. One end of both rods are welded together or inserted into a static block. The other ends is where the adjustment happens. The rod with the collar is threaded through another block. When you tighten it, the rod arches one way, and when you loosen, it goes the other way. See here:

Flat, no adjustment :
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7e8b6e06d9.jpg

Tightened :
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3ca558329d.jpg

The other way :

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...98b80c7834.jpg

I'll cut a groove into the neck, and lay this down inside. I'll drill an access hole into that slope I created above so I can get to the adjustment nut.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...bcf9eaa70b.jpg

Then I'll glue the fret board onto the neck. That's a whole bother can of worms. I've befriended that luthier that is fixing my strat neck, and I'll most likely enlist his help for cutting the fret slots.

Looks like you've got the right tools, and know where you're going, so it's just a matter of time.
Your great-grandchildren will be able to click on utube and shown their friends great-grandpa building the guitar they're playing. :thumb:

Truss rod. Weird. Do all guitars have those?

My cheap-ass Applause acoustic has an adjustable neck.

So, probably.


ETA:

~Wiki article Truss Rod

Not all truss rods are adjustable.

most do. some older ones don't, and Classical Guitars usually don't. You can make a guitar that plays without it, but if the neck bends, you're not going to like playing it.

Build it strong...

He's such a poser, that's probably his nail polish

I know everyone is busy (especially lumberjim! Great thread!), but this post reminded me of something . . .

If you need a great time waster, check out this thread from a board I briefly posted at a few years ago (we need our own thread like this!). You may (or may not) have to log in to see it . . . sorry!):

It Broke!


I show up briefly as Steam Heat (starting with post 1112). Enjoy! :crazy:

Asked for a log in.

Didn't.

Re: Dave Grohl's guitar...

I've bled from the fingers of my fretting hand, but, f you're bleeding from the fingers of your picking hand...might be doing it wrong.

IMHO, Grohl does everything wrong.