First off, my apologies to anyone actually following the blog. It's been over a week since I've updated it, due in part to illness.
Now that the neck is on the instrument, I'll be shaping it so that it's comfortable to hold. I start with the button. I'll draw an arc around the edge of the button with a 21mm diameter. This will be the final shape at the bottom of the neck heel.
I cut away the overhanging excess, then scoop in the button and neck heel from the sides, beginning the shape of the heel and simultaneously blending it into the button so that no ledge between the two is visible.
Next, I come in from behind and shape the side-profile of the neck. I want to work in the scoops at the heel and the pegbox with a pattern-maker's rasp or a sharp knife. Once again, I'm trying to match the curve to a specific template. If you don't have your own, a quarter will do nicely. The rest of the neck profile will be perfectly straight (it's not to that point yet in the photo. Notice the bulge toward the heel end), and will taper in thickness by about 1.5mm.
Once the profile has been established, I'll use a knife to create a nice even chamfer about two thirds of the width from the outside edge to the centerline, and two-thirds of the thickness from the back of the neck profile to the bottom of the fingerboard. Then I'll smooth over the edges of the chamfer, creating a smooth, comfortable arc.
The inside of the neck heel is determined by a very specific distance, 26mm, from the outside edges of the top. I set my divider to that distance, and I start at one edge, placing the other end at the center of the neck heel.
From there, I should be able to rotate on that point at the back of the neck heel and meet the other edge perfectly. I adjust the thickness of the heel until I can do this, taking care not to go too far. Then I reshape the neck to where I need it.
And there it is. Now I turn the edges of the corners of the plates, since they've gone this far without getting damaged, and I can begin the finishing process.
Now that the neck is on the instrument, I'll be shaping it so that it's comfortable to hold. I start with the button. I'll draw an arc around the edge of the button with a 21mm diameter. This will be the final shape at the bottom of the neck heel.
I cut away the overhanging excess, then scoop in the button and neck heel from the sides, beginning the shape of the heel and simultaneously blending it into the button so that no ledge between the two is visible.
Next, I come in from behind and shape the side-profile of the neck. I want to work in the scoops at the heel and the pegbox with a pattern-maker's rasp or a sharp knife. Once again, I'm trying to match the curve to a specific template. If you don't have your own, a quarter will do nicely. The rest of the neck profile will be perfectly straight (it's not to that point yet in the photo. Notice the bulge toward the heel end), and will taper in thickness by about 1.5mm.
Once the profile has been established, I'll use a knife to create a nice even chamfer about two thirds of the width from the outside edge to the centerline, and two-thirds of the thickness from the back of the neck profile to the bottom of the fingerboard. Then I'll smooth over the edges of the chamfer, creating a smooth, comfortable arc.
The inside of the neck heel is determined by a very specific distance, 26mm, from the outside edges of the top. I set my divider to that distance, and I start at one edge, placing the other end at the center of the neck heel.
From there, I should be able to rotate on that point at the back of the neck heel and meet the other edge perfectly. I adjust the thickness of the heel until I can do this, taking care not to go too far. Then I reshape the neck to where I need it.
And there it is. Now I turn the edges of the corners of the plates, since they've gone this far without getting damaged, and I can begin the finishing process.
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