I've made few necks using a drill press with sanding drums of different diameters. I run the wood back and forth rapidly the long way, and presto! The drums do not leave bumps, but rather even out to make a flat surface. Smaller drums for the deeply curved sections. Once my press was not working, so I chucked the drums in a hand drill. Worked OK! Note that my skill level, compared to yours, creates guitars that are perfectly suited as canoe paddles. Love your videos!
O Ben ! "an angle grinder and flap disc" ??? I saw your collection of vintage tools and thought that there was going to be something pretty happening here. Good on ya. I use a small draw knife , knives ( left and right ground ) , spokeshave and block plane. Rasp if there is any funny grain . 150 paper then 320 all on blocks, curved for the heel and volute. All very fast and satisfying. I can't work holding the job unrestrained .In a vice or clamped in some way is essential to me. The tip on rotating the neck to check against the horizon of the fingerboard join was the best and most magic. I have never heard anyone else use this technique. I use my big body grinder with a cutter something like chainsaw teeth to rough out double bass bellies and backs. You are brave Ben to expose your work practice to the net world. Your lovely! better than the awful prospect of CNC or deposition.
I got me a mandolin recently, and it has a V profile, as they usually do. At first it felt so weird, being used to the C shape in all my guitars, but after a while my hand adapted to it and it started to feel just right at least for that tiny neck. I wonder how that would work in a wider guitar neck.
Tru-Oil is polymarised(?) linseed oil. its basically linseed with extra plastics to create a shiny hard finish. not sure id use it on necks, but then ive never tried it.
real (fairly clean and unadulterated):BLO is better, at least on maple where it really shines, and which can be plenty hard all on its own accord anyway
I have a big 17" farrier's rasp. I prefer it to the shinto rasp. I can't keep the shinto under control when I try to use it. It cuts unevenly and gets into ruts. I don't like it. I'm fully convinced that I'm not using it right, but the farrier's rasp gives me good results, so I don't have much impetus to practice with the shinto. I use the horse rasp for the big hogging work, and then some smaller, hand-cut Japanese stewmac (sorry Ben) dragon rasps for finer work. Then a mill file and sandpaper.
I forgive you Mark.. We're not yet at the stage where we can offer everything they do.. Yet! :) I have experienced the same thing with the Japanese saw file, at certain angles it can get caught in a rut and become difficult but you just can't beat it for rapid removal of stock.. I must confess that I haven't really given my farriers file/rasp a proper go though so there is that, it may just supplant the shinto in my top spot.
Actually, I think it'd have been really cool if you kept the stripes on the neck. Maybe clean the edges and cover the lighter stripes with a clear finish.
Nice to see technique in action rather than talking about it at length. Your "shed" videos were good like that. Much of what you discuss in this series is of a spatial/dimensional nature, and in this regard, IMO, language is a bit limited for elaborating concepts. On occasion, you have resorted to "Printer v1.0" (i.e. pen on paper) as means of illustration. So at the risk of my seeming daft, perhaps a bit more AV por favor.
Imagine how I felt the first time I drilled a new hole into a multi-thousand pound guitar.. Sooo scary, but it's become just a part of my job and I hardly think about it any more.. Thanks for watching :)
no you've already gone a step above and beyond... even if it was in the days of solderless quickconnect also afair those first EMGs were waaay scarier than all the other stuff that came after catching the diy bug...well either that or fumbling with screw extractors surely takes the gold
I can hear the lovely tone of that neck whilst you are carving it! Gee I love your videos!
I've made few necks using a drill press with sanding drums of different diameters. I run the wood back and forth rapidly the long way, and presto! The drums do not leave bumps, but rather even out to make a flat surface. Smaller drums for the deeply curved sections. Once my press was not working, so I chucked the drums in a hand drill. Worked OK! Note that my skill level, compared to yours, creates guitars that are perfectly suited as canoe paddles.
Love your videos!
O Ben ! "an angle grinder and flap disc" ???
I saw your collection of vintage tools and thought that there was going to be something pretty happening here. Good on ya. I use a small draw knife , knives ( left and right ground ) , spokeshave and block plane. Rasp if there is any funny grain . 150 paper then 320 all on blocks, curved for the heel and volute. All very fast and satisfying.
I can't work holding the job unrestrained .In a vice or clamped in some way is essential to me.
The tip on rotating the neck to check against the horizon of the fingerboard join was the best and most magic. I have never heard anyone else use this technique.
I use my big body grinder with a cutter something like chainsaw teeth to rough out double bass bellies and backs.
You are brave Ben to expose your work practice to the net world. Your lovely! better than the awful prospect of CNC or deposition.
OMG you really scared me when you picked up that Japanese rasp and suggested taking it to that beautifully finished guitar !
Sacrilegious indeed ! !
Sucks to see that nice neck get rasped after it was so nicely finished, but all is fair in the pursuit of guitar perfection!
The finished product looks so amazing
Thank you very much.
Is it best to take the neck off first, if it's a bolt on? I saw someone on another channel do it without.
I got me a mandolin recently, and it has a V profile, as they usually do. At first it felt so weird, being used to the C shape in all my guitars, but after a while my hand adapted to it and it started to feel just right at least for that tiny neck. I wonder how that would work in a wider guitar neck.
esa062 If you get a chance check out the Washburn Parlor guitars . They have a serious V .
Tru-Oil is polymarised(?) linseed oil. its basically linseed with extra plastics to create a shiny hard finish. not sure id use it on necks, but then ive never tried it.
It's one of my favorite finishes. I've used it on several necks. It's good stuff.
real (fairly clean and unadulterated):BLO is better, at least on maple where it really shines, and which can be plenty hard all on its own accord anyway
Is Tru-Oil a product that can only be ordered at Stew-Mac, or is it available at most stores?
Belt sander is just great too for shaping necks from the scratch.
"the mother of all rasps" i laugh out loud, great video.
I have a big 17" farrier's rasp. I prefer it to the shinto rasp. I can't keep the shinto under control when I try to use it. It cuts unevenly and gets into ruts. I don't like it. I'm fully convinced that I'm not using it right, but the farrier's rasp gives me good results, so I don't have much impetus to practice with the shinto.
I use the horse rasp for the big hogging work, and then some smaller, hand-cut Japanese stewmac (sorry Ben) dragon rasps for finer work. Then a mill file and sandpaper.
I forgive you Mark.. We're not yet at the stage where we can offer everything they do.. Yet! :) I have experienced the same thing with the Japanese saw file, at certain angles it can get caught in a rut and become difficult but you just can't beat it for rapid removal of stock.. I must confess that I haven't really given my farriers file/rasp a proper go though so there is that, it may just supplant the shinto in my top spot.
Actually, I think it'd have been really cool if you kept the stripes on the neck. Maybe clean the edges and cover the lighter stripes with a clear finish.
Did I hear that right? " Made by shinto" or was it made in shinto japan?
Hey, they are made by Shinto.. And are amazing!
Well now thats just tasty! Going to need one of those once I stqrt getting the hang of shaping necks!
Nice to see technique in action rather than talking about it at length. Your "shed" videos were good like that. Much of what you discuss in this series is of a spatial/dimensional nature, and in this regard, IMO, language is a bit limited for elaborating concepts. On occasion, you have resorted to "Printer v1.0" (i.e. pen on paper) as means of illustration. So at the risk of my seeming daft, perhaps a bit more AV por favor.
AV? good call... tools guitars woodworking and nude Japanese ladies, what more could anyone want? add a beer in hand and youre good to go
When is my Guitar going to be on a podcast ( Sob, Sniff ) :-)
I love the guitar shape for in my opinion the headstock kills it. Not my preferred shape.
the first stroke he took was physically painful for me to watch
Imagine how I felt the first time I drilled a new hole into a multi-thousand pound guitar.. Sooo scary, but it's become just a part of my job and I hardly think about it any more.. Thanks for watching :)
i can't even imagine, i'm just a normal player and tbh, installing EMG's for the first time was scary enough for me
no you've already gone a step above and beyond... even if it was in the days of solderless quickconnect
also afair those first EMGs were waaay scarier than all the other stuff that came after catching the diy bug...well either that or fumbling with screw extractors surely takes the gold
That's what she said!
it WILL do the job
LMFAOOOOOO RHASPS R BOYS!
rasps are girls.. most of my tools are boys o_0 hahahaha