an online portal for guitarmakers, guitar enthusiasts, and students
following Natelson & Cumpiano's treatise, GUITARMAKING: Tradition & Technology
Chapter 4 - The Neck & Headpiece
Sources of tools, supplies, and materials for each procedure, with additional commentary
PROCEDURES
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[SS only] Routing out the Truss Rod Slot
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[SS only] Sawing the Neck Tenon & Drilling it for the Barrel and Bolt Fasteners
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[SS only] Truss Rod Installation
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Applying the Headstock Veneer
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Veneer-sandwich Position-pin Clamping Technique
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Cutting Out the Headpiece Outline
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Drilling Tuning Machine Holes for the Steel-string Headpiece
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Cutting the slots in the Classical Headpiece (or steel string slotted headpiece)
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Carving the Heel
Constructing the Neckblank
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TOOLS
For neck blank:
6-inch machinist's square
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We got ours from Woodcraft. We put all three sizes to good use.
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Lee Valley. Equivalent, but less expensive
Protractor
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Home Depot Budget model, should be sufficient for the job.
36-inch engineer's scale ruler
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Get the very best you can afford! Precision and legibility counts. Get only engraved, never silk-screened, markings
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Our favorite is the Starrett. Over the years, however, Starrett rules have become astronomically expensive and unavailable, but a reasonably priced alternative can be found here.
block plane
fine-tooth 3-inch crosscut saw or,
bandsaw with 1/2-inch blad (minimum)
scraper
small and large sanding boards
table top vise
fine-tipped marker
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For neck blank gluing fixture:
two small metal bar clamps (min. 6-inch opening)
two C-clamps (4-inch opening, min. 3-inch reach)
hand drill or drill press
¼-inch drill bit
3/16-inch drill bit
7/32-inch drill bit
⅛-inch drill bit
IMPLEMENTS
neck-blank fixture, to be made in Step 5
two thin scrap hardwood cauls, approximately 3 x 4 inches
two cauls, ¾ x 3 x 2 inches (SS) or x 2-1/2 inches (CL)
AR yellow glue
two 3-inch #12 flathead or round-head wood screws
one 4-inch ¼-inch hex-bolt, washers and wing-nut
For neck blank:
two 24 X 3 x 11/16 inch dressed mahogany billets, or
one billet as above, plus one well-squared mahogany block, 3 X 3 X 3 1/2 inches long (SS) or 3 x 3 x 4 inches long (CL)
For neck blank gluing fixture:
two pieces 6” x 33” 3/4-inch Birch plywood
one scrap hardwood block 1-¼ x 2 x 3-¾ inches long (pivoting block)
one scrap hardwood block 1-¼ x 2 x 6-½ inches long (fixed block)
SUPPLIES
MATERIALS
[CL only] Procedure: Slotting the Heelblock & Trimming the Headblock
sharp pencil
machinist's square
6-inch ruler
10- to 12-inch dovetail saw or backsaw
metal bar clamp (min. 12-inch opening)
scraper blade
double-faced tape
#100-grit aluminum-oxide sandpaper
hardwood veneer or other hard, thin material, 2 x 5 inches
small sanding board
TOOLS
SUPPLIES
IMPLEMENTS
sharp pencil
machinist's square
6-inch ruler
10- to 12-inch dovetail saw or backsaw
metal bar clamp (min. 12-inch opening)
scraper blade
double-faced tape
#100-grit aluminum-oxide sandpaper
hardwood veneer or other hard, thin material, 2 x 5 inches
small sanding board
[SS only] Procedure: Routing Out the Truss Rod Slot
TOOLS
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portable electric router with edge-guide attachment
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hardwood extension bar for the edge-guide attachment
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¼-inch round-bottom router veining bit (also known as round nose, core box or ball nose bit) preferably double-flute spiral with a min. ½-inch flute length to cut a ½-inch deep slot.
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vise
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flat mill file
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dovetail saw (if sawing the tenon by hand, or table saw)
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two bar clamps, at least 6-inch openings
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sharp pencil
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machinist's square
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straightedge
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double-acting truss rod
SUPPLIES
Drilling Tuning Machine Holes for the Classical Headpiece
(or steel string slotted headpiece)
TOOLS
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calipers
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hand drill or hand-held electric drill
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drill bits (for sizes, see Step 2 and Step 5)
Selecting the correct drill bit size to drill classic guitar roller holes is important because if the hole that results is either too small or two large, this will cause difficult action and increased wear on the gearing. Normally, standard classical tuning machine rollers are 10mm in diameter (0.393 inches or 25/64"). But a 13/32" drill bit is usually the Imperial-scale drill size indicated for this purpose. This 1/64" margin should give the roller adequate clearance in the hole. A 13/32"drill bit normally has a nominal decimal diameter of 0.4063 inches (or about 10.32 mm). However, when working with hardwood, the actual size of the hole it creates depends heavily on how you drill it and the grain structure of the wood. Because hardwood fibers are stiff and resilient, you can generally expect two different outcomes based on your technique:
If you use a sharp bit, a rigid drilling fixture, clamp the wood securely, and use a proper feed rate, something unique to hardwood happens: the hole can actually finish smaller than the bit. Expected Size: 0.404" to 0.406" Dense hardwood fibers are compressed by the drill bit's margins as it cuts. Once the bit is withdrawn, the springback (elastic recovery) of the wood fibers causes them to expand slightly back into the hole
Tips for Precision in Hardwood
Clear the Flutes: Dense wood creates fine, packed chips that friction-weld themselves into the drill bit flutes. Pull the bit out frequently ("peck drilling") to clear the debris and prevent burning the wood or overheating the metal.
Bit Selection: For the cleanest, most accurate hole in hardwood, a brad-point bit is superior to a standard twist drill, as it cuts the perimeter fibers before removing the center waste.
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three-hole drill guide, or woodworker’s doweling jig
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square
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pencil
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ruler
SUPPLIES
masking tape
MATERIALS
set of tuning machines (see A Note on Tuning Machines, page ???)
How is it possible that a simple, articulated metal fixture device made in the USA cost $229.00 but a virtually identical item sell on Ali Express for $26?
Bogdanovich Guitars
$59.99
Chroma Guitars
$59.99
Ali Express
$26.05
Stewart MacDonald
$229.49