Learning Ukulele 50 Sites Top 50 Ukulele Sites Argapa Ukuleles - one size louder: Neck shaping

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Neck shaping

After making sure the headstock and the upper surface (the fretboard surface, but there’ll be no separate fretboard) are straight, true and parallel sideways, I lay out the width. 42 mm at the heel, 35 at the nut. 

In the first pic you see me transferring the centre line down to the heel with a saddle square from Veritas. It could be regarded as an answer to a question no-one could be arsed posing, but it’s really a useful tool. 



Then I choose the angle for the heel. I might keep these straight, or carve them into concave curves later. I’ll saw them straight to begin with that’s for sure. 



Making a small nick with a chisel helps guide the saw. Going into the end grain like this is tricky at best so I’ll use any technique to facilitate. 

It’s also a good photo op for one of my best chisels. 



With my small rip saw I cut the neck blank to its tapered width. Nowadays I go very close to the final dimensions, which means carving is faster. 



I start at the heel and the nut, roughly making the profile with a carving knife. My kevlar glove helps me keep all fingers attached. 

The headstock was a bit thick (remember the crap bandsaw?) so I took it down with a number 4 plane. 

The neck is actually finished now. I carve way faster than I blog. More to come in a day or so. 

Fanx for reading!



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