Shaping necks, finished

So the other one is done as well. Even faster since I didn't bother with pics. (But I did use my 12/36 mm Ibex finger plane with the curved sole on the back of the headstock. Sorry for not ranting about that one!)

Now they just need some sanding.

And this was to be a project, this neck carving documentary. I didn't mean it to end this fast. What am I supposed to think of now?

Shaping necks, final steps

Finishing touch with the neck held in hand. This small knife is also of Swedish steel, a carving knife that I made even shorter by grinding away the back end of the blade down to the width of the tang, before I made the handle. This is a trick I learnt from my beloved wife.

The edge is ground straight on both sides, with no second bevel. Cuts clean and exactly how I want it.

Shaping necks, back of the headstock

I won't say I wouldn't want a gizmo for sanding it to thickness, but my Little Victor plane and the Mother of All Chisels does the trick quickly.

Since I use wooden violin pegs on my ukes I don't worry about the the sides being absolutely parallell - and I quite fancy the tapered headstocks on vintage ukes. On them the tip of the headstock is very thin.