First Build - DC Junior

greggreg66

Looking great Pete! is that a second neck on the go in one of the pics.... for a second build already?

PeteC

Yep.  Well spotted Greg - 2nd neck is underway - Utile this time.  and now I have a super accurate veritas  straight edge I made sure this neck is really planed as true as can be.       I have enough mahogany for another 4 and utile for about 5 necks if I scarf them.  I have found a local supplier of utile, sapele and ash now so body wood also sorted.  I really want to find some limba though.   Found a supplier in Leeds of idigbo so might have a bash with that next.   

love doing the necks so far - the soul of the guitar is I the neck as far as I am concerned. 

TTony

PeteC said:

Found a supplier in Leeds of idigbo so might have a bash with that next.   

Tell more!!!

greggreg66

That's awesome. 

I hope I find the time to make another as I feel that this first one will bear the brunt of a lot of mistakes, so hopefully v2.0 will have less boo-boos!

PeteC

Hi TTony.  It’s this one.    Going to call them today to check stock, sizing and pricing. But website suggests they can supply 2” stock.  Fingers crossed. 

https://clivewalkertimber.co.uk/hardwoods/types-of-hardwood/

Cheer
pete 

PeteC

TTony.   Called them and they have stopped stocking it    Going on Monday to look at the remnant stock they say they have.  Its 3” stock though.   Any good for necks or too soft ? 

TTony

PeteC said:

TTony.   Called them and they have stopped stocking it    Going on Monday to look at the remnant stock they say they have.  Its 3” stock though.   Any good for necks or too soft ? 

I don't know re softness.  This guide suggests that it's similar to Mahogany - Janka hardness scale - but I've no idea if that's an appropriate measure for the strains introduced by guitar necks.

However ... I *should* have a plank of Idigbo arriving next week, and a plank of Utile and maybe some Alder too.

Popped over to see my neighbour this morning (some of the old buildings on the neighbouring farm have been converted to small business units, and on is a cabinet maker who I've got to know over the past few years) and his main supplier certainly did have Idigbo available a few months ago.  If it's still there, then a plank will arrive next week as - coincidentally - he'll be putting an order in for his own stocks of other woods over the weekend!  Which happily means I pay for the timber, but not the delivery.

He did explain that Idigbo isn't actually Limba/Korina, although it looks similar.  But it's pretty cheap in rough sawn form, so I'll get a plank and try it out ...

AustrianJohn

Great build thread - great looking guitar - thanks.

PeteC

Some progress today on my day off - lots of aligning and planning the neck pocket before committing to routing it.  A bugger do as I had to change bits about 4 times   Followed the method on Fletchers DC build on YT for final fit ( pocket slightly under size and neck sanded a few strokes at a time equally on each side until it was a perfect fit ).  Pretty happy with the results and a nice centre line alignment when test fitting the neck - so that was a relief to be honest.  

Then some cavities and control panel routing.   Just made the coveplate recess template before stopping for lunch!    How deep should the cover plate ledge be ? I’m guessing 3mm or so ? 

Anyway some pics for anyone intersted...

Andyjr1515

That's coming along extremely well.

What kind of weight is it at the moment?

greggreg66

Sweeeeeet!!! It's sad that I now know Monday is your day off and therefore can usually expect an update! Looking so neat though. 

What size dots have you gone for - 6mm?

PeteC

Thanks both.       Oh good question Andy.   I will weight it later and post.  

Yes - 6mm Greg.     Off to do more routing in the shed now before the lovely missus gets home !   

TTony

PeteC said:

Now, that is impressive!

normula1

Fantastic stuff

PeteC

Any thoughts on what size radius bit to use for the roundovers ?  6mm ?   

Cheers 
Pete. 

TTony

Looking at this again ...



How did you make the end of the join such a tight fit?

PeteC

Hi Tony -  I Used the myka style routing jig that Fletcher guitars shows in his YT video DC build series , but made the jig completely flat with no angle this time.  Then carefully sanded the radius into the neck shoulders by hand.   

Cheers 
Pete 

PeteC

Last Of the bits done yesterday.  

Round over next. 

PeteC

But.....the heel doesn't have the neck break angle established yet so the gap will come in the pocket - I might try adjust the heel so that the gap is minimal though......

TTony

PeteC said:

But.....the heel doesn't have the neck break angle established yet so the gap will come in the pocket - I might try adjust the heel so that the gap is minimal though......

Ahhhh - I thought you'd achieved that amazingly tight fit *after* cutting the neck angle into the heel!

After cutting the angle, I've got a ~1mm-2mm gap between the top edge of the heel and the end of the neck cavity.  The neck is tightly in at the bottom of the pocket, but the angle creates that gap at the top.  I'm wondering whether it's worth trying to cut the end of the heel to compensate for the angle and remove the gap at the top.  It'll be under a scratchplate and I might well make it worse rather than better!