few tools I am needing. advice please :-)

marktheharp

Just starting my first cigar box guitar build. I have a nice piece of cherry for the neck. My father in law is a retired joiner , so he is assisting me (or might be the other way round!)
pretty much have everything, I think...
I definitely need a spoke shave for shaping the neck. Anyone have advice what type/size to get. ..don't want to spend a fortune. ..but am sure you get what you pay for. ..
Thanks in advance.
Cheers Mark.

octatonic

Luckily for you a truly excellent spokeshave can be had for £54: http://www.axminster.co.uk/veritas-spokeshaves

Get the flat base one.

The Qiansheng one is only a few quid cheaper: 

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+woodworking-hand-tools-hand-planes-spokeshaves-qiangsheng-spokeshave-qiangsheng+dk1185

and isn't as good- get the Veritas one.

Also consider a decent rasp for shaping the neck- Dictum do Hermin rasps, they are the only ones I use these days.

marktheharp

Thanks will look into that :-)

WezV

Cherry carves relatively easily. You would get by with basic rasps and scrapers.

Just depends how much you want to spend and how many you plan on doing

WezV

I like the Shinto saw rasps for carving necks. I replace them after about 10 necks.

Sambostar

I'd use a drawknife for starting out the neck, but I'm old fashioned.

marktheharp

Just doing this one and see how I go .... is there any good YouTube demos on how to do this.... i am a total newbie at this. . But am willing to put the time and effort to do a good job :-)
I have a few practice pieces of wood. ..

JohnB

Mark Bailey's course is very good and covers all aspects of building an electric guitar including carving the neck - reminds me, I need to reprofile one of my home builds

sweepy

I picked up some rather sweet spoke shaves from a car boot sale, funnily enough, very high quality steel in those old tools

frankus

do you follow Bill Jehle on any forum - he's a great cigar box dude

marktheharp

Great advice guys and will check the cigar box guy. ..
many thanks.

JohnB

Neck reprofiled and first coat of laquer on in less than an hour - using a coarse rasp and 120/320/800 grit paper, the same tools as the original carve - you don't need (or want) a spokeshave IMO.  This neck on my JB004 thru neck was a bit clunky (like a cricket bat), now a comfortable assymetric carve 

marktheharp

Very nice that John .Thanks.
Yes We have some various rasps. .definitely gonna be trial and error but looking forward to it..'slowly slowly catches the monkey'.any tips on starting from scratch on square piece of wood (it's cherry)...If it's easier and you have time.pm me .
many thanks.

octatonic

This is a copy paste from another thread I commented on:

It is my favourite part of a guitar build.

I use a Veritas Spokeshave and a Herdim rasp.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/veritas-spokeshaves

and

https://www.dictum.com/en/tools/woodworking-metalworking/rasps-files/hand-cut-rasps/704551/herdim-precision-crossing-rasp

I actually have a bunch of Herdim rasps- about 6 I think.

They are the best neck shaping tools.

What you want to do is get the shape at the back of the 1st-2nd fret and then again around the 8-9th.

Like this:

Then use the spokeshave to connect the two shaped areas.

If this is an electric then you have the simpler job because shaping the heel on an acoustic takes most of the time.

Once you have it all done with the rasps and spokeshave then I finish off with abrasive going through the grades from 100 -> 400 grit.

I shape the headstock area with a Japanese carving knife and a small Herdim rasp.

A piece of dowel wrapped with abrasive paper helps a lot too.

Resist the temptation to go with a curved spokeshave.

Although you are shaping a curve you need to use flat tools- using a curved spokeshave will be a nightmare to control for this job.

marktheharp

↑ wise words thanks octatonic