000/0M kit questions

[sammyjit]

I have just glued the neck and tail blocks. Neck centerline and tail block line are lined up with seams in sides. The neck block ended up being a flush fit not a radiused fit. I am using a nice mold from blues creek guitars for a 000/Om guitar. I hade to sand the mating joint of the necj block down to compensate for fitting purposes while in the mold. Im wondering if I weakened that joint by creating a relatively flush joint.
My next question, when I glued the neck and tail block Iassumed the flat side was the top and the contoured side was the back. I glued the neck block while it was pressed flush upside down on a flat surface. Now my neck block is flush with the plane of the top of the guitar. When I glue my radiused top does the neck block (the forked part) get glued to the top or does it free float? I guess what I am getting at is if the neck block is already parallel to the flat top and I put a curved top on it, wont the neck of the guitar in the end "Ski jump" or be askew. Should i shim the neckblock aft section to fully contact the top? Iam trying to understand the basic engineering behind the structure of the guitar. Im a first time guitar builder and am enjoying learning this new stuff.
thanks
Sam

[tippie53]

Ok this is easy
Yes the tail will be pretty much square to the sides. On the top if you don't have a dish to sand in the geomoetry for the neck you can do this simply.

Make a sanding stick about 4 in wide and attach some 80 grit sandpaper. Only put about 5 in of sand paper on the stick. Now apply chalk or pencil line on the side. If you lay your fretboard on the rim for a visual the top 4 inches of the body are all you need work.
Before you sand you want to make a small spacer for the tail block of 1/4 in.

Now sand the block flush and square. Place the spacer on the tail and sand the upper area with the sanding stick. You will take off only a small amount so sweep the sanding stick back and forth until you sand the neck block clean.
All parts that touch the top will be glued to the top later. You want to establish that angle on the block.

look at this video that will help later when you attach the neck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXfyVb3L3G0

[sammyjit]

I see. So just to be clear, the top of the guitar has a sloped edge and the back is flat? I don't have any drawings or marks. I purchased this kit second hand. I think I glued the neck block facing the wrong side. Laugh. Time to start over.

[tippie53]

no the back is rounded the most the top will appear more flat than the back. The back will have about a 15 foot radius the top will have a slight angle near the neck block.

[sammyjit]

Here is to clarify my question. I have drawn some crude illustrations of neck block arrangement and wanted to know based on the geometry of the sides which way to point the neck block. They are crude and I hope they show what I want them to.

[tippie53]

any wood to wood contact has to be glued.
You DO NOT tilt the neck block you actuall sand the angle into the block. You line should be about 1/4 in off the tail block. you only angle the area from the top of the sound hole up to the neck block.

[Ben-Had]

Also, that piece of the neck block that goes over the "tongue brace" can be cut off. I do when I'm using those type blocks and many other do as well.

[sammyjit]

Okay. Thanks. I'm starting to understand. I watched this video...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz6xzVRA51E I do have sanding dishes. Should I use them the same way as a sanding block? I'm using a 28 foot for the top. After sanding the top evenly with the radius dish, sand from the sound hole to the upper bout with a flat dish shimmed up from the tail block to sand the neck angle in. So basically just sanding the top side like the back-side would not be correct because the neck angle must be sanded in as well, not just a radius. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz6xzVRA51E[/youtube]