Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help

Questions and answers for beginners. If you have a question, so do most other people.
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Kbore
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Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2017 3:58 pm
Location: St. Louis area

Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help

Post by Kbore »

Your fingerboard inlays are gorgeous BTW.
Measure Twice,

Karl B
johnnparchem
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Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help

Post by johnnparchem »

filled the slot with Titebond, leveled it
??? Why did you fill the channel with titebond? I never heard of that.
David Mathis
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Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 11:41 am
Location: Atlanta

Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help

Post by David Mathis »

johnnparchem wrote:??? Why did you fill the channel with titebond? I never heard of that.
I got that from John Hall. I talked to him because I was confused when the instruction manual I was reading referred to a fiber strip or veneer that was to be glued in on top of the truss rod – and I didn't get one of those with the truss rod I bought from John.

He said with the old one-way truss rods, you had a fiber strip to fill the slot. But with the new 2-way truss rods, you don't need the fiber strip, you just fill the slot with glue, and he uses Titebond for that.


Also, continued thanks to all of you for your comments, advice, and encouragement!

David
ruby@magpage.com
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Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

I think there might be a misunderstanding here - I hope John checks in. I believe you only need enough glue to keep the rod from rattling in its groove - too much glue and you can gum up the works. I have been ploughing the groove for them so they are even with the fretboard surface, gluing in the bottom of the groove at the ends ends with a small spot in the middle, then gluing on the fretboard on top.

Ed
Ed M
David Mathis
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Location: Atlanta

Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help

Post by David Mathis »

There could be a misunderstanding, it wouldn't be a first for me. But regarding gumming up the works, the truss rod I got from John is completely encased in blue shrink-wrap. So, no danger of glue getting into the working of the rod.

Here are a couple of quotes from John's emails when I asked him what kind of glue he used for gluing in the truss rod...

On 1/28/16: "the glue I use is tite bond this is not glueing as much as filling."

On 2/1/16: "You do want to use tite bond as a filler in the truss rod slot."
David Mathis
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Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 11:41 am
Location: Atlanta

Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help

Post by David Mathis »

This was my thinking and action...

Bill Cory's manual says to glue in a "fiber strip" on top of the truss rod. Ken's online instructions at Kenneth Michael Guitars say to use Titebond to glue the "veneer filler" to the top of the truss rod. Ken goes on to say...

"Once the glue dries use a scraper blade to level the filler to the fingerboard surface. This is a very important step – a high spot will cause mis-alignment when gluing the fingerboard to the neck."

John said I didn't need a filler strip with the 2-way rod he sold me, and to use Titebond as a filler. So I took that to mean that I would just use Titebond to fill the very small space on top of the truss rod to bring it flush to the neck's top surface. I then used a scraper to level it, so the neck and fretboard would have a completely flat gluing surface.

This may have been a misunderstanding of John's emails, and, therefore, an unnecessary step. But I don't think I did any harm by doing it.

I appreciate everyone's comments. If I didn't really need to do that, I won't waste the time and effort next time. Thanks!
MaineGeezer
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Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help

Post by MaineGeezer »

Hmmm... The truss rod slots I've cut have always been such that it requires a bit of a push to get the truss rod into it. I can't see that there is any danger of them rattling, so I've never added glue. I put a piece of thin masking tape over the top of the channel, just slightly wider than the channel, to keep the fretboard glue out, so except for being a snug fit in the slot, the truss rod is free. I do block the ends so the rod is constrained that way.

This is exceedingly handy when a truss rod breaks, as happened to me. I could remove the neck, remove the plug in the end of the channel, then pull the truss rod out with a bit of effort. No need to touch the fretboard. Then I just slid in a replacement truss rod.

There may be something I'm missing that makes that way of doing it a bad idea, but it seems reasonable to me.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
Danl8
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Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help

Post by Danl8 »

Hi David,
I do as you do: I use titebond or add a 1/32 veneer strip if there is a little room. Most of my necks are from Martin GMC with Martin truss rods and generally with those there is enough room to cap the truss slot with a bit of veneer. The guitar that John and I built used one of John's necks and truss rods with glue filler. Although all of these fit tightly, age has a way of making room in wood so glue seems a prudent caution.

-d.
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I did this with my first guitar. No harm in doing it. I don't do it anymore. I've found no problem with the truss rod rattling.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
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