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Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help
Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 1:05 pm
by johnnparchem
The heel to body joint looks great! Put in a thin shim, fish glue wants to bond wood to wood. With your neck angles and the fit correct once fit you have a nice dove tail joint. Continue to rely on chalk as you fit the tenon. Think about how much dovetail practice to got on this guitar and all looks good.
Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 10:18 am
by Diane Kauffmds
It's looking good!
Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 1:13 pm
by David Mathis
Get ready for a sad story... And a question...
After I glued in shims (a third time) I began to have issues (again) with alignment and centering. And in adjusting those, had further problems with the gap between the neck heel and body. I had to hollow out around the cheeks again. I kept trying to no avail to get everything right again and have now reached the point where the dovetail tenon has bottomed out in the mortise. It seems the neck is just a mess after all my efforts. I am considering getting a new neck and starting over.
I found a good price on a StewMac dovetail neck. Would it be compatible with my Martin neck block?
Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 1:24 pm
by Danl8
David Mathis wrote:Get ready for a sad story... And a question.......I found a good price on a StewMac dovetail neck. Would it be compatible with my Martin neck block?
Should be. Check with Blues Creek, too, for necks completely compatible with Martin blocks. My advice is to call John, who get you on the right track.
Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 1:25 pm
by tippie53
no stew mac isn't
please call me I think I can help
what I think you did is mis matched your tenon angle to the mortise
you can still save this your just this close
Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 1:26 pm
by Diane Kauffmds
John Hall can get you the appropriate neck blank. Hang in there.
Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help
Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 7:08 am
by tippie53
spoke with him we got a plan
I think we can salvage the neck he has
Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help
Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2017 11:31 pm
by David Mathis
Yes, it was John Hall to the rescue and he talked me through the issues I had – primarily the dovetail tenon angles being off. I went to work on it, but eventually the tenon was so mangled that I had to start over completely by chiseling off the mess of shims I had there and replacing them with one thick shim on each side.
So, believe it or not, I think I have the neck set. I feel like I've mostly built one guitar, but set 25 necks in the process. I have been struggling with this off and on since February of 2016. (I did take time away to build three electric guitars.)
Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help
Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 12:28 am
by Danl8
The next one will be easier. This one is looking good.
Re: Rookie kit builder in Atlanta area needs help
Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:37 am
by MaineGeezer
One good thing -- I doubt you will ever be intimidated by setting a neck again. You know what to do, and you know you can do it.