One Piece Neck Build Part 6: Countouring the back of the neck

[guytimes]

Bill, Thanks for the video. After watching your video, I made something similar for my Ukulele necks. It is basically the same concept, but I do it on the side, instead of overhead. This gives a smoother transition to the headstock and heel area. I still have not figured out how to router my heels, that's another jig, I think. To anyone reading this, it takes a LOT of trial and error to get your contour correct. Thanks again, Bill!

[dlpublic]

Bill, thanks for quick reply. I see you have used your jig to contour a soft-V onto a birdseye maple neck. That is exactly what I am trying to do. Would you be willing to share yor puck design with me?

[dlpublic]

I am designing some soft V pucks for a project I am doing.

However, one piece of info I find not explained anywhere is the placement of the pivot holes, i.e. the centre ones that are used to rotate the neck.

On the 1:1 scale drawing, the centre hole of the larger puck is about 11/32ths from the dotted line (which is 3/4" from flat edge of the puck) but only about 1/8th on the smaller puck. What determines this spacing?

[Bobo9977]

@dlpublic

Hhmmm, yes the pivots. Actually it has been so long since I designed it I can't say for sure, aside from the fact that I believe it is the combination of the 2 radii of the contour. As long as you keep that location you should be able to design additional pucks without any trouble. Bill

[eemacedo]

@Bobo9977

Thank you for sharing your fantastic and intelligent work.

Without doubt, the a best series of videos on this subject.

You are very generous ... a Brazilian from Rio de Janeiro thanks you for it.

[MrGrumpyGinger]

for any scale length neck, or neck thru, the offset size of the pucks would be same (3/4" - 1") off from the taper of the neck. i noticed that the neck itself has still got a flat edge.. would making the pucks the same size as the taper end points (with no offest size) take this right to the edge of where the fingerboard would be? for gibson/jackson/ibanez necks ect.

[MikeUnderwoodonBass]

Would this work for a bass neck as well? and what length would be needed?

[Bobo9977]

@MikeUnderwoodonBass

Well the fretboard is 23 57/64" + the headstock, so 36" between end plates should work, this of course is just an estimate. I will be building one soon, I have a bass order so I'll let you know.

Bill

[anrque]

Bill, if I wanted to scale this jig for either a short scale Mustang style neck or a long scale baritone or bass VI 30 inch scale, what is the crucial measurement on the sled portion that the neck bolts down to? Does it begin right where the flat spot for the heel ends all the way to the nut? Or from a particular starting fret to a specific ending fret? Thanks for posting the vids.

[frasco5150]

How do you shape the pucks ? thanks

[retiredsearge]

I used the Back Contour pics on the warmoth web site to modify my pucks....i just played with the size until i got it right. Worked out great.

[stonedinsect]

this looks like a great creation accurate but mostly it cuts out alot of time and effort

great video

[tiorunder]

Bill, - Just wanted to say thanks for the video and the free plans. I'm sure you realize how much time and figuring you saved me in the making of a jig like this. I am mapping out a materials list and plan to make this jig today. Thanks again. John from North Carolina.

[bigkasey]

i built this jig and it works great. thanks for the plans. think i am going to modify the pucks and try to get some different contours.

[Bobo9977]

@bigkasey

That sound good, you can modify them based on the original pucks. Also you can keep the neck thicker say 1-1/4" and get a chunkier neck while maintaining the standard "C" shape. Either way its an easy mod.

Bill

[bigkasey]

I built this jig and it works great. this thing i would guess works so much better than a copy carver. i have messed around with one of those in the past. this jig seems better suited for the task.

[292flyer]

Great Jig, You mentioned down-loadable plans for this Jig, What address would I find the plans

Don

[Bobo9977]

@292flyer

The links should be under the more info portion of the tutorial for the neck.

[Bobo9977]

@292flyer

The links should be under the more info portion of the tutorial for the neck.

[Bobo9977]

@292flyer

I'm glad you like it, it makes doing your own neck that much more fun and worry free.

Plus if your doing alot it will save you time.

Bill

[retiredsearge]

Thanks bill.... I'm working on building the jig. I've been using a copy carver for shaping necks... It seems to do a good job, but I'm always looking for new ways to do things. i built a jig based on your truss rod jig and it works great. Thanks for the great ideas.

[Bobo9977]

Sarge,

I usually raise it enought to take down the skunk strip, I raise it so I take no more than 1/16th at a time, I don't want any mishaps and I am in no real hurry anyways.

I ballpark it to where I want to be roughly, since I am working with 1-1/16" material I need to keep that in mind. Some necks are .850 thick at the first fret, so depending on how thick a neck I want I stop when I am happy.

Bill Scheltema

[retiredsearge]

Thanks bill, save me the time of trying it myself. One more question. How do you know how high to raise your bit? Do you raise the bit a little at a time until you get the thickness that looks right? Thanks again. Keith

[Bobo9977]

Well retiredsarge, I did give it a try and found that I still needed to maintain the actual radius which meant endpucks with 7.5 and 9.5 radii. It wouldn't pivot in the right place with small pucks.

Bill Scheltema

[retiredsearge]

just looking at this thing i would guess with the right pucks you could also radius fingerboards.

[UberZenMaster]

How do i adapt this to a jazz bass?

[Bobo9977]

As long as you have the length and the headstock will swing without any obstructions, it should work

[hippievan1969]

Great tutorial Bill. Thank you for sharing with this us.

[holman26]

do you have a shop vac

[Bobo9977]

Holman,

Actually, I don't, so many tools so little cash.

I just got my 14" bandsaw last week.

Bill

[darkcruzan]

Great jig you have there! Can't wait to take a look at the plans.

[Bobo9977]

Hi again,

You can get the drawings from the links in the more info section.

Bill