Thanks Jack Wells and all of you at TDPRI

[BluesBlooded]

So, I'm building my first guitar.

The neck is almost completed so I made a template for the neck on the ROSS




Then routed the pocket. The results were so so!




At first I was kind of OK with it being my first build. I was telling myself that the next one would be better!

Still, I was unhappy with it. Could not resolve myself to leave it this way. I was contemplating making a new body.

Then I found Jack Wells's post about making neck pocket template
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home...te-%2A%2A.html

So I decided to glue some wood back




Then made the new template.





Routed the pocket and installed the template over the body


Then test fitted





There is still a little gap on the treble side, but the neck fits tightly and this is much better for a first build

This is why I'm thanking you all and specially Jack Wells

[Fred_Garvin]

Excellent work. I suppose it's not critical, but it's a great feeling to get things to fit together well. At least at my skill level, anyway. I'll second you that the unselfish advice and encouragement of guys like Jack and everyone else here has been instrumental in my learning. Thanks to all of you.

[Nick JD]

Where is Jack these days?

[J Lacey]

Looking good.!

[Mike Simpson]

If you get the neck pocket too tight you will have to scrape the finish off the neck to put it together....

[Davecam48]

Originally Posted by Nick JD

Where is Jack these days?

Don't start that again!

[Crafty Fox]

Originally Posted by Davecam48

Don't start that again!

"Jack lives here".

[Davecam48]

C'mon Jack they're calling ya!

[TRexF16]

Originally Posted by Mike Simpson

If you get the neck pocket too tight you will have to scrape the finish off the neck to put it together....

That's a fact. I made my first the same way and it ended up being a lot of work to get it to fit after the neck and body were both finished. And there is a lot of potential to chip the lacquer on the body while try fitting the neck during the process. I think a small variation on this technique would be to put maybe two layers of masking tape on the sides of the unfinished neck, where it will bear in the pocket, to simulate the effect of finish on the neck and body, and then proceed exactly as you did making the template.

So is two layers the right amount? Anybody have a better idea? I haven't had a chance to try it yet but intend to on my next build.

Thanks,
Rex

[BluesBlooded]

Originally Posted by Mike Simpson

If you get the neck pocket too tight you will have to scrape the finish off the neck to put it together....

I will use tung oil on the body and neck. It should not be as thick as paint and lacquer.

[Olav]

Funny how your neckpocket wasn't as tight a fit as you'd expect using the method you did to make a template. Are you sure the wood you clamped to the side of the neck was square?

[BluesBlooded]

Originally Posted by Olav

Funny how your neckpocket wasn't as tight a fit as you'd expect using the method you did to make a template. Are you sure the wood you clamped to the side of the neck was square?

If you mean the gap on the treble side, I don't know why it is not as tight.

I installed a stewmac 12in radius fretboard. I remember when I routed the fretboard to fit the neck that I could not keep the neck square on the router table. I think that the neck side is not 100% square with the bottom.

next time I will use a top bearing flushtrim router bit and put the back of the neck on the router table instead of the fretboard.

does it make sense?

[guitarbuilder]

Originally Posted by Olav

Funny how your neckpocket wasn't as tight a fit as you'd expect using the method you did to make a template. Are you sure the wood you clamped to the side of the neck was square?

I wonder if sanding the template on the OSS as opposed to flush trimming created the problem with the original template? Maybe more of a margin for error with less precision?

[BluesBlooded]

Originally Posted by BluesBlooded

If you mean the gap on the treble side, I don't know why it is not as tight.

I installed a stewmac 12in radius fretboard. I remember when I routed the fretboard to fit the neck that I could not keep the neck square on the router table. I think that the neck side is not 100% square with the bottom.

next time I will use a top bearing flushtrim router bit and put the back of the neck on the router table instead of the fretboard.

does it make sense?

Strange I'm quoting myself!

I took a of picture of the neck and like I suspected, the side of the neck is not square. This is why I still have a gap on the treble side. The bass side is perfect.

This proves that next time I will route the fretboard with the back of the neck on the router

[Bentley]

When i routed i also had to route with my fretboard down, but i had already cut out and template routed the neck blank. If you know what i mean...

[BluesBlooded]

Originally Posted by Bentley

When i routed i also had to route with my fretboard down, but i had already cut out and template routed the neck blank. If you know what i mean...

Thanks Bentley, great idea, but I do you get it not to rock on the radiused fretboard?

[adirondak5]

Originally Posted by BluesBlooded

This proves that next time I will route the fretboard with the back of the neck on the router

You trim routed a radiused fingerboard to the neck with the fingerboard down on the router table ?

[jkingma]

Originally Posted by BluesBlooded

I took a of picture of the neck and like I suspected, the side of the neck is not square. This is why I still have a gap on the treble side. The bass side is perfect.

This proves that next time I will route the fretboard with the back of the neck on the router

Post some construction pics from when you made the neck and maybe we can figure out what happened.

[BluesBlooded]

Originally Posted by adirondak5

You trim routed a radiused fingerboard to the neck with the fingerboard down on the router table ?

exactly

Rookie mistake.

[adirondak5]

Well , mistakes are good learning experiences , and we all make them , but yea , flat surface on the router table or under the router base is the safe proper way to go , I don't radius my fret boards until after I flush trim them to the neck , but you used a pre radiused board so yea , the back of the neck down would be the way to go .