Brotherhood ‘23 - First Build - a gnarly LP Junior DC from scraps

[TheZ]

I'm not an expert on that but I know that's how Peavey used to build their necks with the lamination down the middle. I'd have to look into it a bit more, but I seem to recall the truss rod would actually be laminated into it before gluing. I think G&L used to do it as well.

 

[Phaedros]

@TheZ Thank you! Now you´re giving me ideas... I plan on doing a bowed one piece truss rod. If I routed the channel before lamination, I could do it with a simple routing template and would not need a jig for the cut. Given I can nail the alignment this would eliminate the need of the channel insert as well, because it would all be one piece then.

Edit: Looking at my template, I might as well get away with a one piece neck and a scarfed headstock. I just cut two blanks - if they don’t move too much within the next 48 hours I‘ll give this a thought as well.

What do you guys think about the grain orientation?
If i go for two piece, I‘d look for a cut where I can match opposing grains

Update:

Just checked the neck blank thickness against the body… even with dramatic loss in planing I‘d still be able to go one piece. Read up on the grain orientation and found that my blank isn‘t looking too bad.

 

[crazydave911]

Ever think of making this a Brotherhood Build?

 

[Phaedros]

@crazydave911 how would I go about this? Is there anywhere to apply?

edit: just found your 2020 thread https://www.tdpri.com/threads/the-2020-brotherhood-builds.1010425/page-4

do I just change the title to be in? I‘d really love to!

 

[crazydave911]

@crazydave911 how would I go about this? Is there anywhere to apply?

edit: just found your 2020 thread https://www.tdpri.com/threads/the-2020-brotherhood-builds.1010425/page-4

do I just change the title to be in? I‘d really love to!

That's all you do

 

[Phaedros]

@crazydave911 my editing powers on the first post have expired - who would be the right one to ask?


The relicing department wants to be in as well:

 

[crazydave911]

@crazydave911 my editing powers on the first post have expired - who would be the right one to ask?


The relicing department wants to be in as well:
View attachment 1096053

Jkingma,head grand poopaw lol

 

[Phaedros]

@crazydave911 done! With great thanks to jkingma.

Made a pickguard template

Started thinking up headstock shapes - think I‘ll settle for a slim firebird‘ish shape

The whole thing layed out

No warping in the neck blank so far. If that‘s the way it stays, I‘ll cut the outline tomorrow…

 

[Hodgo88]

I love DC Jr's, can't wait to see this one done. What's the plan for the body finish wise? Epoxy fill, wood fill, leave as is?

 

[Phaedros]

@Hodgo88 thank you! I‘m not 100% set on finishing yet. I‘ll definitely leave the overall rough look and add a large roundover. I‘m contemplating a faint burst and some linseed…

 

[crazydave911]

 

[Bob J]

Looking good! Welcome to the brotherhood build 2023!

 

[Phaedros]

Got quite a bit done today!

First off I installed my router into my workbench. I had wanted to have a table router for quite some time and now I felt it was inevitable.

Since the top of my bench is easy to flip I mounted the router o the „dirty“ side and let the bit stick out the clean.

This is where I realised, my roundover bit wouldn‘t fit

So I redrilled an gave it a go

The neck blank still didn‘t show any signs of warp so I made the template and gave it a rough cut. Decided on less headstock angle so I can skip the scarf

(note the beautiful footwear!)

If the blank stays straight I‘ll route the outline tomorrow and cut out the headstock. Then the already successfully glued up fingerboard will be next.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

That was a really clever way to mount the OF1400 on the bottom of the MFT! I'm going to have to remember that for "those times" when having a second table mounted router will streamline things. Thanks for that!

I'm enjoying this build...just the right amount of "rustic" for sure.

 

[Phaedros]

@Jim_in_PA thank you! It took me a bit of time to get ready cutting holes into the table but in the end it was pretty straight forward. I clamped some sacrificial board to the bottom to center the drill and prevent tearout.
When I had sunken in the washers, I stabilized the holes with a bit of ca glue.

Next will be fence and dust extraction. I‘m also contemplating a pin routing contraption

 

[Jim_in_PA]

You'll want to mark those holes with the rebate on the back so you avoid using them with certain kinds of clamps that put lateral pressure on the top/bottom edge of the holes when not using the routing solution and the tool is removed. If you're leaving it "permanent", then no issues.

 

[Phaedros]

Small progress today - had to do some research on the whole truss rod channel thing.

I was planning to do a curved channel and wondered how the pros would set up for that.
Found my info in @preeb ‘s fantastic thread on his ‘59 build.

1959 Les Paul Build

Has any manufacturer ever tried a laminated bent neck? That is, take fairly thin layers of wood and bend them to shape and glue them together to the required thickness. This would combine maximum strength with maximum tonal transmission, though it might be overkill for both purposes. I...

www.tdpri.com

The early Gibsons had a compression style truss rod with a straight channel that gets deeper towards the heel of the neck. So I can use my router sled, set the neck at the appropriate angle and go for it. Yay! It will be a beefy neck so this should do the trick.

Other than that, I have contoured the neck, set the headstock angle and started planing. It just took a shave to get everything flat enough for it to create suction on my bandsaw table.
So far the walnut is treating me pretty nicely

The transition from neck to headstock shows how much/little it was out of line - still heaps of meat for correction

Weighed the body today and it‘s a hair over three pounds. Pickup and control cavity will drop the weight comfortably below that line.

 

[Rock-Ola]

I plan on doing a bowed one piece truss rod. If I routed the channel before lamination, I could do it with a simple routing template and would not need a jig for the cut.

A jig is not necessary, although it will make life easier (I guess, never used one). The way to do a curved channel without a jig:

Mark the truss rod cavity on the neck. Divide the cavity into 11 equal parts and mark those. Route the full length (do not go through either end!) to 7 mm. Increase routing depth by 1 mm, leaving one part off from both ends, and route. Repeat until you get to the middle part, route that to 12 mm. Clean up the transitions with a chisel.

 

[Phaedros]

@Rock-Ola Now this makes sense! Would you say a bowed rod is superior to a compression rod?

 

[Yonatan]

A jig is not necessary, although it will make life easier (I guess, never used one). The way to do a curved channel without a jig:

Mark the truss rod cavity on the neck. Divide the cavity into 11 equal parts and mark those. Route the full length (do not go through either end!) to 7 mm. Increase routing depth by 1 mm, leaving one part off from both ends, and route. Repeat until you get to the middle part, route that to 12 mm. Clean up the transitions with a chisel.

Cool, I hadn't seen anyone mention this method before, only the jig method, and the "route a straight channel and then insert a curved piece of wood" method. I might consider your way for a neck that I've been working on, though I already started building a jig.