Brotherhood build 2023 - Stratocaster

[Bob J]

Connected the dots with the jigsaw and sanded it down to the line.

Looking pretty good, no awful gaps

Some chipping

But hopefully most of it will go away when I do the roundover.

I will make a template for routing the cavities, so the plan can come off the front.

Does anyone have a suggestion for removing the residue?

I attached using 3M super 77 spray adhesive. Heat? Solvent? Sandpaper?

Oh, and I’ll have a few clamping dents to iron out.

 

[badscrew_projects]

Try a hairdryer to soften the glue residue before scraping. If it doesn't work, then perhaps lighter fluid, naphta or lamp alcohol (is that the right name? or petrol?)

 

[crazydave911]

I'd use formula 409 and warm water but that's me

 

[old wrench]

3M 77 spray adhesive is just like contact cement

Solvent may liquify it and allow it to soak into the wood

A utility knife blade used as a scraper might be a pretty good option


.

 

[Bob J]

Not sure I want adhesive residue soaking into the wood. This WRC is pretty dry and it will probably suck up any liquid that it comes in contact with. I’ll probably stick to mechanical means.

I think the neck is what I need to get started on next.

I cut a board from the center of one of the WRC boards with the table saw, and planed it flat and to correct thickness by hand.

Did I mention I’m going to attempt a neck from western red cedar? How crazy is that? With a dual action truss rod and rosewood finger board will it be stiff/strong/stable enough? Should I also add some carbon fiber rods? I would love some input.

Oh, and I also have a piece of maple (I think) so I may make a second backup neck while I’m at it. Last time I made a backup neck I ended up needing it.

 

[badscrew_projects]

I've only seen red cedar on the nylon string guitar necks...

 

[Medeltids]

Love the cedar but I’d think it’s awfully soft for a neck. Maybe do a laminated neck with a center strip of maple to stiffen things up?

 

[crazydave911]

Western red cedar? Way cool , I've made 'em outta southern red cedar (tiger stripe) and they're still around lol . You'll likely hear some tale of doom about it but I wouldn't worry about it

 

[guitarbuilder]

Other than getting dinged up quicker, lower density woods with truss rods work for necks. Quartersawn pine neck with rosewood fretboard.

 

[Freeman Keller]

Western red cedar is very similar to spruce in characteristics, somewhat soft and prone to denting. It is frequently used as a top wood on acoustics (my go to OM has a WRC top). Like spruce it is stiff in bending and fairly low density, I don't think it will be a problem but I would probably not used it. The "cedar" that is used for classical guitar neck is "Spanish cedar" which is neither a true cedar nor from Spain.

Guitar is coming along nicely, Bob.

 

[guitarbuilder]

Western Cedar may not be the same as Western Red Cedar. Still interesting.

Red Cedar

This wood is less dense than Spruce, so this softness means a warmer sound. Cedar also makes silent tones stronger. Western Cedar Neck has a greater sound speed than any other Piceas, a higher quantity of tones, a less fundamental content and less grain rigidity. Besides, Cedar tops have...

maderasbarber.com

 

[badscrew_projects]

Western red cedar is very similar to spruce in characteristics, somewhat soft and prone to denting. It is frequently used as a top wood on acoustics (my go to OM has a WRC top). Like spruce it is stiff in bending and fairly low density, I don't think it will be a problem but I would probably not used it. The "cedar" that is used for classical guitar neck is "Spanish cedar" which is neither a true cedar nor from Spain.

Guitar is coming along nicely, Bob.

Aha, thank's for the "spanish cedar" detail

 

[Bob J]

Probably a caveat is required, I think it’s western red cedar, but I’m no expert. It came from my local rebuild center, a nonprofit that specializes in repurposing old hardware and building supplies and donated materials. They called it western red cedar, so that is my assumption. It’s light, fairly soft, straight grain, reddish in color.

 

[mjr428]

I'd just go for it. If it don't work out for whatever reason, build a 2nd... I'm really interested in seeing how it turns out! I think it'll be fine.

 

[Bob J]

Time to get going on the neck. Glued the pieced-together drawing to the blank…

Next step, cut away everything that doesn’t look like a neck!

 

[Bob J]

Cut out and sanded kinda near the line…

 

[Bob J]

Sanded further down to the line on the curves, routed the straight parts with a pattern bit and some guides. Pretty happy with what I’ve got so far, it’s super light compared to the maple necks I’ve made in the past, reminds of the redwood neck I started over a decade ago for my first challenge build (abandoned and discarded). Found the piece of maple in my shop that I used on my last neck, I’ll cut a piece out of that and start on a second blank. This one will make a good template. And if all works out I’ll have a second neck for next year’s build. (thinking about a jazzmaster)

 

[Bob J]

Forgot to add photos (pictures, or it didn’t happen).

 

[Bob J]

Ordered some parts, truss rods, frets, wood for the fretboards (I’m making a backup neck of maple), thought I might get going on that.

Traced the cedar neck on the maple, going to cut it out into a board about 4” wide. It’s not perfectly flat so I’ll plane it down then thin it to 3/4”.

 

[Bob J]

After planing it flat by hand (my hand is still sore) I used the bandsaw to resaw some of the extra off the thickness (I hate wasting wood).

I took about 3/16” off one face. Towards the end of the cut the blade started to wander…

I guess I know where the headstock is going…

I traced the other neck and cut it out on the bandsaw after changing the blade.

A little clean up on the belt/spindle sander and I’ll take it to the router table for a final trim.