One of the best things since sliced bread

Nelson Mandela- born in 1918

sliced bread - first sold (commercially) in 1928

LSD - first synthesized in 1938

 

I thank you Sir

 

Bucko, do you have any special jigging to insure you are drilling your holes exactly perpendicular to the bottom of the heel? I have clamped necks to radiused cauls and tried to level them in the drill press but it seems pretty mickey mouse. I'd like to see if you have a better way.

 

Sliced bread with threaded inserts.
you can carry the whole bread around and eventually un-screw each slice

 

I always say, "The best thing since raw toast."

...two or three blinks later...

 

For drilling alignment, I use at thin caul at the heel end that compensates for the radius on the fretboard. It takes the tendency of the neck to "rock" out of the equation and keeps everything at 90 degrees in that plane. You can make it out in the pic below.

I also use a flat block under the headstock to support and steady the neck at the other end which in turn keeps things at 90 degrees in that plane.

If there are any concerns about keeping the tap perpendicular to the neck you could always use the old machinist's trick and stick the tap in the drill press chuck and hand-turn it to start the tap true. I've tapped so many holes in my life that I'm very comfortable with just eyeballing the tap to keep it perpendicular.








Instead of using an "F" size twist drill bit (which is the recommended size for tapping steel), I use a 1/4" bit - usually a forstner bit, although a brad-point will work just about as well. It's a little smaller than an "F", but it works great to get maximum threads in wood .



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It's posts like this which make me feel cheated that my school didn't have metal shop class. I coulda learned how to weld, I coulda learned how to work a box brake... useful stuff instead of all that other ABC bumfff.

 

Yeah, but just think of all the useful things you learned instead - like for instance, how to conjugate verbs .

Where would you be today without having gained that valuable knowledge ?



As recent events have illustrated, I think maybe we are finally at the point where we starting to realize the value of vocational education once again. Operating machinery and equipment and making tangible items that have substance, weight, and usefulness is honorable and gratifying work .



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Great book that explores this idea:

"Shop Class As Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work" by Matthew Crawford

I taught in both public high schools and a vocational-technical adult ed program. Engagement, buy-in, and effort: the difference was night and day. If you are working towards something you can envision, you work with more interest and motivation. Most people learn better when their reason to do so is clearer.

I've never been able to get all fired up hitting "save" on a Powerpoint or a draft of a report. Starting up an amplifier and seeing the glow start to warm up? Heaven!

 

A bazillion have wood screws and no failures?

I've seen a couple of failures my self where the screws pulled loose, for whatever reason, and required repair.

I think the wood screw is the weak point in the engineering of the Fender bolt-on neck.

No doubt it was called good enough (history shows this), and any improvement on the wood screw was "value-engineered" out due to cost .


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I have a neck that has had a few holes drilled into it a bit wonky, and determined I want to try threaded inserts on that neck if possible. Would it be safe to assume that any existing holes on a neck should be filled prior to trying this?

 

The problem with shop class is lawyers. We can't have the possibility of little Johnny getting hurt.
Cheers,
Woody

 

Thread drift but I can't hold back. My local high school has a shop class. One of the options for the kids is to build a solid body electric guitar body. They have some templates, the kids learn to use some power tools including routers and band saws,. The learn shop safety. When they are done they usually buy a neck and most of the time bring it to me to help with wiring, geometry and setup. One of the school councelors is a heck of a good guitar player and builds all his own pedals, he encourages the students to build and play their guitars.

My help is pro bono, altho I frequently get some school swag. Most of the kids come up with pretty nice guitars and most of them get A's in the class. And the fun part is that my personal lawyer is also a great guitar player and he encourages the program.

 

Nice work!!

 

Not nearly as elegant as Bob Taylor's, but then I don't happen to own a cnc laser. Acoustic necks only have to come off a couple of times during the life of the guitar, this is somewhat easier than dovetails (which I will do when necessary). Ironically, I decided to refinish a guitar that I built 5 years ago with a bolted neck joint and it was a piece of cake.

 

Hi Steve, I'm planning on doing this soon, do you need to thread the holes in the neck? would driving the inserts in without doing so risk splitting the maple? Any advice on how you decide on what size pilot hole before tapping the threads. Thanks

 

The kind in the picture of my acoustic are designed to self tap into wood. Thread a bolt into the insert with a nut on it, jam the nut tight against the insert and you and use the bolt to turn the insert to cut the threads. When done hold the nut with an open end wrench and back the bolt out (its an old mechanics trick to install studs like you might in an engine block).

I test everything to make sure there is no binding, then I remove the insert and put a drop of CA on it, I don' want it to back out when I unscrew the bolt.

I've never used one with machine threads on it an frankly think the thread would be very small holding in wood. I would certainly want to put CA on it.

LMII does sell both the 1/4-20 inserts that I use for guitar necks and 8-32 that they say are for ukulele's but might be the best size for an electric guitar. You would probably need different length bolts and I would want a nice chrome oval headed bolt, but 8-32 bolts are easily sourced

https://www.lmii.com/479-neck-installation-inserts

 

Sliced bread was introduced on July 6, 1928.

Betty White was born on January 17, 1922.

Therefore, Betty White is literally older than sliced bread. Six and a half years older, actually.