Thru-Neck Advice

[Truckstop]

Hello all,

The nice bit of labernum I've got's gonna be seasoned and ready to turn into a bass after xmas, so I need to start thinking about the neck. I've only ever made bolt-ons before so I'm slightly worried as to how the thru-neck's gonna turn out.

Basically, I need to know if there are any special tools or techniques one can use to ensure that the wings are totally flat against the neck? Or is it a case of taking extra care with the cutting and sanding?
Also, can anyone recommend a particular glue?

It's a double-cut, by the way. Actually, would a single-cut be easier for a first-timer thru-neck?

Thanks

Truckstop

[lettsguitars]

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1012261' date='Nov 4 2010, 04:22 PM']Hello all,

The nice bit of labernum I've got's gonna be seasoned and ready to turn into a bass after xmas, so I need to start thinking about the neck. I've only ever made bolt-ons before so I'm slightly worried as to how the thru-neck's gonna turn out.

Basically, I need to know if there are any special tools or techniques one can use to ensure that the wings are totally flat against the neck? Or is it a case of taking extra care with the cutting and sanding?
Also, can anyone recommend a particular glue?

It's a double-cut, by the way. Actually, would a single-cut be easier for a first-timer thru-neck?

Thanks

Truckstop[/quote]
hello, i've never made a neck thru myself but i'll try and answer your question. firstly, i have always been confused about the neck angle on a neck thru. i obviously flaten the fingerboard side of a neck on a jointer, and taper the back. so as the heel is flat against the body, this creates like a 3 degree back angle. i'm not sure i would want a bass that had no neck angle as it puts your left hand way in front of your right hand. now, to get that angle on a neck thru you would have to bandsaw that angle into the centre block section of the neck thru, or a router jig. but to answer your question. basically when you glue the wings on, just make sure you clamp, or weight all peices down onto a flat surface while glueing (titebond original), and then clean up with a sander. pretty straight forward if you dont mind about that back angle.

[henry norton]

Pretty much all of the above but work out the neck angle full scale on a bit of paper first.

As for keeping the wings aligned, you can always bang a couple of slim nails a short way into the centre section, cut the excess off with some pliers and file the stumps down to points and hey presto, you have a way of locating the body wings without slippage when you glue it up. I use a biscuit jointer for all my bodily connections(!) which is essentially the same thing but using flat wooden oval things to keep al the bits of wood square on.

Titebond's pretty good but any decent woodworking glue will give you a joint "stronger than the wood itself" as they say.

[fonzoooroo]

+1 for titebond. It'll do solid body stuff in it's sleep... I've done cello back centre-joints with it.

[Chopthebass]

The basses in my avatar are all through-necks. I glued the wings onto the neck with a slight back rake, and then sanded down the neck portion to make the whole face flush. And similarly on the back I had to sand the whole thing flat again. You need to factor for these sanding reductions when sizing your wood.

Cheers

[Dom in Dorset]

I can't help with your original question but Laburnum is quite toxic - wear a mask when you work with it.
I got a load for bagpioe making a few years ago, it never caused me any problems , but i always wear a mask. I got it from another maker who got terible chest pains after using it.
It's a lovely timber though, looks unpromising at firts but polished and oiled it changes completely.