Waddo Soqable Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 With body screw holes in the neck I've used the ends of artist type paint brush handles cut off and glued in, these have a slight taper and can be banged in, seems to fill the holes very well, provided you use decent glue poured in the hole, titebond or something, and of course sand any paint residue off the handles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 20, 2021 Author Share Posted August 20, 2021 40 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: Try 1/8" dowl... If a nice fit then all good... the thread area cut in the neck will help 'carry' the PVA wood glue along the dowl length... possibly better than a round/round fit that might wipe most of the glue off. Nut... I'd Fill 'n File to get it all up and running... Neck relief, poss neck shim, action, prefered strings, then new nut in the future to suit neck set up and prefered strings... All great advice thanks. Good point about the thread carrying the glue. I’ll go with a bodge on the nut initially and then fit a new one when the build is finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 On 16/08/2021 at 22:29, Velarian said: The top pick guard it is then. 👍 My decision to go with tort was two-fold. First, the vintage look and second @Stub Mandrel suggested in the basses on the settee thread that I should have some tort in my line-up. So there you go 😄 Ah now you’re treading what Samuel l Jackson described as the path of the righteous man. There’s those who like tort and the unbelievers who just haven’t found the right path yet … 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 @Velarian Any joy on the neck hole dowling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 59 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: @Velarian Any joy on the neck hole dowling? Not yet. I had to spend the weekend staying with my old mum so didn’t get chance to work on it. However, I was rummaging in her shed checking out my late dad’s stuff and managed to snaffle a nice pillar drill and a workbench which will come in handy when it comes to drilling the new holes, as well as the bridge holes, with some accuracy. I’ve got some 4.5mm dowling which should be just right for plugging the existing holes. I just need to find a quiet moment to sort it out. I’m not in any rush though and I’d rather get my ducks in a row first to minimise the chance of bodging things 😉 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 29, 2021 Author Share Posted August 29, 2021 Quick update. I managed to get the neck holes plugged yesterday. I’m going to try drilling the new holes and mounting the neck on the body tomorrow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted August 29, 2021 Share Posted August 29, 2021 (edited) Nice... when i drilled the neck, i had it in the pocket... used a drill that was a good fit in the body hole to start, just the pointy bit, just to center tip for the hole, and kind of counter sink the neck at the start... then worked out the depth and put electrical tape as a flag, then more tape around the drill shank to pack out, using the body holes as a jig to get the hole on the neck vertical... or at least aligned and centered to the body holes... and less likely for the drill bit to wander, if the dowl is harder or softer you got hold of a pillar drill which may help, but may need some sort of rest to keed the neck flat... I used a simple whirrly hand drill to go by feel. Pics n keep it coming... Edited August 29, 2021 by PaulThePlug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 8 hours ago, PaulThePlug said: Nice... when i drilled the neck, i had it in the pocket... used a drill that was a good fit in the body hole to start, just the pointy bit, just to center tip for the hole, and kind of counter sink the neck at the start... then worked out the depth and put electrical tape as a flag, then more tape around the drill shank to pack out, using the body holes as a jig to get the hole on the neck vertical... or at least aligned and centered to the body holes... and less likely for the drill bit to wander, if the dowl is harder or softer you got hold of a pillar drill which may help, but may need some sort of rest to keed the neck flat... I used a simple whirrly hand drill to go by feel. Pics n keep it coming... Thanks for the timely tips once again. All useful stuff to help me avert disaster 😂 I was thinking about how to hold the neck in position using the pillar drill given that it’s not flat underneath. I’ll see if I can knock up some kind of rest to hold it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Amazon do an adjustable rake neck support 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 42 minutes ago, Geek99 said: Amazon do an adjustable rake neck support Thanks, I’ve just had a quick look but most of them seem to be for supporting the back of neck whilst working on the fretboard. However, I need to support it upside down to drill the holes in the heel. I’ll be giving it a go later today so I’m sure I can come up with a way of keeping it flat and stable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 38 minutes ago, Velarian said: Thanks, I’ve just had a quick look but most of them seem to be for supporting the back of neck whilst working on the fretboard. However, I need to support it upside down to drill the holes in the heel. I’ll be giving it a go later today so I’m sure I can come up with a way of keeping it flat and stable. Definitely worth taking time to set it up properly for drilling, I've screwed this up in the past and done wonky holes ! Good luck anyway 👍, it's one of those jobs I'd not be looking forward to ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Just a thought (and you've prob thought if this already) If you set your pillar drill somewhere flat getting the "table" level in both orientations with a small spirit level, you can final check your set up with the spirit level on the flat back "pocket" surface of the neck before drilling....in theory should be then true for drilling straight holes ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 I'd go with the 'Body as a Jig' approach, At least to mark the holes, and while its in is nothing to drill em for the screw The neck pocket holds the neck, and ensures the angle of fir, thats what it needs... Try one? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 I’m weighing up all sorts of possibilities so these suggestions are helping me to focus on the right approach. First things first, I need the right drill bit and some decent clamps would help, so just popping down to ScrewFix to get sorted. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 What about using a polystyrene block Yoy could carve it out to suit and use again 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 42 minutes ago, Geek99 said: What about using a polystyrene block Yoy could carve it out to suit and use again That’s a great idea, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 I’ve just chucked an old kids chemistry set out - everything came in a polystyrene tray that’s where the idea came from - solid to start with but easily carved - but soft for the finish and flat on one side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blisters on my fingers Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Found this method of temporarily fixing a dodgy nut worked well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 (edited) The neck is now united with the body 😀 Here are the steps so far: - 1. I started with some 4.5mm down and needed to reduce it to just over 4mm to fit the holes so I stuck it in the pillar drill and used some 180 grit sandpaper to slim it down 2. Then I cut them in to approximate lengths and shaped one end to try and penetrate the holes as deep as possible 3. I put some glue in the holes and on the dowls themselves and tapped them home. After a few hours I trimmed the excess lengths with a wood chisel. This was a bit messy and I scratched up the finish on the heel of the neck unfortunately, but no one's looking there right? 😉 4. Next I held the neck in the pocket of the body and used a 4mm brad point drill bit through the body, which fit the holes nicely without much movement, to mark the position of the holes on the neck. 5. Then it was time to drill the holes! I clamped the neck to a slab of polystyrene. I didn't shape this because the neck just embedded in to it. 6. I used a spirit level and set square to get things as level as possible and perpendicular to the drill bit. I also set the drill so that the maximum travel matched the depth of the hole I wanted.However, polystyrene thing was quite tricky and wasn't really ideal because there was some movement (I'd seen a video on YouTube which suggested using a fretboard sanding block matching the radius of the fret board and that would have been a good idea if I'd had one!). In the end I gauged the pressure I was placing on the neck as I was holding it and made allowance for that and just went for it! Not quite the precisely controlled procedure I'd had in mind and the end result was a bit messy but it worked well enough. 7. I'm pleased with the finished result as the screws are tight and solid and the whole thing fits perfectly. Edited August 30, 2021 by Velarian Removed broken photo embeds 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 (edited) Let me get this straight - I give you a total genius suggestion from so far out of left-field that’s in the next flocking galaxy and you reward me with an image of a paper clip ? It makes me mad …. edit - clarification follows below Edited August 30, 2021 by Geek99 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Sounds like ya sorted... Can't see a thing mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 Not sure what happened to the photos in that last post, normally they just embed but they're showing as downloads for some reason? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 I'll post 'em separately! Give me a moment 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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