sanding/shaving the neck

[varunkapahi]

ok so i got a cheapo bass for a bargain price but its got a round baseball bat type neck which i have to work around. so should i get some sandpapers or surforms!?? please give me some guidelines on how to go about it. i know i gotta go slow and not over do it as i might have the truss rod breaking out.
how do i finish the neck after am done wit the sanding or shaving?
are there any tung oil substitutes? also, how do i apply the tung oil? just wipe the neck with a tung oil soaked cloth/brush?

what grit sandpaper i should to start off and for finishing?

edit: yes i did search but couldnt find much

[varunkapahi]

so i got a few sandpapers, started with the roughest one and kept sanding for like half hour straight but looks like this is really going to take ages to get any bit slimmer
the number on that sandpaper says 60

[MglMatador]

It would be light-years faster to actually shave the wood with a rasp or hand planer until it's close to the shape you want, then switch to sandpaper to blend and smooth it.

If you aren't comfortable carving by hand then you might try a lower grit (e.g. 40 grit) to get it to go faster. What I've found is that neck woods (like maple) are incredibly hard, and it takes a tough sandpaper to go through them at a reasonable speed.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by MglMatador

It would be light-years faster to actually shave the wood with a rasp or hand planer until it's close to the shape you want, then switch to sandpaper to blend and smooth it.

If you aren't comfortable carving by hand then you might try a lower grit (e.g. 40 grit) to get it to go faster. What I've found is that neck woods (like maple) are incredibly hard, and it takes a tough sandpaper to go through them at a reasonable speed.

yeah i really think i gotta get one of those now

[FunkMetalBass]

Good luck, and don't sand through to the truss rod.

Spokeshave is a $20 tool that will be your friend.

[Philonius]

Spokeshaves are tricky to use. First, and most important with any edge tool (spokeshaves, planes, etc) is they have to be sharp. As in: able to shave hairs off the back of your arm sharp. That requires the right sharpening equipment and knowledge. If you're not prepared to do that, don't bother. Second, any edge tool can cause problems if not used properly, and that usually requires a fair bit of trial and error (errors will happen), before getting the hang of using them. Most woods, and harder woods such as found on necks, will tear out if you cut against the grain.

I've worked a lot with hand planes, and never found spokeshaves to be very user friendly. I don't mean to sound preachy or belittle the notion of using a spokeshave, just offer a word of caution. Maybe it's just me, maybe I just never put the time into mastering them, but..... don't expect to just walk out of the hardware store and find nirvana.

Rasps, on the other hand..... mmmmmm, love a good wood rasp. They come in a variety of tooth sizes, from very coarse, to just above rough sandpaper. If possible having two different "grits" is helpful, one to hog off material, another to work to finished profile, then on to sanding. My all time favorite is the Nicholson #50 Patternmaker's rasp. Cuts quickly and leaves a reasonably smooth finish, ready to go on to 100 grit sandpaper.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Philonius

Spokeshaves are tricky to use. First, and most important with any edge tool (spokeshaves, planes, etc) is they have to be sharp. As in: able to shave hairs off the back of your arm sharp. That requires the right sharpening equipment and knowledge. If you're not prepared to do that, don't bother. Second, any edge tool can cause problems if not used properly, and that usually requires a fair bit of trial and error (errors will happen), before getting the hang of using them. Most woods, and harder woods such as found on necks, will tear out if you cut against the grain.

I've worked a lot with hand planes, and never found spokeshaves to be very user friendly. I don't mean to sound preachy or belittle the notion of using a spokeshave, just offer a word of caution. Maybe it's just me, maybe I just never put the time into mastering them, but..... don't expect to just walk out of the hardware store and find nirvana.

Rasps, on the other hand..... mmmmmm, love a good wood rasp. They come in a variety of tooth sizes, from very coarse, to just above rough sandpaper. If possible having two different "grits" is helpful, one to hog off material, another to work to finished profile, then on to sanding. My all time favorite is the Nicholson #50 Patternmaker's rasp. Cuts quickly and leaves a reasonably smooth finish, ready to go on to 100 grit sandpaper.

yeah am leaning towards getting a rasp or a handplane. handplane can be tricky and can really illshape my neck so am thinking about the rasp even more.

[xaxxat]

I've used a random orbital sander with 40 and 80 grit discs to get the profile close, and then switching to hand sanding with finer grades of sandpaper.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by xaxxat

I've used a random orbital sander with 40 and 80 grit discs to get the profile close, and then switching to hand sanding with finer grades of sandpaper.

thats has a motor right?

[Hookus]

Originally Posted by Philonius

Spokeshaves are tricky to use. First, and most important with any edge tool (spokeshaves, planes, etc) is they have to be sharp. As in: able to shave hairs off the back of your arm sharp. That requires the right sharpening equipment and knowledge. If you're not prepared to do that, don't bother. Second, any edge tool can cause problems if not used properly, and that usually requires a fair bit of trial and error (errors will happen), before getting the hang of using them. Most woods, and harder woods such as found on necks, will tear out if you cut against the grain.

I've worked a lot with hand planes, and never found spokeshaves to be very user friendly. I don't mean to sound preachy or belittle the notion of using a spokeshave, just offer a word of caution. Maybe it's just me, maybe I just never put the time into mastering them, but..... don't expect to just walk out of the hardware store and find nirvana.

Rasps, on the other hand..... mmmmmm, love a good wood rasp. They come in a variety of tooth sizes, from very coarse, to just above rough sandpaper. If possible having two different "grits" is helpful, one to hog off material, another to work to finished profile, then on to sanding. My all time favorite is the Nicholson #50 Patternmaker's rasp. Cuts quickly and leaves a reasonably smooth finish, ready to go on to 100 grit sandpaper.

Man, I am a professional woodworker, and this is truth. Spokeshaves are very difficult to use, even if you already possess a good set of skill with hand tools. Don't use a hand plane, won't work well for that. In either case, neither of those tools will work very well unless you dedicate an afternoon sharpening them first. Which means you need sharpening tools. The plane or spokeshave should literally be razor sharp, or it will just jack up everything.

A rasp is your tool of choice. I prefer a rasp that is slightly rounded. And get one at least 8" long.

When you are looking at the neck, and holding the rasp in the other, it will look intimidating, like the rasp is gonna tear the hell out of the neck; that is what it's supposed to do. Rasp with long strokes at a 45 degree angle to the grain, along the sides of the neck to keep it even, and work the whole neck at once, don't try to carve one spot right and link them, just carve the whole thing at a time. You will get the feel of how much to dig in.

You may not even need any thickness removed, you really need to try just re-contouring what's there first.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Hookus

Man, I am a professional woodworker, and this is truth. Spokeshaves are very difficult to use, even if you already possess a good set of skill with hand tools. Don't use a hand plane, won't work well for that. In either case, neither of those tools will work very well unless you dedicate an afternoon sharpening them first. Which means you need sharpening tools. The plane or spokeshave should literally be razor sharp, or it will just jack up everything.

A rasp is your tool of choice. I prefer a rasp that is slightly rounded. And get one at least 8" long.

When you are looking at the neck, and holding the rasp in the other, it will look intimidating, like the rasp is gonna tear the hell out of the neck; that is what it's supposed to do. Rasp with long strokes at a 45 degree angle to the grain, along the sides of the neck to keep it even, and work the whole neck at once, don't try to carve one spot right and link them, just carve the whole thing at a time. You will get the feel of how much to dig in.

You may not even need any thickness removed, you really need to try just re-contouring what's there first.

ok NOOB question really, how do you know which direction the grain is in?

[draftsmann]

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

ok NOOB question really, how do you know which direction the grain is in?

Your first stroke of the tool in the wrong direction will tell you quick enough.

[varunkapahi]

yo i got a rasp

[varunkapahi]

so the rasp could do some work faster but i have these uneven stripes now, so do i now need a finer rasp than this?
the rasp i've got right now is very rough and has separate protruding "teeth" and is not the regular finer cross section thing. somewhat like this

[varunkapahi]

hump de dump!

[mulchor]

That's a mean looking rasp!

Always a trade-off between taking a lot of wood off and moving fast versus going slow and keeping it smooth.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by mulchor

That's a mean looking rasp!

Always a trade-off between taking a lot of wood off and moving fast versus going slow and keeping it smooth.

yeah i think i should exchange it for a smoother rasp

[mongo2]

I re-profile necks with a Sandvik cabinet scraper followed by sandpaper.

[xaxxat]

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

thats has a motor right?

Yep...

[Hookus]

You don't need a finer rasp. Just lighten your touch when you get the profile right, and reverse it across the ridges you left behind, then use a scraper and sandpaper. A scraper will take those grooves off pretty quick.