Drilling for neck screws

[needmoney]

Quick question. Say I've got a Jazz Bass body with Pre-drilled neck screw holes. What's the best way to drill the guide holes for the neck itself?

[Jeronimofesto]

Put the neck in the neck pocket and drill the holes through the body and then into the neck.

[Mon Rominee]

Originally Posted by Jeronimofesto

Put the neck in the neck pocket and drill the holes through the body and then into the neck.

well, yes and no. personally, I would get a decent non marring c-clamp of sorts, and clamp and align the neck in the pocket. By align, I mean take some manner of string and knot one end on two pieces to represent the outside strings, and run the string thru the bridge over the saddles, over the nut to the tuning machines and pull them taught and anchor to the machines in some manner, and align the neck as necessary, and tighten the clamp just enough to hold in place...

Then, take an awl or some pointed instrument that is roughly the same diameter as the holes in the body, and drive it thru the hole to the neck and make a reference divot in the neck. Then, find a drill that matches the diameter of the SHAFT only (not the threads) of the screw you will use to anchor the neck, and drill your holes...

I would take the neck off the bass, and to a drill press and cradle the neck square 90 degrees to the bit and then drill slightly past the amount of length the screw will protrude into the neck (don't go through!) and good luck (you can make a quick positive-stop mark on the bit with a sharpie pen or a piece of tape)

If you don't have a drill press, you *could* do it by hand, but you'll really have to try to keep the bit centered and square to the body as you drill, or you risk an angled hole that could potentially snap the screw as you attempt to create threads in the new neck. Also, when creating new threads, use a sort of lubricant on the screw threads (such as a drop of liquid hand soap or something) to keep the threads cutting cleanly and without undue heat.

Take yer time and you'll be fine.

Mon

[Suburban]

Find a set of dowel markers. They are cylinders with a pointy end, you put them in the holes and fit the neck, carefully. Then you press the neck into the pocket, and the markers make small points. Drill in those with a small drill bit, turn the body and drill with the right size bit from the back. Done.

BTW, put in thread inserts in the holes in the neck!

[needmoney]

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

I would take the neck off the bass, and to a drill press and cradle the neck square 90 degrees to the bit and then drill slightly past the amount of length the screw will protrude into the neck (don't go through!) and good luck (you can make a quick positive-stop mark on the bit with a sharpie pen or a piece of tape)
Take yer time and you'll be fine.

I'm in the process of looking for a drill press. Although, this is the part I'm unsure about. How can I ensure the neck is 90 degrees to the bit with the radius of the fretboard? I'm not sure how I could keep it in place.

If I were to just use the easy method, i.e; drill through the body and into the neck with a handheld. It would still be accurate enough as long as I follow the pre-drilled holes in the body right? Not that this is the method I wish to follow..

[Mon Rominee]

Ok, well what I did was take a 6" wide by 20" long piece of ply and two pieces of long 1" square strip, and I laid the neck on the board, and put one strip of 1 x 1 on each side of the neck against the neck, traced the locations, remove the neck and brad-gunned the strips to the board, making a slip-fit jig to hold the neck (particularly the heel)straight 90 degrees (enough so within reason for the purpose at hand) flip the neck fretboard down, "lock" into jig (line with tape if yer afraid of scratches), and drill. And you'll have the jig for the next time....

Mon

[needmoney]

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

Ok, well what I did was take a 6" wide by 20" long piece of ply and two pieces of long 1" square strip, and I laid the neck on the board, and put one strip of 1 x 1 on each side of the neck against the neck, traced the locations, remove the neck and brad-gunned the strips to the board, making a slip-fit jig to hold the neck (particularly the heel)straight 90 degrees (enough so within reason for the purpose at hand) flip the neck fretboard down, "lock" into jig (line with tape if yer afraid of scratches), and drill. And you'll have the jig for the next time....

Mon

Ahh cool! So obviously the neck has to fit in the jig pretty tight to hold it in place? Have you got any pictures of this jig with the neck in it?

[Mon Rominee]

Nope, it doesnt have to fit tight at all really, just enough to hold it in place....and that can be accomplished simply by sliding it into the jig snug, and holding it in place with a little hand pressure. If ANYTHING, a clamp should be used to hold the jig to the table of the drill press, but I don't think it would kick back or spin violently anyway, and it impedes quick orientations for drilling.

And no, I don't currently have a pic, it was just a quick fix to a minor hurdle, as it can be for you. it was all scrap.

[needmoney]

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

If ANYTHING, a clamp should be used to hold the jig to the table of the drill press, but I don't think it would kick back or spin violently anyway

Thought so! Now to go get me some scrap!

[Unknowndude]

Thanks so much for the advice, guys. I have to do the exact same thing soon and I'm a little freaked out because the neck isnt super snug in the neck pocket and moves horizontally a bit, but using a string or whatever would certainly help to make sure i get the alignment right.

[needmoney]

Thanks for the brilliant idea Mon Rominee, here's how mine turned out..




B-e-a-utiful!

[Mon Rominee]

that's it!!!!!! way to go man!!! GLAD I COULD HELP.

[needmoney]

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

that's it!!!!!! way to go man!!! GLAD I COULD HELP.

And that you did, thanks heaps mate, this Jigs gonna get a looot of use.

[Lewis7789]

Originally Posted by Suburban

BTW, put in thread inserts in the holes in the neck!

I have to drill the holes for my Warmoth neck soon and am slowly learning everything from online resources. Where do I find thread inserts for the neck? Do all basses have these inserts?

Thanks in advance...

[ZolkoW]

Originally Posted by Lewis7789

Where do I find thread inserts for the neck? Do all basses have these inserts?

Most of them don't have inserts. the screws go directly to the wood. I'm building my first guitar with threaded inserts in the neck not because it's stronger (I think it is), but because now I can use hexa screws, which look better for me
and no problem if you dissassemble the neck many times.

oh, a normal screw shop (English name for that?) has these.

[Suburban]

And all over sudden, the local hardware store goes tripple-X...

It may be, that you have to buy it online. Search for threaded insert and take it from there.