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Bad neck set HELP!!

#22
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#24
Soooooooo that was stressful lol.
I've mutilated the heel a little bit digging the putty knife in the pocket. It seems that the heat as warped the pocket too.
Should I just let it sit and dry or should I clamp it down to something flat? It took that steam on and off for about two hours.
 
#28
Looks good. Clean it up. Fit shims where needed. (Fitting is a process. Unless you get lucky, don't be surprised if it takes an hour to get it right.) Glue it up.

But this time, make sure your angles are correct before getting out the Titebond. Mount bridge and tuners, clamp neck to body, string, and check everything. When you're sure it's right, then glue, clamp, and let cure.

Don't forget (if you haven't made them already) to make good fitting cauls to direct the clamping pressure where it is needed and to protect the surfaces from clamp marks.

It's a good idea to install the outside strings to insure correct alignment before the glue dries:

  1. Apply glue to all surfaces.
  2. Assemble parts.
  3. Apply cauls.
  4. Clamp.
  5. Install strings.
  6. Adjust alignment if necessary.
  7. Clean up squeeze out.
Good luck.
 
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#29
Dantzer8001 said:
Do you guys think the neck can be saved?
Click to expand...


It will take a bit of effort. You might need to use a chisel or router to square up some of those deeper spots on the heel and glue in some pieces of the same wood (maple? I don't remember if you mentioned) then sand or plane the heel flat and start fitting it to the body.

Great work so far, by the way. Soon you'll be a gen-u-wine repairer type guy instead of just playing one on TV! :laugh:
 
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#30
Thanks man, my only luck is dumb !
I think it's funny how I have a router but I don't own any chisels ! Haha I might need those. It is maple, I probably didn't say, I ramble.
I suppose I could use a few days of a break on this thing and catch up on all the other stuff I'm supposed to do . Like dishes or something haha.
 
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#31
Good job by well attached hands. Just my 2 cents: before regluing the neck back make sure it has operational truss rod and it is as straight as possible. These things so much easier to fix when neck is off the body...
Then you can restore the heel part of it: remove broken wood to flatten the surfaces, reglue missing wood with some excess, reshape and adjust it so it go the right angle to the body with no shims! It also needs to be very tight fit, avoid gaps! So, clean-up and resurface the body pocket as well... Use long straight edge to set the correct neck's position and when target reached - glue it back to the body permanently. The less glue you use the better result you'll get.
 
#37
So I used maple to shape an insert and tried to taper it slightly with the router to get a bit of an angle on it using veneer to shim it. I don't think I got an extreme enough angle. So I put a couple string on and tilted it to where I wanted, drew a line in the pocket. Chiseled as little I could but now I got the angle but my neck is recessed to deep. I have already glued in the insert piece .. would it be bad if I made a riser shim and glued that in? I'm not concerned for resonance , just concerned for structural integrity. I'm actually really surprised how well I did with a chisel though. A cheap one at that.
 
#38
For setting the neck angle a chisel is too much. You basically want the neck pocket floor flat, and you use sand paper to fine tune the shape of the neck.

the easiest thing to do now is probably glue a wood riser shim to the bottom of the neck you thinned and then sand to the neck angle on that.

Here's a good video of a real pro doing a set neck angle:
 
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#39
You should be good. I'd try to use the same wood as what's already in there, you said maple, which is hopefully the same as the neck and orient the grain the same way. Just do good prep for the glue up and clamp everything together well when you glue. Remember to double and triple check the angle and how the strings hit the bridge before you bust out the Titebond though!
 
#40
Dantzer8001 said:
I haven't been successful finding good information about how to remove the neck. I see steam is the way to go, but how should I do it? Will it ruin the lacquer finish? How would one go about cleaning up the pocket if I were to succefully get it off? Are there common mistakes when people are trying to do this, that I should be aware of?

I'm just terrified of ruining it. It's been a lot of time and emotional investment in it.

I do appreciate the advice though folks!
Click to expand...
Have you tried calling/contacting the maker's customer service dept.?! I know its a PIA,but wortha shot or maybe a local luthier for advice. I know you're close to this project but dont get emotional, that'll lead to more mistakes! It's just wood, it can be repaired! dont get impatient you have time.GL
 
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