Cleaning Nitrocellulose Laquer.

[gsnad2000]

He also told me to never do a scarf joint but that's another story..

Why?

 

[Hopkins]

Over time cleaning nitro with anything containing silicon can soften the finish I'm told by 35 year custom furniture, cabinet, and guitar luthier. I personally do not have experience with the timelines he can speak about but he had built several custom guitars for himself and one is a Les Paul type which he had made it a point to never clean with anything other than a soft cloth and a few drops of water and he said it hasn't chipped dented or seriously scratched and just got harder and harder with time. He says silicon is nothing you want to put on a nitro finish. There are plenty of products to clean without it why chance it. He also was the rep for years for the mother company for Titebond glues when the furniture part of his business got crushed by the economy and worked with paint and finish guys. I trust him completely.

He also told me to never do a scarf joint but that's another story..

?????

So he doesn't like stronger, stable head stocks?

 

[Means2nEnd]

What he told me is the way titebond glues work mainly no 1 the one mostly used is the strongest one despite what some of the labels say on 2 and 3 but works best with grain cut perfectly perpendicular so the grain or what acts like small tubes is cut flat not on an angle which creates ovals at the end of the grain the way the scarf is cut. Flat circular cut end grain glued to straight or vertical grain is better. This bond between an angular cut he says is not as strong and explained it to me on a chemical level as well but that went right over my head but can flex or even shift over time. Not that a scarf joint is bad but how Titebond works best is his main point.

The necks he builds have a veloute under the nut is the area which has the most stress. Also 14 degree back angles like some Les Pauls is way overkill his builds usually have a 8 or 10 degree max. But he says choosing the right wood for the neck with grain that runs straight and quarter sawn when possible with a proper back angle and veloute will have less problems down the road for the most part and also mentioned how sometimes the end of the fretboard with fret 1 and 2 can come forward slightly with scarf joints from the wood traveling and he says he has seen it.

Look I am not looking for arguments or to say I have long experience with either one I was just stating what a guy that worked for years for I think it's Franklin but I may be wrong the parent of Titebond said who also is an experienced master furniture, cabinet, guitar maker told me...That is all. He also reped some high end finish companies as well and his favorite finish to use is water resistant lacquer from Sherwin Williams and said as long as you don't put anything with silicone on it will get harder and harder over time..

Is the guy the master of all guitar creation I don't think so and is his way the right way all the time, of course not it's just his experience and what he was taught. I just try and gather as much information I can from everyone including everyone here. I would build a neck with a scarf joint just to do it in the future and I wouldn't have fear of it not being strong unless I screwed it up myself and I'm sure Hopkins your necks are excellent I was relaying what I also heard from a very reputable source but not the authority of all. On a personal level I don't care for the looks of a scarf joint I just think it looks cheap in a way but that's just personal opinion I have played and owned plenty without incident of course but I don't think a scarf joint is always better than well made necks without.

 

[Hopkins]

What he told me is the way titebond glues work mainly no 1 the one mostly used is the strongest one despite what some of the labels say on 2 and 3 but works best with grain cut perfectly perpendicular so the grain or what acts like small tubes is cut flat not on an angle which creates ovals at the end of the grain the way the scarf is cut. Flat circular cut end grain glued to straight or vertical grain is better. This bond between an angular cut he says is not as strong and explained it to me on a chemical level as well but that went right over my head but can flex or even shift over time. Not that a scarf joint is bad but how Titebond works best is his main point.

The necks he builds have a veloute under the nut is the area which has the most stress. Also 14 degree back angles like some Les Pauls is way overkill his builds usually have a 8 or 10 degree max. But he says choosing the right wood for the neck with grain that runs straight and quarter sawn when possible with a proper back angle and veloute will have less problems down the road for the most part and also mentioned how sometimes the end of the fretboard with fret 1 and 2 can come forward slightly with scarf joints from the wood traveling and he says he has seen it.

Look I am not looking for arguments or to say I have long experience with either one I was just stating what a guy that worked for years for I think it's Franklin but I may be wrong the parent of Titebond said who also is an experienced master furniture, cabinet, guitar maker told me...That is all. He also reped some high end finish companies as well and his favorite finish to use is water resistant lacquer from Sherwin Williams and said as long as you don't put anything with silicone on it will get harder and harder over time..

Is the guy the master of all guitar creation I don't think so and is his way the right way all the time, of course not it's just his experience and what he was taught. I just try and gather as much information I can from everyone including everyone here. I would build a neck with a scarf joint just to do it in the future and I wouldn't have fear of it not being strong unless I screwed it up myself and I'm sure Hopkins your necks are excellent I was relaying what I also heard from a very reputable source but not the authority of all. On a personal level I don't care for the looks of a scarf joint I just think it looks cheap in a way but that's just personal opinion I have played and owned plenty without incident of course but I don't think a scarf joint is always better than well made necks without.

I think he has some pretty decent reasoning, especially with the fact that 14 degree of headstock angle is overkill and that 8 to 10 will result in a stronger neck. But that is regardless of if the neck has a scarf joint or not.

As far as Titebond goes, I think he has his facts a bit mixed up. Titebond original is an indoor glue, II and III are outdoor, moisture resistant glues that have more flex built into them so they are more prone to creep. All of them will be stronger than the wood itself if glued properly. I prefer to use a thicker neck blank when doing a scarfed neck so the joint is actually further down the neck around the second fret instead of directly under the nut.

Still, the fact remains, that even with a volute, you have short grain running through the weakest point of the neck when you do not use a scarf joint.

 

[Brian D]

I've used Virtuoso cleaner and polish before. It does a great job! I should buy some more.

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