Do you cut scarf joints by hand or with powertools?

[Smilodon]

Today I made a scarf joint for the second time (on a bass). The first time I made jigs and used a router to cut the angle. This time I figured I'd try doing it by hand because I no longer have the jig I used the last time.

To my surprise I found it easier to do it by hand than using a router.

Now I'm curious. Do you cut a scarf joints by hand or do you use powertools?



In case you are wondering, here is how I did it:

- Draw up the joint from the side in a CAD program to calculate the angle.
- Measure and draw the cut lines on the neck blank.
- Cut the neck blank with the coarse side of a Japanese saw while keeping an eye on the lines on all sides to make sure I cut straight.
- (cut the headstock shape. I did that now because I use a 3axis CNC to cut the shape.)
- Smooth the gluing surfaces with a small block plane.
- Dry fit the parts and drill holes for location pins (AKA toothpicks. )
- Glue and clamp.

 

[Manton Customs]

I do it by hand also, pretty much the same as your method, though just on the bandsaw instead of hand saw. I find doing easier and quicker by hand. When doing angled non scarf necks I do the same process.

Edit: re read that and it sounded like I glue up after just using the bandsaw...I don't do that, I plane after (by hand)

 

[HaMMerHeD]

I use a router jig. I'm not good with handsaws.

 

[Deep Cat]

Bandsaw. I clean up the glue edge with a sanding jig. I clean up the face and back of my headstocks with a router. I do the glue under scarf to avoid Gibson syle breakage.

For my next headstocks I'll be using a fence guided jig to cut the scarf on the bandsaw.

 

[abemo]

Bandsaw. I clean up the glue edge with a sanding jig. I clean up the face and back of my headstocks with a router. I do the glue under scarf to avoid Gibson syle breakage.

For my next headstocks I'll be using a fence guided jig to cut the scarf on the bandsaw.

Just for clarification, I was under thr impression that the gibson headstock issue was due to the lack of a scarf joint, leaving a short grain pattern under tension, and the point of the scarf joint was to shift the gr ain angle to travel the length of the headstock. Am I misunderstanding this?

 

[Deep Cat]

Just for clarification, I was under thr impression that the gibson headstock issue was due to the lack of a scarf joint, leaving a short grain pattern under tension, and the point of the scarf joint was to shift the gr ain angle to travel the length of the headstock. Am I misunderstanding this?

I can't really explain this properly, but Gibsons have scarf joints. They just do it differently than I do. There are at least two ways of doing this. Their way puts the joint under the fret board. They fail because they basically create a three way joint with all end grain. If you combine that with quesitonable glue and repeated falling over you get the Gibson headstock problem. The grain pattern under tension is less of a problem, I think.

The point of the scarf joint is to create an angled headstock from a straightish neck blank.

 

[Manton Customs]

I can't really explain this properly, but Gibsons have scarf joints. They just do it differently than I do. There are at least two ways of doing this. Their way puts the joint under the fret board. They fail because they basically create a three way joint with all end grain. If you combine that with quesitonable glue and repeated falling over you get the Gibson headstock problem. The grain pattern under tension is less of a problem, I think.

The point of the scarf joint is to create an angled headstock from a straightish neck blank.

Hate to keep correcting you it must seem like I'm out to get you or something! But no, Gibson generally do not use scarf joints, they cut the angle out the same billet, which is part of the problem, the other is the fact they don't use a volute which leaves very little behind the truss rod rout (which is where they break). And the final problem is people keep dropping them!

 

[Deep Cat]

Hate to keep correcting you it must seem like I'm out to get you or something! But no, Gibson generally do not use scarf joints, they cut the angle out the same billet, which is part of the problem, the other is the fact they don't use a volute which leaves very little behind the truss rod rout (which is where they break). And the final problem is people keep dropping them!

I'd rather be corrected than continue to be mistaken.

 

[Hopkins]

I use a bandsaw and clean it up with a router jig

 

[reverendrally]

Table saw and a jig. I've tried with the band saw and that was truly ugly. With a table saw I get nearly as good a finish as router.

 

[iamlowsound]

Mitre Saw and clean up with a hand plane.

Putting the scarf under the fretboard makes the joint both stronger and invisible. It is the only way to hide the joint if you don't want to cap the headstock.

lowsound

 

[ctmullins]

Table saw and jig, with a good Freud blade. I need to make a better jig though...

One additional factor that contributes to Gibson headstock breakage is the amount of wood they remove for their antiquated truss rod nut access. I use a modern double-action Allen-headed rod, which only requires a 3/8" slot, leaving much more wood in that area.

 

[Lonnybass]

Table saw with a jig. Saved me hours of tidying up the joins and surfaces.

Lonnybass

 

[Rockin Mike]

I'd rather be corrected than continue to be mistaken.

Excellent! I wish there were more people with this wise and sensible point of view.

 

[xaxxat]

This might be overkill, but I'd love to have one:

 

[Lonnybass]

This might be overkill, but I'd love to have one:

That's cool. Of course if you're going to go to the trouble of making your own angle guides like the video suggests, you might as well just using the same jig to cut your scarf joint.

Lonnybass

 

[PDX Rich]

Mitre Saw and clean up with a hand plane.

Putting the scarf under the fretboard makes the joint both stronger and invisible. It is the only way to hide the joint if you don't want to cap the headstock.

lowsound

This is what I would like to do. Do you have further details as to how this is done?

Thanks!

 

[DaanW]

I cut the angle by hand and clean up the faces with a small plane (60,5)

 

[Hopkins]

Rough cut on a band saw and clean it up with a router jig. I am no good with hand planes.

 

[Big B.]

This is my table saw jig for a 12 degree angle.

With a good saw and blade the cleanup up work is pretty much eliminated.

The problem is that with a standard 10" saw you can only get about 3 inches of blade height so if you are building a neck wider than a guitar or a 4 string bass you'll need a heftier saw with a bigger blade. If I had to choose a second method I would use a router jig.