wagdog- started out there but thought it would apply to my project a bit better than it did. I changed too many things when I went from practice to real world! haha
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Neck building- best tooling for shaping
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Hopkins
Commercial User
I also shape my necks by the facet method; usually five facets. I rough cut the facets with an angle grinder with a 60 grit disk, then all the rest is done with the Shinto rasp, large files, and hard sanding blocks.
I only use routing to cut the flat sides of the neck, and sometimes to define the flat back surface to the right thickness. My Luthier buddies who mostly make guitar necks use radius bits to get the shape close, and then use Shinto rasps and sanders to refine it. But guitar necks are usually thicker, rounder, and more consistent down their length. Bass necks, at least most modern ones, have a more complicated shape. The radius varies from the fingerboard edge to the centerline, and it also varies down the length.
Unless you are driving the router by CNC, or using a complex pattern-following machine, you are going to be shaping a bass neck mostly by hand. Some power tools will help save some time, but I doubt that the router with a radius bit will help you much.
I only use routing to cut the flat sides of the neck, and sometimes to define the flat back surface to the right thickness. My Luthier buddies who mostly make guitar necks use radius bits to get the shape close, and then use Shinto rasps and sanders to refine it. But guitar necks are usually thicker, rounder, and more consistent down their length. Bass necks, at least most modern ones, have a more complicated shape. The radius varies from the fingerboard edge to the centerline, and it also varies down the length.
Unless you are driving the router by CNC, or using a complex pattern-following machine, you are going to be shaping a bass neck mostly by hand. Some power tools will help save some time, but I doubt that the router with a radius bit will help you much.
Bruce,
Thanks and I highly value your opinion. I got most of my idea that rough shaping can be done in just a couple of minutes from Ryan Martian's video below. He is using a 3/4" roundover bit on an overhead router. The jig does not look overly complex but perhaps I am not giving enough credit. Of course this would likely only be his first pass to remove the bulk of excess wood. I wrongly assumed, when I watched it before, that he was pretty much done at the point he was done routing. I hope that nobody has taken me the wrong way with my questions. I am more than willing to pay my dues and learn by doing. In fact, that is often the part of the process I most enjoy! I have purchased all of the recommended tools and was already using a modified, facet system as it was very logical. I am fairly practiced at shaping with a grinder and die grinder because of some metal working experience. As I was working this morning on shaping a headstock, I realized that it is all about blending! This is also true of the metalwork I have done, especially bodywork!
So here it is, the video that made me believe that there was a quicker way. Perhaps I am wrong or perhaps Ryan has this pretty figured out. Note that in the video he is bulk producing necks! They look to be going back on some sort of production cart in a specific order?
Thanks for all the help. I have learned so much since last week I am ready to go find more lumber to make more necks and hone my neck building skills!
Video:
Thanks and I highly value your opinion. I got most of my idea that rough shaping can be done in just a couple of minutes from Ryan Martian's video below. He is using a 3/4" roundover bit on an overhead router. The jig does not look overly complex but perhaps I am not giving enough credit. Of course this would likely only be his first pass to remove the bulk of excess wood. I wrongly assumed, when I watched it before, that he was pretty much done at the point he was done routing. I hope that nobody has taken me the wrong way with my questions. I am more than willing to pay my dues and learn by doing. In fact, that is often the part of the process I most enjoy! I have purchased all of the recommended tools and was already using a modified, facet system as it was very logical. I am fairly practiced at shaping with a grinder and die grinder because of some metal working experience. As I was working this morning on shaping a headstock, I realized that it is all about blending! This is also true of the metalwork I have done, especially bodywork!
So here it is, the video that made me believe that there was a quicker way. Perhaps I am wrong or perhaps Ryan has this pretty figured out. Note that in the video he is bulk producing necks! They look to be going back on some sort of production cart in a specific order?
Thanks for all the help. I have learned so much since last week I am ready to go find more lumber to make more necks and hone my neck building skills!
Video:
I haven't ever used a router - the facet method takes an hour if you take your time. Personally it's one of the most satisfying parts of making a bass, so I don't want it to take less time - kinda like when people talk about mountain bike racing - pay to ride to get the ride over as fast as possible? It sounds backwards.
