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Checking neck layout against the top wood. The headstock area is laid out on the upper right of the panels. I still need to figure out what I'm going to use to cover the base of the neck.
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Couple of tips…
1. Make sure your edge guide is SECURELY tightened.
2. Make sure the edge of the board is square and there are no dried glue runs or drips because the guide will get stuck or deflected.
3. Use a steady hand to press against the guide and down on the bit.
4. Do two to three passes to final depth.
5. Test fit the rod before you get your final depth, to make sure you don't route the channel too deep.
6. Make sure the edge guide is kept steady when you get to the end of the neck (if there is not sufficient lumber to maintain the guide)
7. Work base of the neck to nut (for router feed).
Good luck!
Couple of tips…
1. Make sure your edge guide is SECURELY tightened.
2. Make sure the edge of the board is square and there are no dried glue runs or drips because the guide will get stuck or deflected.
3. Use a steady hand to press against the guide and down on the bit.
4. Do two to three passes to final depth.
5. Test fit the rod before you get your final depth, to make sure you don't route the channel too deep.
6. Make sure the edge guide is kept steady when you get to the end of the neck (if there is not sufficient lumber to maintain the guide)
7. Work base of the neck to nut (for router feed).
Good luck!
Gotcha. Seems like that last couple inches to the scarf joint would be the most harrowing. Thanks!
You're welcome. I typically glue the headstock up after the channel is routed. Just be careful not to slip at the end of the headstock...not a lot of wood for the edge bit, and not much underneath the truss rod channel if you go too deep once it's carved!
Yup, that's what I meant. There are surprisingly few edge guide routing examples out there, so it is nice to see someone doing it the way I had hoped to since my homemade router table is not made to handle a long feed.
Bass is coming together nicely, man! Excellent work!
Lonny
I see you have a similar "lunchbox" portable planer to my Delta 12-1/2". Even with cutter heads locked down, I always get a bit of snipe at board ends, to the point that I always either add some sacrificial length to the piece, or plane a longer second sacrificial piece of pine or whatever scrap is around simultaneous with the good piece. The first and last few inches of the pine takes the snipe. How are you preventing snipe on yours? I found lifting the end a tiny bit helps, but doesn't prevent all the snipe.
I see you have a similar "lunchbox" portable planer to my Delta 12-1/2". Even with cutter heads locked down, I always get a bit of snipe at board ends, to the point that I always either add some sacrificial length to the piece, or plane a longer second sacrificial piece of pine or whatever scrap is around simultaneous with the good piece. The first and last few inches of the pine takes the snipe. How are you preventing snipe on yours? I found lifting the end a tiny bit helps, but doesn't prevent all the snipe.
I've heard building a sled to attach the work piece to can help. I plan on trying that once I find a planer in working order on CL or NextDoor.
I've actually been really lucky somehow, I don't think I've encountered snipe on more than one or two occasions with that thing. In fact, now that you mention it, I'm actually surprised that I haven't run into it more often.
I typically make shallow passes and like you, I leave a little bit of extra length on the boards to allow for any tearout, but generally speaking, I've managed to avoid it.
That planer was a $99 special from Rockler about eight years ago and aside from the bevel gear needed to be replaced, it's lasted way longer than I ever expected - especially considering the workout it gets flattening down 2" stock to instrument thickness. In a shop full of higher end equipment, that thing has definitely kept up!
