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Special Edition Build-Off -- K-Space
- Thread starter Jon Clegg
- Start date
All of this is just me asking a million questions because I have no real world experience, so keep that in mind.
I had thought on my 5-string build I'm planning I was gonna do a single truss rod and a couple flanking carbon rods that only ran partial length of the neck. TBH I'm questioning the actual need for the CF rods at all and thinking maybe it'll be just fine with just a truss rod. It'll be a wenge/purpleheart hippie sandwich and from what I've read those two woods are pretty dang stiff in their own right, so I started thinking "just put a truss rod in it and let it be, don't over-complicate it". But I also refer to the experts on my ever-evolving design ideas.
This old thread covers that whole subject:
Neck reinforcement rods vs truss rod
Bruce Bars cut from 3/8" square brass stock and the neck slotted to accept them
Drilled the Bruce bars and temporarily installed them, I'll use use them as guides for drilling the clearance holes for the bolts in both the neck and the body, then I'll pull them back out and tap for 10-32 screws. Also rough cut the neck to shape on the bandsaw.
Headstock is roughly shaped as well
Headstock is roughly shaped as well
Neck trimmed to shape:
Fit to the body. There's a tiny gap on the treble side I'll need to fill.
I need to figure out how much neck angle will be required to work with the whammy, then rout that into the floor of the pocket.
After measuring, looks like the fretboard will be about 3/8" above the body and the bridge will be 9/16" tall once I recess the bridge plate flush. Using @TundraMan 's neck angle calculator it looks like I need an angle of 1.25 degrees or a rise of about 3/32" over the length of the pocket.
With the neck on and holding in playing position, I decided that I needed a bit of relief in the arm rest area, so I applied the shinto rasp; a bit of rasping and sanding later, and I have a nice contour.
With the neck on and holding in playing position, I decided that I needed a bit of relief in the arm rest area, so I applied the shinto rasp; a bit of rasping and sanding later, and I have a nice contour.
Needed to add a bit back to the floor of the neck pocket, ~ 3/32" so I laminated 2 pieces of 1/16" mahogany veneer, trimmed to shape using my neck template and epoxied into place:
Trimmed and planed to about 1.25 degrees:
Then fit the neck with the Bruce bars in place and drilled the neck bolt holes and ferrules:
Neck bolted into place with the slight angle required:
I used a cove bit to make the transition from neck thickness to the heel. Next I'll use my planing fixture to plane the side profile of the neck. Then it's time for the neck carve.
Trimmed and planed to about 1.25 degrees:
Then fit the neck with the Bruce bars in place and drilled the neck bolt holes and ferrules:
Neck bolted into place with the slight angle required:
I used a cove bit to make the transition from neck thickness to the heel. Next I'll use my planing fixture to plane the side profile of the neck. Then it's time for the neck carve.
Attachments
Back of the neck planed down, volute started, and the neck marked for the first set of facets:
Marked the fretboard for trimming to shape.
Marked the fretboard for trimming to shape.
Found some gold MOP dots that I think will go well with the amber tone I'm doing on the top. I also ordered a piece of gold MOP to make some non-dot markers (a first for me). Nothing too complicated, just a simple "_ . _" pattern for the 12th fret.
Nice. I see what you did there. Had to google it to double check but, nice...
Also, same thing I mentioned with someone else; make sure you wear a mask when you cut it. My understanding is that like flint knapping every bit of dust is just as sharp as the edge you can get on a full sized piece and can do a number on the lungs.
Also, same thing I mentioned with someone else; make sure you wear a mask when you cut it. My understanding is that like flint knapping every bit of dust is just as sharp as the edge you can get on a full sized piece and can do a number on the lungs.
Yes, I was planning to, but a reminder never hurts! 
Plus, I'm kinda used to the whole masking up thing by now.
Here's what I'm thinking for spacing, etc:
Plus, I'm kinda used to the whole masking up thing by now.Here's what I'm thinking for spacing, etc:
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What about making the ends on the dashes more square? It’s more work especially on the routing but, in my mind anyway, looks more like a Morse code dash. Look at me making more work for you! 
What about making the ends on the dashes more square? It’s more work especially on the routing but, in my mind anyway, looks more like a Morse code dash. Look at me making more work for you!
....And the dot!....
What about making the ends on the dashes more square? It’s more work especially on the routing but, in my mind anyway, looks more like a Morse code dash. Look at me making more work for you!
And the dot!....
I'll have to mock this up along with the standard round dots to see how it looks.
From left to right: Original plan, center round dot 3/32" radiused dashes, center dot as radiused corners
-. --- .-- / .-- . / .- .-. . / - .- .-.. -.- .. -.What about making the ends on the dashes more square? It’s more work especially on the routing but, in my mind anyway, looks more like a Morse code dash. Look at me making more work for you!
