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Wenge neck

miziomix

miziomix

Über on my mind
Commercial User
Sep 28, 2009
1,675
368
Kuala Lumpur.
www.mubcustom.com
Disclosures
Bass builder @ MüB.
#1
Hi there,

I'm making a Wenge neck for one of my current builds. It's a rather uncommon wood over here and it's new to me. So far it looks pretty easy to work with. But I haven't started shaping it yet. Any advice from the experienced ones? Thanks
 
#2
Wear gloves....always wear gloves!!!! The splinters are incredibly sharp, and exceptionally plentiful. You can decorate your hands and fingers with little black and brown splinters that will leave smaller splinters when you extract them. Wenge is a great wood, but can bring as much physical pain and it can pleasure in the working phase.

Work with the grain as much as possible, and understand it will be much harder to work consistently than other less dense woods.
 
#3
^^ What he said.

Also, I've made 2 wenge necksm and I have found that the grain changes direction a lot, so you'll have to adapt your working of it on the fly.

These pieces both appeared straight-grained as I could have asked on the surface, but when I started grinding into them...

wengeneck_1.jpg

wengeneck_2.jpg


As rough and painful as it can be to work it, it has an immensely pleasurable feel in the hand. I sanded/polished the first one above to 8000 grit and it feels amazing, completely unfinished.

I shaped the first neck with a cheap spokeshave, a horse rasp, and an 80-grit sandpaper belt, cut so it was just a strip. For the second one, I skipped the spokeshave and used just the rasp and sandpaper.
 
#4
Musiclogic said:
Wear gloves....always wear gloves!!!! The splinters are incredibly sharp, and exceptionally plentiful...
Click to expand...

Yes. I had a brief encounter with two splinters today. Exactly as you described it. Gloves it is. Thanks!

HaMMerHeD said:
^^ What he said.

Also, I've made 2 wenge necksm and I have found that the grain changes direction a lot, so you'll have to adapt your working of it on the fly.

These pieces both appeared straight-grained as I could have asked on the surface, but when I started grinding into them...

As rough and painful as it can be to work it, it has an immensely pleasurable feel in the hand. I sanded/polished the first one above to 8000 grit and it feels amazing, completely unfinished.

I shaped the first neck with a cheap spokeshave, a horse rasp, and an 80-grit sandpaper belt, cut so it was just a strip. For the second one, I skipped the spokeshave and used just the rasp and sandpaper.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I plan to use the same tools and sand it to about the same grit. But I know I'll get carried away and hit 12000 :D
 
#9
No one has mentioned a dust mask for this wood. It is very hard on the lungs ( at least it is on mine ). I still use it but I am very cautious of stray dust and vacuum continually while sanding and have a mask. If you don't you will feel this wood in your lungs for a few weeks.
 
#10
Nomad98 said:
No one has mentioned a dust mask for this wood. It is very hard on the lungs ( at least it is on mine ). I still use it but I am very cautious of stray dust and vacuum continually while sanding and have a mask. If you don't you will feel this wood in your lungs for a few weeks.
Click to expand...

You're right. I had that feeling while routing the truss rod channel - and I was wearing a mask. Thank you for pointing it out.
 
#12
I have a Warmoth Wenge neck coming shortly and, with all Warmoth necks I end up reshaping the back of the neck. Usually with Maple, I use 80 grit with a hand sander and then smooth out with 150 to 400 before finishing.

Will this approach work with wenge as well?

I was considering sanding it by hand by I'm concerned about impaling myself with splinters in the process.

Mostly I'm rounding the shoulders of the neck and leaving most of the thickness on the spine. Thanks.
 
#15
Doug, FBB Custom is right in the "varying layers of texture that carve away unevenly". When you sand the neck, be sure to use a block of some sort or you will have one funky neck with ridges and valleys.



FBB Custom said:
Well, probably don't use gloves when you're at the power tools.

Wenge often has interlocked grain, varying layers of texture that carve away unevenly, big, open pores, and is splintery. Other than that it's fun to work with....
Click to expand...
 

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