Neck finishing...
- Thread starter FretFire
- Start date
Curly
Moe's Bluesman
Re: Neck finishing...
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FWIW, Dan Erliwine has a book on finishing from Stew Mac that covers most of these Q's:
finishing
send em to me, and I'll host 'emMikeRocker said:
baby oil is essentially the same thing, but if you want, you can get mineral spirits at Home Depot in the paint dept.FretFire said:
----------------
FWIW, Dan Erliwine has a book on finishing from Stew Mac that covers most of these Q's:
finishing
Last edited:
Fresh_Start
New member
Re: Neck finishing...
RE: mineral spirits - the advantage over water for wet sanding guitars/necks is that mineral spirits won't get into bare wood and make it swell. Places like tuner holes, fret ends, pickup cavities, screw holes for bridges, etc. where there may be a spot of bare wood can swell up under your finish and ruin it if you use water.
As Mike suggested, plumbers putty works like a champ to fill holes up before you start the finishing process. It helps prevent splitting or cracking the finish around screw holes, etc. Unfortunately, it doesn't guarantee water won't go where you don't want it to.
For the first time I remember, Curly isn't quite right unless "baby oil" is a whole lot different on the west coast
"baby oil" and "mineral oil" are essentially the same, but "mineral spirits" is a type of paint thinner.
Chip
RE: mineral spirits - the advantage over water for wet sanding guitars/necks is that mineral spirits won't get into bare wood and make it swell. Places like tuner holes, fret ends, pickup cavities, screw holes for bridges, etc. where there may be a spot of bare wood can swell up under your finish and ruin it if you use water.
As Mike suggested, plumbers putty works like a champ to fill holes up before you start the finishing process. It helps prevent splitting or cracking the finish around screw holes, etc. Unfortunately, it doesn't guarantee water won't go where you don't want it to.
For the first time I remember, Curly isn't quite right unless "baby oil" is a whole lot different on the west coast
"baby oil" and "mineral oil" are essentially the same, but "mineral spirits" is a type of paint thinner.Chip
FretFire
SingedFingerologist
Re: Neck finishing...
Makes sense, thanks for the explanation. I'm probably going to take a trip up to Roswell this weekend to pick up a couple more trem springs (I want to go with 5 and screw the claw down tight), so I'll swing by Home Depot and check it out.
Do you guys recommend using a sanding block or sponge to prevent "finger marks, paper creasing, etc. when you do your sanding? A block makes sense on the fretboard, but something more pliable to curves seems better on the back.
Makes sense, thanks for the explanation. I'm probably going to take a trip up to Roswell this weekend to pick up a couple more trem springs (I want to go with 5 and screw the claw down tight), so I'll swing by Home Depot and check it out.
Do you guys recommend using a sanding block or sponge to prevent "finger marks, paper creasing, etc. when you do your sanding? A block makes sense on the fretboard, but something more pliable to curves seems better on the back.
Curly
Moe's Bluesman
Re: Neck finishing...
Chip, did you get my email today?
darn, every time I drink, then post, I screw up and get busted!Fresh_Start said:For the first time I remember, Curly isn't quite right unless "baby oil" is a whole lot different on the west coast
Chip
Chip, did you get my email today?
MikeRocker
What's Your Forum Nameologist?
Re: Neck finishing...
I will e-mail the pictures to you guys to host, thank you. Here's another tool that I found invaluable:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Jigs/Tuner_Pin_Drill_Jig.html
It made installing the tuners a breeze.
I will e-mail the pictures to you guys to host, thank you. Here's another tool that I found invaluable:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Jigs/Tuner_Pin_Drill_Jig.html
It made installing the tuners a breeze.
MikeRocker
What's Your Forum Nameologist?
Re: Neck finishing...
For some reason my @#$%&$* aol account is not letting me attach pictures, hopefully it'll be working tomorrow and I can send 'em to you guys to host.
For some reason my @#$%&$* aol account is not letting me attach pictures, hopefully it'll be working tomorrow and I can send 'em to you guys to host.
Fresh_Start
New member
Re: Neck finishing...
RE: Sanding
For flat surfaces, I use a sanding block. Actually, I cut up a couple of those sanding sponges into convenient sizes and use those as blocks with regular sandpaper. Some guys use a computer battery.
For curves, I got some thick leather from a craft store and cut out a couple different pieces for different applications, then I use some of that Scotch-Brite like stuff as a backing to prevent fingertip gouges, etc.
Chip
RE: Sanding
For flat surfaces, I use a sanding block. Actually, I cut up a couple of those sanding sponges into convenient sizes and use those as blocks with regular sandpaper. Some guys use a computer battery.
For curves, I got some thick leather from a craft store and cut out a couple different pieces for different applications, then I use some of that Scotch-Brite like stuff as a backing to prevent fingertip gouges, etc.
Chip
MikeRocker
What's Your Forum Nameologist?
Re: Neck finishing...
OK, thanks to the generous hosting of Forum brothers, here are photos of the Simple Neck Jig:
MikeRocker's Neck Jig
I arrived at this bad boy with a little trial and error, and it worked perfectly for a standard 25 1/2" Tele neck as well as a baritone 28 5/8" Strat neck with no modifications to the jig. All the components should be available at any decent hardware store for very little $.
First, get a 2x4 and cut it down, mine is about 29 1/2" long (anywhere in that ballpark should work fine). Next, as seen in Photo 2, get a length of metal plumbing tube. The tag on mine says "1/8" x 6" GALV NIPPLE". In other words, 1/8" diameter, 6 inches long. Make sure it is threaded on both ends. Drill a hole at one end of the 2 x 4 and screw one end of the pipe in, making sure that it is installed very tightly with no wiggling back and forth. This is very important, because the rigidity of this pipe holds the neck in place. Next, as seen in Photo 2, attatch a threaded L or T joint pipe connector at the top. In the end of the connector facing the long part of the 2x4, insert a dowel so that it is running parallel to the 2x4, about 5" above it. The dowel I used is 5/16" diameter and cut to a little over 3 1/4".
At the other end (Photo 3) drill a hole all the way through the 2x4. From center to center, the holes on my board are just over 27" apart. I used more of the 5/16" dowel inserted into this hole, but here is the trick...drill the hole slightly larger that the size of the dowel so that if you insert the dowel while holding the 2x4 up off the ground, the dowel will fall right through the hole and hit the ground. This length of dowel is about 10" long. In action, how this sucker works is that you brace the dowel on the rigid end that looks like an upside-down L (Photo 2) against the truss rod screw or hole at the body end of the neck, and slide the dowel at the other end through whichever tuning machine hole is nearest (IIRC for the Tele neck it was the 3rd or 4th tuner hole). Because the hole for the dowel in Photo 3 is large the dowel rocks back and forth slightly (see how when rested on the ground in Photo 3 it is at an angle) so that you can angle it into one of the tuner holes, but when the neck is lowered with the dowel passing through the tuner hole the pressure from the upside-down L will hold it in place with no slippage. It is not necessary to have the neck be perfectly parallel to the 2x4, just as long as it is held securely (the headstock end of my necks was probably slightly farther away from the 2x4 than the bolt end).
As I said before I used this contraption to finish two necks, and the necks were in the thing for probably a total of several weeks without any slipping. In addition, it's light enough that I could hold it in one hand and spray with the other (or you could set it on something to spray). I was able to hold the jig with a neck in it at all kinds of different angles and neither neck ever slipped at all. Additionally, you can finish all sides of the neck at one time as the parts the jig rests on (truss rod screw/hole and inside of tuner hole) don't need finishing. If the fit isn't exactly right, experiment with the length of the parallel dowel seen in Photo 2. Also, the size of the dowel at the headstock end may need to be modified based on you tuner holes, mine were reamed for Schallers. The width of the dowel prevents the need for putty in this hole as it keeps most of the nitro out.
I hope this all makes sense, please post any questions. Let me know if anyone tries this and it works! This jig worked beautifully for me, but use at your own risk, I don't assume any responsibility if anything bad happens to your neck! I hope all interested Forum members will get good use out of this, but if anyone tries to make, market, or sell these I will attack you with my lawyers!!! :smash:
Good luck!
OK, thanks to the generous hosting of Forum brothers, here are photos of the Simple Neck Jig:
MikeRocker's Neck Jig
I arrived at this bad boy with a little trial and error, and it worked perfectly for a standard 25 1/2" Tele neck as well as a baritone 28 5/8" Strat neck with no modifications to the jig. All the components should be available at any decent hardware store for very little $.
First, get a 2x4 and cut it down, mine is about 29 1/2" long (anywhere in that ballpark should work fine). Next, as seen in Photo 2, get a length of metal plumbing tube. The tag on mine says "1/8" x 6" GALV NIPPLE". In other words, 1/8" diameter, 6 inches long. Make sure it is threaded on both ends. Drill a hole at one end of the 2 x 4 and screw one end of the pipe in, making sure that it is installed very tightly with no wiggling back and forth. This is very important, because the rigidity of this pipe holds the neck in place. Next, as seen in Photo 2, attatch a threaded L or T joint pipe connector at the top. In the end of the connector facing the long part of the 2x4, insert a dowel so that it is running parallel to the 2x4, about 5" above it. The dowel I used is 5/16" diameter and cut to a little over 3 1/4".
At the other end (Photo 3) drill a hole all the way through the 2x4. From center to center, the holes on my board are just over 27" apart. I used more of the 5/16" dowel inserted into this hole, but here is the trick...drill the hole slightly larger that the size of the dowel so that if you insert the dowel while holding the 2x4 up off the ground, the dowel will fall right through the hole and hit the ground. This length of dowel is about 10" long. In action, how this sucker works is that you brace the dowel on the rigid end that looks like an upside-down L (Photo 2) against the truss rod screw or hole at the body end of the neck, and slide the dowel at the other end through whichever tuning machine hole is nearest (IIRC for the Tele neck it was the 3rd or 4th tuner hole). Because the hole for the dowel in Photo 3 is large the dowel rocks back and forth slightly (see how when rested on the ground in Photo 3 it is at an angle) so that you can angle it into one of the tuner holes, but when the neck is lowered with the dowel passing through the tuner hole the pressure from the upside-down L will hold it in place with no slippage. It is not necessary to have the neck be perfectly parallel to the 2x4, just as long as it is held securely (the headstock end of my necks was probably slightly farther away from the 2x4 than the bolt end).
As I said before I used this contraption to finish two necks, and the necks were in the thing for probably a total of several weeks without any slipping. In addition, it's light enough that I could hold it in one hand and spray with the other (or you could set it on something to spray). I was able to hold the jig with a neck in it at all kinds of different angles and neither neck ever slipped at all. Additionally, you can finish all sides of the neck at one time as the parts the jig rests on (truss rod screw/hole and inside of tuner hole) don't need finishing. If the fit isn't exactly right, experiment with the length of the parallel dowel seen in Photo 2. Also, the size of the dowel at the headstock end may need to be modified based on you tuner holes, mine were reamed for Schallers. The width of the dowel prevents the need for putty in this hole as it keeps most of the nitro out.
I hope this all makes sense, please post any questions. Let me know if anyone tries this and it works! This jig worked beautifully for me, but use at your own risk, I don't assume any responsibility if anything bad happens to your neck! I hope all interested Forum members will get good use out of this, but if anyone tries to make, market, or sell these I will attack you with my lawyers!!! :smash:
Good luck!
Last edited:
FretFire
SingedFingerologist
Re: Neck finishing...
Mike, thought you might like to know I built a copy of your little contraption to use when my neck comes in here in the next week or so. I'll let ya know how it worked out, maybe even post a couple pics of it with the neck stuck on there.
Stick this guy in the vault, there's some great info here.
Mike, thought you might like to know I built a copy of your little contraption to use when my neck comes in here in the next week or so. I'll let ya know how it worked out, maybe even post a couple pics of it with the neck stuck on there
.Stick this guy in the vault, there's some great info here.
MikeRocker
What's Your Forum Nameologist?
Re: Neck finishing...
Excellent, glad you could get some use out of it, I hope it works great for you. Post some pics if you can, I'd love to see your spin on it. Let me know how it goes, and enjoy your project, I had a blast with mine!FretFire said:Mike, thought you might like to know I built a copy of your little contraption to use when my neck comes in here in the next week or so. I'll let ya know how it worked out, maybe even post a couple pics of it with the neck stuck on there
Stick this guy in the vault, there's some great info here.
kmcguitars
GuitarArtologist
Re: Neck finishing...
If you have a maple board I would recomend you spray some lacquer
on it. If not it will look dirty after a while ( Not your traditional worn
in blues scale look) Just dirty. As far as getting the lacquer off the
frets. I take a penny and notch it a with a file. just a small notch
the size of the frets. Then I use the penny to scrape the frets.
The lacquer fly's right off. It works like a Charm.
If you have a maple board I would recomend you spray some lacquer
on it. If not it will look dirty after a while ( Not your traditional worn
in blues scale look) Just dirty. As far as getting the lacquer off the
frets. I take a penny and notch it a with a file. just a small notch
the size of the frets. Then I use the penny to scrape the frets.
The lacquer fly's right off. It works like a Charm.
