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3-piece neck rough thickness, laminating a center panel
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Author:  phavriluk [ Mon Dec 21, 2015 12:13 am ]
Post subject:  3-piece neck rough thickness, laminating a center panel
I'd asked the first of my two questions in another forum, and I haven't yet gotten a response. So, I'm using some bandwidth here.

(1) I have in my stash of parts, purchased when I knew too little for my own good, a pair of black cherry necks whose fretboard areas are 3/4" thick. Wood vendors seem to sell neck blanks cut from '1x3' stock. Is this really one inch by three inches or lumberyard terms for materials measuring 3/4" x 2 1/2"? And is it a rational idea to use material starting out as 3/4" thick for an acoustic neck? The only advice I've found encourages the builder to 'make the neck blank 1/64" thicker than the finished neck thickness'. If only I knew what that was. I was planning on carving until I had something that either felt good or felt familiar, at least. I measured necks on my working guitars, and I don't know whether the neck plank needs to be thicker in order to smoothly transition into the heel.

(2) A second question: These necks were made with flatsawn wood some twenty years ago, and I've been encouraged to proceed no further with them in their present form. As time passed, after I'd asked for and received advice on using the necks, I developed an interest in using a 1 3/4" wide at the nut fretboard, and such a fretboard would overhang the sides of the neck (no excess material here). I wonder if I could salvage the use of the necks by slicing the necks vertically in half and laminating a flatsawn contrasting 1/4" thick panel between the two halves, giving me a visually more interesting neck which also allows the use of a wider fretboard. The neck would get wider, but not a quarter-inch wider, having lost material to the table saw blade. My question is whether this surgery and addition of a now-quartersawn panel between the halves might offer enough compensation for the necks' being made of flatsawn wood that the necks could be used without fear of warps and twists.

Thanks, folks.
Author:  meddlingfool [ Mon Dec 21, 2015 12:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 3-piece neck rough thickness, laminating a center panel
Hi Peter,

1) there was a thread recently by George L about neck thickness. My target at 1st fret is 20-21mm, at 10th, 24-25. This is including the fingerboard. So, 14 and 17mm without or thereabouts...

2) I "believe" that the major purpose/desire for quartersawn wood for the necks is it's ease of carving with handtools. Mahogany is more or less stable in all grain direction, so flat sawn should be fine, but, not sure about cherry.

As for ripping it and adding a middle layer, I see no problem with that. Just be sure to get the middle layer exactly square so it line up with the centerline of the back.
Author:  Pmaj7 [ Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 3-piece neck rough thickness, laminating a center panel
Not sure if I understand if you have a rough shaped neck or a 1x3 blank. iirc 3/4 stock works, but you need a longer heel for a smooth transition. Better to use 7/8.
Author:  JeffD [ Mon Dec 21, 2015 9:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 3-piece neck rough thickness, laminating a center panel
Is there anything particularly special about this cherry? Cherry in itself is not a particularly rare or expensive wood and not hard to get in quarter sawn blanks. Coupled with them being too narrow as well…my inclination would be to use those blanks for something else and stick to quartered whenever possible. Quarter sawn wood is significantly more stable than flat sawn. Though there are of course many other variables, I'd want to stick with as close to quartered as I can get with little to no runout.

As far as gluing a center piece in between I can't offer much advice. Not sure it would help with movement much as once you route out for the truss rod there's very little of that q-sawn piece left to affect the cherry.

good luck,
JeffD
Author:  phavriluk [ Mon Dec 21, 2015 12:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 3-piece neck rough thickness, laminating a center panel
Jeff, no particular attachment to these particular necks, save that they exist. Hadn't considered how much material would be removed for the trussrod slot.

I think I need to respect the skeptical consensus and spend my time turning quartersawn wood into necks. As I had mentioned, the experience would have a value, but the time consumed and cash consumed in making the width adaptations would go a long way to making two necks right. And probably not cherry.

At the end, the experienced comments I originally received before this present exchange were all I needed to receive. So far, everything I've gotten from that source has turned out to be dead right. And I'm grateful.

Time to move on.
Author:  John Arnold [ Mon Dec 21, 2015 7:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 3-piece neck rough thickness, laminating a center panel
IMHO, cherry (even flatsawn) makes a fine necK. It is relatively stable and stiff. I built a cherry 0000 size guitar over 30 years ago, and the two-piece flatsawn cherry neck is as straight now as when it was built. This is a very long neck.....14 frets to the body and a 26 7/8" scale.
Contrary to popular belief, hardwoods that are quartered are not stiffer in bending than flatsawn. Shrinkage across the width of a flatsawn board is more, but generally less than an ebony or rosewood fingerboard unless you use a more unstable wood like maple.
Also consider that when subjected to impact, a flatsawn neck will be less likely to break at the heel or the peghead than a quartered one.
Quote:
Is this really one inch by three inches or lumberyard terms for materials measuring 3/4" x 2 1/2"?

Rough lumber is often sold in increments of 1/4" thickness and 1" width. Finishing the lumber (planing and edging) reduces the dimensions. Softwoods may be 3/4" thick or less, while depending on the roughness of the sawing, hardwoods may finish out to 13/16" or even 7/8". By buying rough lumber, you may be able to push the thickness a bit more. That is because removing all traces of saw marks is not necessary on the surface where the fingerboard is glued.
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