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Was wondering what the consensus was on the best way to cut the headstock joint on the next. The book says use a back saw, I saw one guys site where he used his miter gage on a table saw, another used a jig on the table saw, some one else used a band saw. I need to go for a "hard to screw up" method and I don’t own and back saw... yet.

I assume you are refering to the scarf joint. I would think that a Bandsaw would waist the lest kerf material, a table saw or miter saw either would be the most goof proof method.

Yes the scarf joint

You can also rough-cut the scarf with any saw you have (I haven't used a chainsaw for this but practically everything else should work) - power saw or handsaw.
Flip the pieces, clamp them together and hand-plane the scarf until you have a nice flat surface and a good joint.
This is the method explained in Sloane's original (classical guitar) book and the way I did it on my first few guitars. All you need is a handsaw, a sharp block plane, and a small square to check your progress.
I wouldn't spend a lot of time (more than 20 min) making a jig for this, as you may change the way you build your necks as time passes.
John

It really isn't that bad cutting it by hand with a Ryoba saw or something and a well tuned hand plane (both of which you'll want to own anyway). Practice on scrap for sure, though, and leave plenty extra on the headstock end. Draw a line on the face of the neck blank so you can make sure you're cutting straight, and use a piece of ply or something as a guide block to set the angle of the scarf joint when you're starting the cut.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

I won't clain that it is the best way.   
Here is a jig I made, copying Kathy Matsushita's wonderful design which I think she copied form a friend.



Check out her design along with a detailed plan/drawing here.SteveS39052.7004398148

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

ohhh.... you guys ROCK.

I use the Peter Licis (OLF Member) designed sledge on the table saw as well (the one from Kathy's site). It is the nearest thing to a foolproof jig you can get. I use a CMT thin kerf blade and the result is great. The only thing you have to be careful of is positioning the clamps.

Lance, Peter's Jig really should be in the Jigs and tools section.


Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=Colin S] I use the Peter Licis (OLF Member)[/QUOTE]Wow, I didn't know he is a member. Kathy is a member also.

Yes, be careful where you put your clamps!

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

You could use a similar jig on a bandsaw too.

Want an even better way?











Get a cnc'd one from John Watkins!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I use the sledge on the bandsaw. Works great.

   Kathy Mat's jig works well. I did find a technique with this that makes it about a perfect jig.
     Don't slide the jig over the blade but crank the bade up and through the joint. This technigue eliminates the "wobble" of the slide and you will get a very clean cut.
   I use my milling machine now but before that this technique worked very good. Try this and let me know what you think
john hall
blues creek guitars

[QUOTE=tippie53]    Kathy Mat's jig works well. I did find a technique with this that makes it about a perfect jig.
     Don't slide the jig over the blade but crank the bade up and through the joint. This technigue eliminates the "wobble" of the slide and you will get a very clean cut.
   I use my milling machine now but before that this technique worked very good. Try this and let me know what you think
john hall
blues creek guitars[/QUOTE]

John, now you tell me! I've probably done my last scarf joint as I am going over to V-joints, but this tip makes a lot of sense. Though I must admit that I was always very please with the old way.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I've cut this joint both with bandsaw and by hand. Cutting by hand is easy for this particular joint, for me it's a good opportunity to feel like a craftsman. The heel slots are more of a challenge.

I'm not a fan of the table saw method, you have to raise the blade to a menacing height and it seems like overkill.

when i first built one, irving sloane's how to was the only thing i had available, so that was the way i did it, then and for a while after, at least till i got access to a band saw and a jointer to do one piece necks.

ever since i first saw the licis jig on the km website, perhaps six years or so ago, it is what i have used. i couldn't build one for my tablesaw quick enough. with the right blade it's a cut and glue process, and about as close to, should i say it, foolproof, as it is possible to get in this game.

i haven't tried the amemded technique john describes, and have not experienced the wobble he mentions. but it would solve the problem if you do.
crazymanmichael39053.4251388889

John, sorry for my thick skull but if i get what you're saying, do you raise the blade a little at a time under the wood to be cut? That would make sense!

    What I do is clamp the jig on the top and just raise the blade up and through. This makes the joint so well that it is ready for glue up as soon as you un clamp it and is more accurate than you can do by hand.
     It is also very efficient and strong. You take one of the variable out of the building process here and the joining surfaces mate so well. A band saw , the blade can deflect , the hand plane is okay but not as accurate or as fast.
      The only method more accurate is milling machines.
john hall

I free hand cut it on a band saw and clean it up just the Todd shows a couple of post up.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Thanks for the explanation John!

Japanese handsaw for me. Works great. Now that I have a bandsaw, that might change though...

[QUOTE=Marc] I've cut this joint both with bandsaw and by hand. Cutting by hand is easy for this particular joint, for me it's a good opportunity to feel like a craftsman. The heel slots are more of a challenge.

I'm not a fan of the table saw method, you have to raise the blade to a menacing height and it seems like overkill.



[/QUOTE]

Thanks for your reply. I see "guitarmaking" on workboard!!

[QUOTE=alambert]
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Thanks for your reply. I see "guitarmaking" on workboard!![/QUOTE]

Always within reach.