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I made a perfect scarf joint,headstock.great alignment on the new mandola neck and then realized I had fouled up on my mahogany grain orientation.I had decided to forego the reinforcement because my tablesaw locked up as I was getting ready to do a channel cut.

Should I take a chance w/ no rod?Should I hand cut a channel?Dremel?Chisel?It's always something.........

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For sure I'd start over and make a new neck. It's something we all have to do occasionally.
I would start over.
Sorry to deturn the topic, but can you tell me how would be the correct grain orientation for a guitar neck?
I am thinking to build a multi-ply neck for an old guitar.
Grain along the neck axis, as ever. Quartersawn or not, depending on your tastes. The grain orientation is critical for the headstock : you can make a glued headstock or not.
So, is the problem that you have no table saw with which to cut a trussrod channel? If so, are there any woodworkers around who can make the cut for you, or do you have access to a router table? If not, handtools are still an option; I've cut channels with repeated strokes of a very sharp knife and a chisel to clean it out. My gut says that you want at least an inert hardwood spline to reinforce the neck. I'm sure that you can make it work out.
Here's what I did yesterday.....bought a Ryobi laminate trimmer for $79.Routed a channel and it worked great.I need the practice anyway using my new Japanese sawrasp which works like a dream.Since I'm doing bolt-ons I'll go get another piece of Mahog like FF suggested so I can do it correctly but am proceeding w/what I had going rather than waste a perfectly good piece of wood@ $25.a crack.The trimmer is much easier for channels than the tablesaw BTW.I made 2 passes w/ 1/8 flat bit.I'll be using a 3/16 square rod for strength.I don't really need the tablesaw but will get it fixed.
Tim, is it possible for you to post a picture of what you messed up. I don't understand the problem with the grain either.

I haven't had a problem with grain orientation when making a neck and I'd like to make sure it stays that way. It seems to me that cutting a scarf joint in a straight grained plank will still make a straight grained head. What am I missing?

Ned
Ned,a pic wouldn't do justice 'cause the grain is so difficult to read.It has little to do w/the head stock.As you site down the the neck the grain is horizontal as I intended it to be vertical.Brainfart!!!(me)I just figured it would most likely bow like crazy under string tension.Pierre mentioned the headstock whick I have never seen as a problem but maybe it is.Here's a pic anyway.Mahog foulup on Maple new blank.........
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I still think it would be fine with horizontal grain. Mahagany is a very stable wood and it will have the added strength of a cohesion bond with the fretboard to stiffen it. I would dimension the fretboard just a little bit thick to add beam strength. An extra 0.030" will add significant stiffness.
Sorry, I hate waste as much as the next guy, but I would still start over. $25 in materials is a cheap lesson (at least in my experience)... and you did pick up on a method for cutting channels you like better so you're moving in a positive direction. I think you will be happier in the end.
Soory I didn't understand...much clearer now : from your pictures, I guess you used it with the grain lines parallel to soundboard instead of perpendicular to soundboard (like a quartersawn should be). Don't bother, you can use it. It will be strong enough to make a guitar neck ; most of fender guitars are made that way.
Maybe weaker than with optimal orientation if it ever falls on the ground... but it's a scarf joint, it should be stronger than a one piece Gibson headstock anyway.
let it fly call it something new

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