What would you do?

[Tim Mace]

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.........

[Frank Ford]

For sure I'd start over and make a new neck. It's something we all have to do occasionally.

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

I would start over.

[Eugen C]

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.

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

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.

[Robert Sherman]

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.

[Tim Mace]

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.

[Ned Knepp]

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

[Tim Mace]

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.........

[Robert Sherman]

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.

[Robert Filippi]

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.

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

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.

[FRANK]

let it fly call it something new