Really appreciate your tutorial videos, Randy. One remaining question for me is how you determined the fretboard alignment with the neck blank (top to bottom) before drilling 5/64 holes @1st & 12th frets, as this will effect scale length relative to neck pocket depth?
When I built a fender Tele, I placed the bridge on the body, put the saddles close to their intonated position, bolted on the neck (without the fretboard) and measured the scale length to the nut. Here is a link to that video. It's at 2 and half minutes ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UBZJREBMRzw.htmlsi=NSUQFwUdxAlcH6eW When coping and building the Explorer, 1st I placed the fretboard on the neck, as close to the same position as the neck I copied. Then the neck to the body, then figured out where the bridge should be located, as shown in this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vxh96BGhx68.htmlsi=3sFqiBdZ17zhXu-n Two different approaches, but both effective. Hope this helps.
I came up with a neat idea instead of having to use shims. I put a threaded wood insert into a 3/4 inch block and used a bolt to raise and lower the dowel when I needed to change the adjustment for the bit depth depending on the neck I am profiling. Some necks have fingerboards and frets on it so getting an exact match is not easy when you have your bit depth at say 1.5 inches. With the threaded inserts and bolt, I can ADD to the length of the dowel which basically SUBTRACTS the fretboard and frets to the cam. Once the blank is in place, I set the dowels to the initial 1.5 inch depth and it will create the exact profile of the neck I copied. Since the height of the blank doesnt have a fingerboard or frets on it, in my case, this makes it more precise.
I suppose it could be done. If you’re talking about a Strat or telecaster neck, the fretboard will hang over the end of the heel by quite a bit, enough to hang over the neck pick up. A slot could be in between the 22nd and 23rd fret. Of course because it’s overhang and you have a slot in between those frets, the overhung part of the fretboard may become weak. I’ve never done it.
Randy, Ive got a question if you could answer please. I build this jig not quite the same but close. But to the point. Ive been practicing on pine before I use the real thing. the first time I did it the neck came out fine, the next time I tried it gave me a larger not sure how to word this. Progressive bottom and less top of the neck shape. My guess is because the neck wasn't centered? maybe? Thank you By the way great videos learned a lot for ya. Thanks
Thanks for watching. Making sure it is centered seems like it could be the issue. You may have watched this video I made but it shows how I centered the neck in the jig. Hope this helps😊 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AXjW8cOZ_E0.htmlsi=iAD_qHENYydBskNn
Aloha Braddah Randy! Nice job being precise….I am the same way and when I do a project of any kind, the set up takes FORRR-E-VERRRR….but the job goes rather quickly, all because my prep is being precise in my measurements. I enjoyed all the videos thus far and subscribed after watching the neck jig video. The others I’ve seen previous to yours all have their merit but the pencil lead outlining the bearing cog was genius! Mahalo nui loa for sharing your valuable time with us that are interested in this because it is not always easy doing a video production with a lot of detail and insert notations, etc….Mike
I have watched many videos regarding these jigs, and they all leave me with a question or two, most notably, how to copy an existing neck profile to the jig. After watching your clear and detailed video, all questions have been answered. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
Thank you sir your videos is great god bless you ! I have a 1971 f100 4x4 I redid the front hubs I was having trouble putting the lock in piece Intel you showed the indentations where it goes in I was stumped but now I got it thank you sir !
Brilliant! - I'm making one for uke necks. A job I can't do on my CNC without spending a fortune on 3D software! A further mod might be a perspex cover box that the router runs along a slot with adjustable end stops. The box allows extraction and you can still see the job. Thank you so much for your work Randy.
I LOVE big fat baseball bat style necks. Only thing I can play all night and not get hand cramps. Real simple, get a 1" round over bit and that is your profile. Feels the best in your hand. It might take you a gig or two to get used to it but SO much better than those thin 80's shredder necks.
Nice one Randy. If you wanted to make it a bit easier to get some leverage on those wheels you could just use a circle cutting jig with some ply (or something fancier) to make a handle and put some bolts through it and the washers you already have. And bore a hole in the center where the rod goes through of course.
I built one of these last year. But I put a fifteen ft radius in the jaw faces so I could hold acoustic guitars without flattening the arches. It's on my RU-vid channel.
Thanks for sharing. It ain't the prettiest Moxon vise I've seen, but it works! I had planned on making one, but life got in the way, I bought the hardware I needed to do so, but I ended up buying one from another RU-vidr who selling off some of his tools. It was a lot cheaper than that Wood River kit you mentioned so I decided to just buy one. I'll eventually make another one, since I have the hardware. The one I build will have more space between the screws to better hold my various instrument builds.
Hey Randy, love your videos. Always great ideas and good, common sense advice. I am absolutely going to make one of these! One question. Do the washers you're using for handles give you enough leverage? I'd be inclined to have a larger handle. Anyway, a great and simple project. Thanks and greetings from Essex UK.
Surprisingly, there is plenty of leverage with the washers. If in the future, I feel like I need more leverage. I will drill holes in the washers as if they are a flange and add a larger, wooden disc By the way, I will be visiting England for the first time this summer Thanks🙏
@@randysguitarsbroncos223 I was thinking pretty much the same thing. You also inspired me to come up with some other ideas on mounting the vise as I don't have a proper workbench yet. Hope you enjoy your visit!
Simplest handle I can imagine is a simple 2 inch piece of wood (across the washer, through it's center) with a peg on each end, facing you. Two, to make it symmetrical for faster spinning.
Excellent! I have a '66 F100 4x4 pickup & needed to remove the hubs & all for brake work and was struggling to get it put back together in the correct sequence - especially with regard to the screw on locking rings - the one with the pin goes on first, then the ring with holes, then the second ring. You saved my day! Thanks, Dan
Not at this time, I probably should work on that. But in another video I’ve done, I lay out the dimensions that I came up with. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Cmq2p9204_E.htmlsi=YymCOTVw_bkcNmru
think you could make a arch top jig as well wat im thinking is to use the router mounted on a arm hinged on one end to a rail mecanism that can move the arm across the body possibly using a window motor and a piece of alltread to move it smoothly towards the center of the rotating body the body be spinning horizontally and the other end of the arm opposite the hinge moving over the jig thats rotating at the same speed using a chain and two sprockets the arm moving along a track from the outside toward the center (maibe using a windshield wiper motor driving a piece of alltread to move it smoothly ) and cut the arch in a spiral pattern from the outside in to make the jig / cam mould you need to be using an existing archtop body and mount the router on the other end of the setup to cut the jig , since the jig sits on the end of the arm and furter away from the original the jig will end up larger than the part you be making , think the jig could be made from mdf think the whole "machine" end up about 3 times the size of a guitarbody both in length and width another thing you probably need to do when making the jig is create sumting that prevent a too harsh hit of both the bearing follower and the routerbit against the edges of the guitar shape , think the jig/ cam mould would need to be round and have ramps intoo the arch wish you might need to make by placing a board cut perfectly around the original guitar shape youre making the mould off and raise that board untill its level with the edges of the binding , or set a stop on the arm so it doesnt go below that edge when cutting the cam jig
hmmmm interesting jig , ........think instead of a router you counld use a beltsander mounted sideways on a sled too , think if you mount it at a slight angle so only the edge of the belt catches the final dimension you could get pretty acurate with it
Nice one Randy. I made a centre finder jig for routing the truss rod channel (clamp it to the neck blank and the palm router rides on top). I can't use it on a neck that's already tapered. I'm smacking my head because it never occurred to me to make it adjustable for a tapered workpiece.
Here’s a link to the gig I made for doing trust rods. It can also be used on already taped necks, I even use this jig for dot inlay centering. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZKu2D-lE6YM.htmlsi=clESgLWc9SpDeMS5
@@randysguitarsbroncos223 Thanks. I like the accuracy you get with that process. Today i ended up mounting a shelf in the neck shaping jig i've been trying to get working (that's another story) and using tape to stick down a neck blank and route the truss rod cavity. If i keep using that method i think i'll do as you did with a centre-marked alignment block and a screw system to center the workpiece.
I personally have not had any issues, except for the installation problems described in the video. I did find a video where the brakes wouldn’t release issue. Here’s a link. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bQr8OLIvhBs.htmlsi=AETVMn5uW15mYObA And In the comment, I got a couple days ago about the caliper, hitting the axle and not having brakes for a few seconds😀
Thanks, I have a couple of more videos on the subject that have a little more detail. Here’s a link to one if you haven’t already seen it. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Cmq2p9204_E.htmlsi=J_Unrc0M7ROleNfl
Amazing! This saves alot of rasp work and the bevel is consistent, I'm gonna have to try this on a future build. You're always ahead of the game Randy, Great video!
