Official Luthiers Forum!

Anyone know of any instructions for doing a dovetail neck by hand? Most of the instructions that I can find use a router and templates. Any pointers will be appreciated.

Thanks,
James

Here's one...

http://gicl.cs.drexel.edu/people/sevy/l ... joint.html

Tage Frid has a tutorial in one of his books of how to cut a dovetail by hand . He uses a special ece/primus dovetailplane that tilts at 10 deg angle on either side and has a depth stop adjustment mechanism .The waste is removed with a vy sharp chisel.The book is put out by fine woodworking, and can be borrowed via your local or interlibrary loan

For the block I would scribe out the lines and take the waste with a forstner bit, clear the bevels with a good sharp chisel. Would prefer a dovetail chisel to a bench chisel, but either could do the job. The neck is much easier, layout & saw with a good backsaw, maybe clean with a chisel depending on how good your saw is.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I've read about using a bandsaw to cut dovetails... I wonder if that would work...

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

I took some pictures when I did this archtop...

Marking the dovetail on the neck blank




Sawing just outside the lines




Result




Cutting the mortise in the body, before cutting the waste out (router, forstner bit, chisel will all work)




"Chalk fitting" the joint, chisel to fit




Using a centerline jig to check the sideways alignment. A straightedge is used to check the neck angle / projected string height over the top




When everything fits, the neck can be glued in with a single clamp

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Very nice Riant!
There is a short section on Jimmy D'Aquisto building an archtop in the back of Irving Sloanes "Steel String Guitar Construction" book that is the same method as Riant, only using western style back saws.
-C

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Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

Nice vise!

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

You bet it's a nice vise! Wow! It's so beautiful, I'd almost be scared to use it.

Mr. Rian,
The Plexiglas guide you are using ...is that for alignment of the neck and body?

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Joe

My wife asks me "How many Guitars do you need?"
I reply "When I die count them; thats how many I needed".

It is a centerline finder and bridge locator from Tracy Leveque at Luthiersuppliers.com

http://www.luthiersuppliers.com/products/p9.html

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Jim Hansen

Thanks for the link and info that tool looks to be a real time saver Jim.

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Joe

My wife asks me "How many Guitars do you need?"
I reply "When I die count them; thats how many I needed".

arnt, some things never change; in this case the wow factor in your work. always a pleasure to see the photos of your work.

Hear, hear!