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Getting ready to glue up a 2-piece (laminated) neck, and just realized that all of my clamps are too small to fit around the neck blank with cauls. I won't be able to get more clamps until next week, but I really don't want to wait that long.

I have a bunch of weights I can use, so I was thinking of just piling them up on the neck and calling it a day. I have no idea how much weight it would take to achieve a good joint, though, so maybe it's not such a good idea.

What do you think...yay or nay?

well if everything's perfect, it might be alright, especially if you're using hide glue. As an example a 3" wide board x 33 inches long with 100 lbs of weight setting on it would have about 1 psi on it, so if everything's not perfect you'll need a lot of weight.
edit: assuming evenly distributed weight of course.

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Jim Watts
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I have 8 steel 10 lb weights I use alot . Never had any issues . You do want to clamp either end so that the board doesnt move , thats the trickiest part .

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If it's a neck blank I'm thinking it is slightly oversized and still in the rough. If this is the case, skip the cauls and use the your clamps as they are. Tighten them tight , but not crushingly so.

Gravity Clamps.

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A 6" inch tradesman style clamp can exert around 600 lbs of pressure. Unless you have a ton of weights I would wait till you get a few more clamps. It's harder to get even pressure with weights...Mike

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One way to clamp oversize things is by using deck screws and scrap wood. Screws go into the scrap, not the neck

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Don't forget the go bar deck, if you have one. That will get you there!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

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(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

This is one thing that I think you want clamps for. I use gravity clamps but not for this. You may be able to park the car on it that may be better but you need to figure 8 to 10 lbs per sq in for a good glue clamp strength. A neck blank at say 4 in and 20 in long is 80 sq in that is 800 lb clamp force.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
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