INDEX: Return to HOME PAGE Plan Materials Bending And More Bending! Neck Block & Kerfing Top, Back, & Kerfed Side Set Side Reinforcements & Rosette Channel Braces Even More Braces! The Soundbox Binding & Neck The Neck, Continued Finish Carving the Neck Peghead Inlay Finishing!!! Rubbing Out the Finish & Gluing the Neck and Bridge Leveling Frets, Nut & Saddle Work, and Stringing Her Up!!! The Final Product!!! (last updated 8/19/06)

Here I have thinned the peghead to 1/2", leaving a thicker section just before the nut end of the neck, for the volute. I then routed a channel for the peghead binding. To do that, I used a .060" bearing router bit in my router table.   The next thing I worked on was setting the neck angle. Below, I am using my clear plexiglass rule to see whether my neck is in line with the centerline of the box. To the right, I am using a simple MDF stick to see whether my neck is at the proper angle. With the stick lying flat on the neck (no fingerboard yet), I want to see the end of the stick (at the saddle position) just slightly (1/64" to 1/16") above the top. I used my belt sander in the vertical position, and the belt sander table, to sand the end of the heel to the proper angle.           Once that was approximately right, I could then install the threaded inserts for my bolt-on neck joint. I have also routed out (with the Dremel and Stew-Mac Dremel base) all but the edges of the heel. This ensures a better fit of the heel to the somewhat rounded surface of the soundbox where it meets the heel.