Thread: Cocobolo Str_t neck build

andrew - there is no brand on the bottles ... got the 2 bottle pack tht makes 250 ml and the squeeze bottles have white caps ...with red label (on the bottle) for 'resin part A' and blue label for 'hardener part B'

ok...onto doing the front of headstock...to size headstock thickness around 9/16"

router + router bit + mdf board + separate plank (same thickness as neck) for support ..then rout an inch at a time...moving the mdf board until we get to the line where there will be a curve ...approx 1" or so after the nut

then sanding block to sand away the tooling marks

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1952.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1958.jpg

then out comes me woodcarver once more to trim away the excess wood....here we need a steady hand cos if you make a mistake here it will be all over rover

1st pass
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1959.jpg

and then the rest ...easy does it...
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1962.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1963.jpg

then whip out the drum sander on the drill and finish off the curve bit

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1964.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1965.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1968.jpg

now time for lunch ....

ok ...time to do some fretting

i will use stew mac fret wire #0152 ...what they call medium/higher (crown)

will need straight edge (metal stock square thing), sandpaper, dremel + cutting wheel, pliers (to bend fret at the ends so that when it is hammered in the ends don't pop out), super glue, flat files

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1969.jpg

first..we get the fingerboard as flat as possible using metal stock square straight edge wrapped with 80 grit for some fast sanding...then lay the straight edge down till it rests flat from the nut to about 15th fret

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1970.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1971.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1973.jpg

then i sanded away the section from the 15th fret to the last fret to create a little fall-away ....this is to compensate for the neck curling up under string tension ...shouldn't be a problem for this neck since it is 0 radius AND cocobolo but i always like to put in a fallaway anyways...
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1975.jpg
can be hard to see but the fingerboard surface actually falls away from the black straight edge from 15th fret on ..

then i polished up the fretboard and the headstock all the way to 1200 grit and then burnished the surface by using the other side of the sandpaper using the hard coco block

headstock looked something like this by this stage
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1981.jpg

then bend the fretwire at the ends (or where the ends will be) and then hammer in one end first then the other end ...and then from the mddle of the fret outwards towards the ends so tht entire fret rests flat on surface

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1986.jpg

then i cut the fretwire as close as possible to fingerboard edge using dremel + cutting wheel
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1988.jpg

21 iterations later i get this
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1989.jpg

then i filled in the fret slot ends with super glue + coco dust
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1990.jpg

i actually had a few frets 'sticking out' at the ends cos i failed to bend the ends properly before i hammered them in ....for these errant frets ...i had to drip a bit of super glue into the ends while holding down the fret using the hard coco block

then i used the flat file to file off the excess lengths at the ends as well as the super glue globs at each end ...also at this time angle the flat file to bevel the fret ends...
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1999.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_1997.jpg

flat file used by runing it lengthwise to the neck ...not crosswise !

ok ...time for food ...then fret levelling later ....and then maybe drilling out the tuner holes ....we shall see if i have time ...prob not heh

in the second last pic it looks as if the fretends arent seated well?

are you using a steel hammer to hammer them in?

and that headstock looks great!!

Originally Posted by Andrew_B

in the second last pic it looks as if the fretends arent seated well?

are you using a steel hammer to hammer them in?

and that headstock looks great!!

yup ...u r correct ....(well spotted!...i .need more than a pair of eyes ...it appears)

they shall be pulled and re-installed ...prob with new frets! heh

actually tht is the typical problem when i did not bend the fret ends appropriately ...

and yes ...steel hammer ....only hammer i have

might be best to get a hammer with copper or polymer heads, the steel could easily put some dings into the frets making alot of preparation neccesary. i really like the look of this neck, good job

thanks black_labb

you are right in tht the steel flattens the frets something quick ...and those hammers you mentioned prob work better ...thnks for tip

what i should have done in hindsight (since it has a 0 radius) was to clamp the frets in using steel rods ....and do the fretting BEFORE shaping back of neck to allow easier clamping ...

oh well...working through me rustiness is an ugly business

ok...in the light of the morning ...there were some errant frets still left on the fingerboard (thanks Andrew for the spotting)

pulled them out with this rusty modded tool
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2006.jpg

then filed off any bits jutting off the surface so surface is flat again
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2007.jpg

then the usual bevelling ...and this time i ran the flat file over everything so that the top of the crown is filed on all frets ...this ensures all frets are levelled ...will do the re-crowning later if i can find me fret crown file ...if not i will use sandpaper and fingers

on to the side dots and i will be using this in keeping with the colour theme
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2010.jpg

drill, glue, cut with stanley knife
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2012.jpg

after filing off and sanding flush we get this
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2013.jpg

time for lunch!

Originally Posted by black_labb

might be best to get a hammer with copper or polymer heads, the steel could easily put some dings into the frets making alot of preparation neccesary.

I use a piece of sacrificial softwood between the hammer and the frets, plenty of controlled violence!

Nice neck

hehehe...i like tht pharse ...'controlled violence'....quite apt descriptor of me playing style

cheers sebastiaan56

waiting for lunch to digest then onto crowing the frets, tuner holes and bolt on holes and the ickety fine sanding everywhere which will be painstaking prob ...

ok...onto tuner holes and i dont have a drill press which is why i thinned down the headstock before drilling the tuner holes

so i take the tuner hole position from the old neck using tuner upside down ...tuner holes meant to be around 0.5" from the edge and around 1" between holes ...

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2016.jpg

drill pilot holes
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2018.jpg

and we get to this
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2023.jpg

(yeah ...the spacing is not quite right between the tuners but should be ok ...hopefully )

however, i SHOULD have taken the trouble to bring the neck to me cabinetmaker contact cos it was more difficult to do than i initially thought

this wood grabs the drill ...resulting in pieces of furry stringy wood chips and gouges around the hole...i thought me drill bit was blunted...so i go buy another drill bit and same thing happened!

luckily the tuner washer at top helped cover up the damage around the hole but next time...tuner holes to be drilled BEFORE thinning it down to size

anywas...turned headstock over and drilled those little holes for the mini screws in the back
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2021.jpg

,,,i am still trying to find me crowning file but i fear it might be lost heh...so it might have to be sandpaper + fingers for the 'crowning' bit for the frets ...they have been levelled

hopefully it be over and finished tomorrow

ok...time to fit neck onto body

size the overhanging bit to shape and the corners of the neck heel to fit the neck pocket...we get a tight fit like this...also check that distance to bridge from last (22nd) fret is correct
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2028.jpg

put ruler down the centre to check everything is well....it is
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2029.jpg

now drill bolt on holes
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2030.jpg

use newer screws to 'thread' the holes and check depth of drillin
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2032.jpg

test attachment to body
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2033.jpg

ok ...now removed everything and sand everything including frets (which have been levelled) ...couldnt find me crowning file but did find a pre-slotted nut! heh

started at 180 grit and all the way to 1200 then burnished the wood and polished the frets with brasso

then install nut by glueing bottom of nut and trim off excess with dremel _ drum sanding bit
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2038.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2041.jpg

then attach to body
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2042.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2043.jpg

now we string em up to test nut slots (which prob will have to be deepened for low action)





more pics...
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2077.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2058.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2049.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2053.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2057.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2084.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...1/100_2087.jpg

Thank you all for following me thread

hope you have had much fun in viewing it as i have in making it

have a good weekend

Pure mate, I hope it plays as good as it looks!

hehe...cheers Seb...

i shoulda put an X-rating so we can save the children

just had an hour session on it ...

one word..

LUXURY

definitely does NOT require a finish and this wood is strikingly beautiful up close and it is very very stiff ...notes jump big off the fretboard ....

no more maple necks for me! heh

few more q-sawn coco neck blanks on the way too ...cant get enough of the stuff

that looks great, really like it.