Instructions for a Volute style neck?

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Tom Frei
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Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Tom Frei »

I think I saw a good website on this but no luck finding it, how to do a volute style neck, like the old Martin, although this is for Baroque style guitars. That might be the wrong term, I am thinking Diamond angle for attaching a head stock.
Michael Lewis
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Michael Lewis »

Go read the discussion re "A few questions about early Martin necks" in this section. It may have the information you are looking for.
Tom Frei
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Tom Frei »

Great, thanks
Clay Schaeffer
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

hi Tom,
David Schramm did some you tube videos on making a covered V joint, which I believe would have been more commonly used for baroque guitars.
Tom Frei
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Tom Frei »

Excellent!! Yea, they are pretty simple, but it allows for the top and bottom striped woods, thats the only reason I would do this.
Mario Proulx
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Mario Proulx »

Are you asking how to make a V-jointed neck, or how to carve a diamond volute into a one-piece neck?

I just watched the above mentioned videos, and, well, that's one way to do it, but I would suggest making the "V" angled, such that it also becomes a dovetail of sorts. Adds gluing surface, and much strength. It will actually hold without glue... I do 99% of my V-jointed necks on the table saw; it took me 2 weeks to work out the jigs, with all the compound angles being rather complex, but it's definitely doable. It now takes me about 10 minutes to setup and do a v joint. If I was to do multiples, I suppose I could do a dozen or more per hour. Yes, mine's not a covered V, but once you add the headplate, it's then covered, so the point is moot. Plus, with an open V, we can easily refine the gluing surfaces to perfection, though with a good blade in the saw, the surfaces are glue-ready, with just a slight touch of the chisel(I keep a chisel sharpened at a 75° angle for this type of work; also is my tool of choice for fitting the heel to the body) necessary in the nether regions.

As always, a lot of ways to skin the proverbial cat, but, why make it more difficult than necessary....?
Tom Frei
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Tom Frei »

Thanks Mario, but Ive only hand tools, but still, yea, a slight V might be better. I'll have to practice some.
Mario Proulx
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Mario Proulx »

You can use David's technique of using the machinist's block to guide your chisel, but make you own block from hardwood or something, with a slight angle. Not sure what angle I settled-on, but it's around 10°. The more angle you give it, the stronger it will be, but I was limited by the slothead's slots, and in fact a bit of the "V" actually comes-through in the slots, but since the joinery is tight, it's all good and very, very hard to see. At any rate, -that- was what limited how much angle I could use.
Mario Proulx
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Mario Proulx »

Also, if you do an open-V, you can use a good hand saw to accomplish all the cuts, with some fine chisel work to do the final fit. I have finally bought myself a good Japanese hand saw(no more hacksaw, Michael! <lol>), and love it. With some jigs to guide it, I bet I could do the V-joint almost as quickly as on the table saw, and with the consistency of a jigged-up operation.

Food for thought....
Tom Frei
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Tom Frei »

Ok, how would you build the jigs, just some examples please! :geek:
Mario Proulx
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Mario Proulx »

Did you see the part where it took me 2 weeks to work them out?

I'm all for sharing knowledge and ideas, but when it comes to spoon-feeding, I'm out....
Arnt Rian
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Arnt Rian »

A simple, "open V" is not hard to do with just a saw and a chisel. I've only done one, but it was in my "$100 classical", thankfully I also uploaded all my pictures to Photobucket and saved the links along with the text on a separate document, so its very easy for me to paste it all here again...


Like I mentioned, I will be using this project to test out construction methods and techniques that I haven’t tried before, that’s what prototypes are for, right? One thing that seems to be more common in the world of classical guitars is the headstock / neck “V-joint”. Its geometry is interesting, and according to folks like Al Carruth and Joshua French, who did a nice tutorial on how to make one over on OLF a couple of years back, it is quite easy to repair, should it become necessary. I usually make 2-piece necks for my steel string guitars, which is quite wasteful, and leaves me with a lot of mahogany scraps. I probably have pieces in the pile that are large enough for more than few necks, if I cut and join them up carefully.

Image




Here’s a neck and headstock blank, after squaring them up. Oh, and thanks to Waddy Thomson, who has shown pictures of this V-joints on several occasions, which were helpful for me for figuring out the geometry.

Image




If I’m going to be doing this on a regular basis, I will probably make up a couple of jigs for cutting them on the table saw, but for this prototype, hand tools will have to do.

Image




The faces of the joint have to be pared to fit with a sharp chisel

Image




Testing the fit

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Image

Gluing it up with fish glue




Headstock back

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Headstock front

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John Steele
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by John Steele »

There is the Luthier Tips du jour on youtube as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KocJHchK ... ure=relmfu
Tom Frei
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Tom Frei »

Thanks, -You know, the 6 part video guy did a great job. He uses a machinist angle to get everything trued up and some chalk rubbing to find low spots. So, I think his system is the better one. I would guess it takes 2 hours to do, which is fine. I may try it with just a right angle wooden thing at first, you can get the right angle things off ebay for around $25.00

The fewer power tools the better. :mrgreen:
Michael Lewis
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Re: Instructions for a Volute style neck?

Post by Michael Lewis »

Very nice pics, Arnt. Very nice work too.
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