Carving a cigar box guitar neck
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- Here's how I carve my guitar necks, whether it's our inexpensive workshop series or a top of the line custom guitar , they all get carved by hand. I use a spokeshave for most of the work, and a "Microplane" file and a half-round rasp to work the transitions at the headstock and the heel. Using a spokeshave is quick , easy, quiet and safe, and leaves the neck ready for final sanding.
I don't use any special jigs or profiles guides, it's all done by eye and by the feel of the neck in the hand. Having two spokeshaves is useful, one set for a fairly coarse shaving, the other set to take finer shavings, but you can easily manage with just one, as long as it is sharpened and set-up right. I did buy a concave spokeshave with the intention on using on the headstock and heel transitions, but I've found it to be of limited use..maybe I haven't given it enough time or practice yet.
The Japanese "Shinto" rasp is a handy tool, but can't compare to the speed and ease of use of the spokeshave. The big advantage of the spokeshave is that you are cutting the wood, planing it rather than abrading it, so it leaves a nice clean, smooth finish for final sanding.
It's essential to get the neck firmly clamped to the workbench. I find the bench clamps (from Axminster Tools) work great, but you can do much the same thing with ordinary G-clamps at the edge of your workbench or table. A simple prop wedged under the headstock end of the neck allows you to put on enough pressure to get the tools to cut properly with out causing undue flexing of the neck.
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Great video ChickenBone. Great work with no power tools. Appreciate the time it takes to make these videos. Good stuff
We sell a lot of parts and kits, so I though it was about time we put out some videos to help people benefit from our experience and to help them along the way.
Wow- right tool for the right job. My first two were with files and chisels in maple and took days! Thanks for the lesson. I never would have believed it could be done real time in a short video!
Thanks John getting nice timber that is straight and with a nice grain is not easy. However I have discovered B & Q sell white oak staircase spindles 42mm square and 900mm long. Perfectly straight and you can browse to choose a nice grain.
I've only made one 3 string using a pickaxe handle for a neck - tricky. My next will be the B&Q spindle so much carving required. This tutorial is most helpful.
I've seen this before. I know I tried the 1/2 inch radius router bit. By the time it took to c.ean up where the bit didn't hit I Really did save me time. Besides it take away the natural feel of hand made a shaped. I'm with you on this one.
I just built my 4th Cigar Box Guitar (1st 4 stringer for me) inspired by your hand carved neck and also your microtilt method videos. Definitely my finest work so far, thanks to you selflessly sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated. Always looking forward to more vids from Chickenbone.
Wow, great information. I've been working too hard. Now I'm buying more tools. But that's a good thing. Cheers!
Great idea for supporting the end of the neck.
Thanks for the video. I watched a guy carve a neck with a rasp, and while it worked, I kept wondering why no use of a spokeshave or drawknife. This definitely makes it faster, leaves a cleaner surface and much less sanding afterwards.
nice to have you back. hope we hear more from you soon. 😎😎😎😎
again "ARTHUR TERRY " memories as we used to slap our rulers (shatterproof) on the edge of our desks making a comical and highly amusing spring noise !!!...this usually happened during "MATHS" !!! ...all the best NIC !!!
excellent idea on the extra support.. I must cobble one of those together..
Thank you! This was most helpful with my build. My only power tool was a drill.
looks like balsa wood the speed that rasp is goin through. i make mine with oak and sapele .. great stufff sharing your lessons learned.
That's cherrywood, usually a little harder than sapele but it carves much more nicely due to a closer and finer grain, and take a finish well.
Really great video. I'm about to make my first CBG so this was really helpful.
i love your British accent mate !!!
Nice video I work the same way no power tools living in a Motorhome power tools are not practical for me at the moment I shape the neck using a length of sand paper result is pretty much the same only takes longer.
Great video! I learned a lot. Thanks!
Big fan! Thanks so much for this
Thanks for sharing!
Great Tutorial!
nice, was looking at using a rasp and sanding wheel on a drill
No way do you need a drill with a sander attachment...just too uncontrollable in my view, and unnecessarily dusty and messy. Power tools have their place..but this job is easy and quick with basic hand tools. I've seen some crazy things for carving necks such as angle grinders, but at the end of the day I think it's laziness and an unwillingness to do a bit of learning and hard work that some folk decide that power tools are the way to do it. Remember this was filmed in real time, no speeding up, and I was talking and explaining a lot of the time...15 minutes overall, probably 6 or 7 minutes actual work on the neck to get it roughed to shape.
Nice one.. I have built a diddly bow, about to start my first attempt at a three string cigar box guitar... Thanks for sharing
Have learned a lot from you but haven't put in practice yet - do you have published documents that you can sell ? Need some tangible plans - not able to take shorthand and you talk and demonstrate fairly fast for this old country boy and I'm not sure I've been able to capture all videos. If not, will just have to keep reversing and replaying you tube videos that I have - hung up on exact dimensions of the neck, not so much on processes of detailed work. Anyway, thanks for all you do - look forward to more.
Chickenbone, looking all over for a 3/4” round micro plane file. All I can find is cheese & spice graters? Any suggestions? Thx , your an inspiration
Not really sure where to suggest , as I'm based in UK. Have you tried this? www.woodcraft.com/products/round-rasp
Good video man - thanks for that! Just ready to carve neck on my first CBG and a bit nervous. What depth is your neck from top of fingerboard to back so I can machine that width for starters?
Hello John, Do you use a 25" scale? Also do you actually just put in 20 frets like most units or do you just keep adding frets until you get to a point where it would be non feasible to have them very close to the box since they would probably not be used? Is this scale nothing more than the standard scale length for any guitar? Also, how wide would you make the neck if you are going to make a 4 string CBG? Thanks, for any help.
I generally use 25 1/2", 24 3/4" and 22 1/2" for short scale necks, and run the frets all the wall to the end of the fretboard. I usually make my fretboards 24 fret and then cut them off to suit. My 3 strings ar 35/36mm wide and this works OK for 4 string too, but I tend to use 42mm for 4 strings.
Thanks a million for the information John. I am looking into building a 4 string and will be carving my neck the way you build yours. I will need to find one of those micro planes. That little tool sure works nicely. What type wood are you using for your guitar necks like this? Really appreciate your advice.
do you ever taper your necks towards the headstock? it really increases playability!
Can you give some more details? Mine sound great up until the 9th fret, then they get tinny, unless you're playing with a slide.
I think that would have to do with how your neck goes through the box. is it touching the top? Tapering the neck only effects hoe it feels to play not really how it sounds.
Gotcha
Lou Lamanna hi, thinking of making a cigar box guitar,when the neck goes through the box should it touch the top of the box ? Thanks
John, what would you say is a coarse setting for the spoke shave and what would be a fine setting? Thanks.
It's difficult to say in measurements - you'll know just by using it, and that will also depend on what timber you are using it on. I start with the blade only just protruding through the throat of the baseplate - if it digs in, I back it off . lf it is barely taking a shaving, I advance the blade, or alternatively start with taking no cut at all and advance the blade fractionally until it begins to bite. We are talking a fraction of a millimetre - for example 0.75mm or 1/32inch would give you a very coarse cut and may indeed just stall on hard timber. It is essential to make sure the blade is really sharp to start with, and don't necessarily assume that a new tool will have an acceptably sharp blade in it.
@@chickenbonejohn714 OK thanks m8. I just bought a 'Silverline' one from ToolStation.