How to do a 'Bolt-on neck'

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Kim Strode
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How to do a 'Bolt-on neck'

Post by Kim Strode » Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:30 pm

On my last two guitars I tried a dovetail neck joint, but found it difficult to cut a clean and accurate dovetail recess in the body, as this type of cut requires the router bit to cut the complete dovetail on one pass, rather than smaller segments that could be achieved with a straight mortice and tenon joint.

I also found with the second guitar, that the final neck angle had changed after being glued. I would like to try a bolt on neck, as I believe it would be easier to cut the mortice, and if bolts were also used, the neck could be secured while refining the correct neck angle. Could the collective expertise please help with some advice and pictures. I'm not sure, for example, how to drill the holes in the body and neck and get them to match up.
Kim Strode
Daylesford, Australia

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Dave White
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Post by Dave White » Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:08 am

Kim,

There are two main methods of doing bolt on necks. The first is a mortice and tennon - a mortice in the neck block and tennon as part of the neck heel. Two bolts are generally used that go through holes in the neckblock and engage in either barrel-bolts or threaded inserts in the neck-heel. The second is a butt joint where the neck heel is cut flush to match the end of the body and two bots go into threaded inserts in the neck heel - or hanger bolts are epoxied in the neck-heel, go through holes in the neck-block and are secured with a washer and bolt from inside the guitar.

If you go to the OLF and do a search on mortice, tennon, bolt-on or lots of other combinations you should find lots of stuff including photos and jigs or look on Bob Connors OLF Tutorials Page - although the links might not all work as the Forum recently changed software.

Others will be along here in a minute or two with lots of photos too I'm sure :D
Dave White
[url=http://www.defaoiteguitars.com]De Faoite Stringed Instruments[/url]

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kiwigeo
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Re: How to do a 'Bolt-on neck'

Post by kiwigeo » Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:53 am

showtell wrote:On my last two guitars I tried a dovetail neck joint, but found it difficult to cut a clean and accurate dovetail recess in the body, as this type of cut requires the router bit to cut the complete dovetail on one pass, rather than smaller segments that could be achieved with a straight mortice and tenon joint.
I hog out most of the wood with a straight cutter and then do the final dovetail or mortise cut with the special cutter and template. You can do the final cut in several passes as long as the cutter is at full depth.

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Allen
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Post by Allen » Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:59 am

I've tried both mortise and tenon and but joint. Used cross barrel bolts, threaded inserts and hanger bolts. For ease of fitting for me the butt joint with the hanger bolts was the easiest. But now that I want to try an adjustable neck I'm going to have to rethink this.

Like everything in life, finding your preferred method is going to evolve. To start with I glued in the neck block without holes in it. Drilled them with a hand drill once the body was complete. Then reached in through the sound hole and marked the neck with a small punch. This for me isn't the best, most accurate method.

For any future builds now, I'm going to start with the heel/neck block before I start on the body. Cut mortises and tennons and drill holes on the drill press. This way I'm sure that everything is good and square. Then I will take great care in gluing the neck block to the sides. Since the mortise is already cut, all I'll have to do is trim off the side material.

That's the theory, we'll see how it goes.
Allen R. McFarlen
https://www.brguitars.com
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Cairns, Australia

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