Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Just thought I'd share this low tech method of supporting a neck for carving, one of the ways I do it anyway.

The fixture that holds the peghead I found in my "will use it one day stash drawer" plus a length of threaded rod. Pics tell the story.
Thanks for looking.

It's a "Taffo-stand"!

I like it Taffy...Thanks for posting!

John

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I Also have a "will use it one day stash drawer" but my draw didn't have those parts in it

C T
Cool Tool

I've not long ago bought the same file! Great, aren't they. Although I feel mine is not quite as sharp as it was a few months ago when new.

The neck carving idea is basically the same as how I do it, however I dont feel I need the head support and it's never been an issue.

From the camera angle Steve, it almost looks like your using the vernier as a neck rest/support

Clever solution guys

A number of years back I managed to pick up what I think may be a Sthil made chainsaw service vice from ebay for a song. As you can see from the following images that were taken back in 2006, I fitted a quick and dirty narrow cork faced clamping block to it which I use to clamp the FB surface of the neck to for carving, or sometimes repair work. I'm sure I could come up with something better as a clamping platen however the manoeuvrability of the vice makes the job easy enough how things are so its difficult to find the motivation to change.

If you see one of these things for sale my advise is to 'ad-vice' to your kit. They are a superbly built tool and the only way I can imagine you could damage one would be to melt the bloody thing.

demonx wrote:I've not long ago bought the same file! Great, aren't they. Although I feel mine is not quite as sharp as it was a few months ago when new.

File card or wire brush and then suspend the rasp in cheap white vinegar will re-sharpen it. If 'very' dull, or old and rusty, the process can take a day or so, but for a general sharpen it can be ready to go in as little as a few hours. It just depends on how bad things were when you started. The rasp/file will be black when removed from the vinegar. Just hose off with fresh water then blow it dry and brush/card clean and it will come up like or better than new. As the tool will now be perfectly clean battleship grey steel, it's a good idea to wrap it in newspaper until ready for use.

Two things,

1. Do not forget about the tool leaving it soaking in the vinegar or it can be ruined.

2. Keep the used vinegar for your chips..............OK don't do that. But you can keep using the same vinegar for future sharpening, just decant into a clean plastic bottle and put it away until needed.

Cheers

Kim

"1. Do not forget about the tool leaving it soaking in the vinegar or it can be ruined."

What the vinegar or the tool?

Kim wrote: File card or wire brush and then suspend the rasp in cheap white vinegar will re-sharpen it. If 'very' dull, or old and rusty, the process can take a day or so, but for a general sharpen it can be ready to go in as little as a few hours. It just depends on how bad things were when you started. The rasp/file will be black when removed from the vinegar. Just hose off with fresh water then blow it dry and brush/card clean and it will come up like or better than new. As the tool will now be perfectly clean battleship grey steel, it's a good idea to wrap it in newspaper until ready for use.

Kim

I may have to try this! Will experiment on older rasps first before dipping handmade ones.

File not as sharp as...........

Iv'e had mine for over a year I think and still sharp as when new, only 5 - 6 necks tho. and it's not the only rasp I use. Its possibly too sharp I think, so that's why I go down to a finer rasp. Maybe you've done more necks than mine.

Taffy Evans wrote:File not as sharp as...........

Iv'e had mine for over a year I think and still sharp as when new, only 5 - 6 necks tho. and it's not the only rasp I use. Its possibly too sharp I think, so that's why I go down to a finer rasp. Maybe you've done more necks than mine.

It's probably done about eight necks, a couple Wenge necks (African Rosewood, very hard timber) some maple and QLD maple necks - but then I also use a rasp for various body carves, neck to heel joints, rear comfort curves as well as headstock shaping etc.

I use the rasp as one of my main tools hense why I have to replace them every now and then. First time I've bought a Dragon rasp. Best I've ever used so far. Think next time I'l try the liogier ones just for a comparison. Before the Dragon I was using cheap hardware shop rasps and before that a very old hand me down from my grandfather which is as blunt as a butter knife!

hmm i would like one of those rasps - what is it called? where do you get em?

Hi, I got mine from Stumac.
Cheers.