Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

I have been using more or less the arrangement that Trevor recommends for gluing the headstock to neck scarf joint in my previous builds.

I was doing a couple just now and could feel one of them slipping and had to reseat it, the second also moved and I was unhappy enough to take it apart and clean the glue off to start again.

Without getting into full on production mode I wonder if people have a bit more definite way of clamping/jigging this somewhat tricky joint?

HHG and 4 Irwin clamps. One on each corner of the scarf. No jigs.

The HHG grabs and no slipping or squirming around like PVA glue does.

If you have it, a small pinch of pumice dust after you spread the glue helps prevent movement.

+1 pumice dust or if you know the shape of your headstock and you have a large enough neck blank you can drill a small dowel outside of the pattern to hold in place.

I just place a clamp at either end of the pieces to stop them sliding back.
Ie the side of the neck down to the bench and a clamp tight on the bench at the heel end, another at the end of the headstock. The neck and headstock will jam up against these clamps and cant go any further.
When im over this dredded flu and back in the workshop ill post a photo.

I never have issues with scarf slippage, it’s as simple as using two pins. So many people try to over complicate things with jigs and all sorts of things.

Scroll to the 30 second mark and your scarf problem will be solved:

https://youtu.be/trSIZqlzkBA