Attaching neck, today?

C

ChuckBarnett

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 3, 2017
Messages
490
Reaction score
3
Location
Arlington, WA U.S.A.
Just got French polishing done on top yesterday. I've a bolt-on neck with fretboard glued on. I finished the entire top without masking for the neck or bridge. I'm a little anxious about slapping glue onto the bottom of the fretboard and then, in one deft motion, slide it into place and down onto the top with no smearing of glue. Tape the top off tight to where the fretboard is to go? I don't know enough about French polishing and cure time to be sure putting tape on the top is a good idea.
(Forgive the wordiness; I'm a preacher --I get paid to talk...) ;-)
 
You shouldn't have a problem with tape( assuming it's masking tape), after all fp is shellac and shellac is what we use to protect the top and ensure easy removal of tape when we are gluing bindings. Good luck, Mike.
 
Water-based glue should wipe off the FP with no problem with a damp rag. Remove the tape as soon as you've cleaned up if you are going to use it. You are going to remove the FP from glue areas, right?
 
jcalkin said:
Water-based glue should wipe off the FP with no problem with a damp rag. Remove the tape as soon as you've cleaned up if you are going to use it. You are going to remove the FP from glue areas, right?
Click to expand...

Yes sir! Plan on using a freshly sharpened chisel with the burr intact as a scraper. It makes sense to me to be just a hair in from the edges of the fretboard with glue, yes?
 
Maybe I am missing something here, but why have a bolt-on neck and then glue the fingerboard down? Some how that negates the advantage of a bolt-on where it is easy to remove the neck to effect repairs. Just let the fingerboard lay on the top, or let it hang just above the top so your get (theoretically) more top surface to vibrate. I have always built bolt-on necks and have never glued a fingerboard down.
 
jupiteruke said:
Maybe I am missing something here, but why have a bolt-on neck and then glue the fingerboard down? Some how that negates the advantage of a bolt-on where it is easy to remove the neck to effect repairs. Just let the fingerboard lay on the top, or let it hang just above the top so your get (theoretically) more top surface to vibrate. I have always built bolt-on necks and have never glued a fingerboard down.
Click to expand...
Good point.
 
Too late. Just glued it up.

I had some advice that said that would be a good idea to avoid rattle. Previously I had advice that a bolt-on neck would be simpler to do for a newbie. Not sure if that is true or not. So, if the main advantage of a bolt-on neck is to facilitate on and off for repair, then yes it seems one is going backwards to glue the fretboard down. This probably could trigger all kinds of interesting comment. Not from me, mind you, I don't know enough to speak from experience.
 

Attachments

  • 20181222_074903.jpg
    20181222_074903.jpg
    94.6 KB · Views: 24
I am disappointed in what this photo shows of marring along the fretboard on both sides. I think I did that when I cleaned up the small amount of squeeze-out. (I tried to limit that.)
Not at all sure what to do to fix this.
 

Attachments

  • 20181222_091712.jpg
    20181222_091712.jpg
    94.1 KB · Views: 33
jupiteruke said:
Maybe I am missing something here, but why have a bolt-on neck and then glue the fingerboard down? Some how that negates the advantage of a bolt-on where it is easy to remove the neck to effect repairs. Just let the fingerboard lay on the top, or let it hang just above the top so your get (theoretically) more top surface to vibrate. I have always built bolt-on necks and have never glued a fingerboard down.
Click to expand...

I must admit i have wondered the same thing. I build with bolt on necks and have never seen the need to glue the fretboard to the body.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Lilo Ukulele
Attaching the neck....
Replies
6
Views
610
Tom Snape
T
O
Attaching neck to body
Replies
8
Views
903
Khawk
K
Matt Clara
What's your favored method for attaching the neck?
Replies
18
Views
2K
BlackBearUkes
BlackBearUkes
D
Attaching concert neck to soprano body?
Replies
12
Views
1K
BR Ukuleles
B
B
First Uke build - Attaching neck?
Replies
5
Views
6K
BaldEagle5556
B
Top Bottom