Ideal tools for building ukulele necks

ukebrudder

ukebrudder

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The other day I went to Lowes and bought a piece of oak for 5 dollars and I decided I want to try my hand at building a neck. I cut a 15 degree angle in the wood and glued on the headstock. I also cut and glued two more pieces on at the end for the part that tapers into the body. I have everything drawn out on the wood where the cuts need to go but now I'm somewhat lost on how to go about shaping it.

downsized0620090042.jpg


If I had to choose, I would say a bandsaw and belt sander might be the most helpful but I don't have either. So my question is, what are the preferred tools used for shaping a neck, and what are some tools I could use if I don't have what is normally recommended?

Thanks everyone!
 
Hand saw, coping saw and a wood rasp or Sur-form should probably work OK on your neck. I wish you weren't using oak though. It's awfully heavy. It's also going to take some time to work it. For neck wood it needs to be light and stiff. I hate to tell you but I'm thinking that almost any other wood at Lowes would've been a better choice, maybe cedar, mahogany or even redwood. Also remember the grain orientation really needs to run vertically when viewed from the end of the neck. ( lllllllllllll ) Looks like the piece you've chosen is flat sawn. Builders like to use quartersawn wood but you can achieve the same effect by laminating several pieces if needed. The neck is probably the most crucial element of the instrument and I'd hate to see you get off to a bad start.
On a positive note it looks like you made a good scarf joint and your profile looks good. :shaka:
 
Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
Hand saw, coping saw and a wood rasp or Sur-form should probably work OK on your neck. I wish you weren't using oak though. It's awfully heavy. It's also going to take some time to work it. For neck wood it needs to be light and stiff. I hate to tell you but I'm thinking that almost any other wood at Lowes would've been a better choice, maybe cedar, mahogany or even redwood. Also remember the grain orientation really needs to run vertically when viewed from the end of the neck. ( lllllllllllll ) Looks like the piece you've chosen is flat sawn. Builders like to use quartersawn wood but you can achieve the same effect by laminating several pieces if needed. The neck is probably the most crucial element of the instrument and I'd hate to see you get off to a bad start.
On a positive note it looks like you made a good scarf joint and your profile looks good. :shaka:
Click to expand...

I did notice that it was really heavy when I bought it but I figured it was because I had 4 feet of it and by the time I cut it and sand it down, it'd weigh a lot less. Next time I will go with one of the woods you mentioned.

I don't know if you can tell by the picture but I need to make that headstock thinner while still trying to maintain a flat surface. Any easy way to do that?
 
Easy way? No. Given the tools you have to your avail, a wood rasp and sandpaper are about your only options. If it were a softer wood it would go much faster.
 
I recently looked at band saws and belt sanders on craigslist and I'm really considering investing in them. I was able to use my great uncle's wood shop today and the main tools that helped were the band saw and belt sander, however the sur-form and rasp helped a great deal.

I'm wondering if it'd be worth my while to make a bunch of tenor necks and try selling them on here because they seem to be in high demand, and then I would be a lot less apprehensive about buying the power tools knowing I can make the money back.
 
necks

Are you just thinking of making necks or the neck with the fretboard and frets? Getting the frets in the right place is a exacting job.
I only know of one other guy that choose oak for neck, you might of heard of him, he made his own guitar at 16 in england, and he still plays it. His name is Brian May of Queen.
Like your you tube videos anre you the rhythm player or the lead?
 
zog said:
Are you just thinking of making necks or the neck with the fretboard and frets? Getting the frets in the right place is a exacting job.
I only know of one other guy that choose oak for neck, you might of heard of him, he made his own guitar at 16 in england, and he still plays it. His name is Brian May of Queen.
Like your you tube videos anre you the rhythm player or the lead?
Click to expand...


Thanks Zog, I usually do the picking because my friend Jake is much better at strumming than I am.
 
I once carved a neck with nothing but a spoon and a rock.

Just kidding. There's another hand tool you might be able to find at a local hardware store. It's called a spoke shave. They're basically small jointer knives mounted in an easy to grip handle. You can use one of those for shaping the curve of the neck profile.

As for buying a bandsaw and belt sander, I think it would take a while to make your money back just making necks. They're really handy tools to have, especially if you like to craft. Rather than thinking of them as a monetary investment, you'll be happier if you think of them as tools you need to do what you enjoy doing.
 
Rasps!

A rasp is the best way if you don't have a belt sander. It take time, and I mark the thickness on the edge,and let 'er rip! And I do agree that oak isn't the best choice, but anything after this will be apiece of cake!
 
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