Radiousing Neck and Tail Blocks

Here is how I radius neck and tail blocks using a drill press and spindle sander. Not the ideal way to do things, but it works.

First the drill press: The Korean Beast.



Next: Truing up the drill press. You can use either a luthier's square or a coat hanger to get the chuck at absolutely 90 degrees. I like the coat hanger method best. Put coat hanger piece into the chuck and rotate while adjusting platten until the metal just touches even in a perfect 360 degree circle. It is vitally important that your spindle be at a perfect 90 degree plumb on all axis. No kidding or nasty things can happen at assembly. Don't go there.

or

Then put in spindle and using a radius jig replicate the radius on a block of wood and viola you have the desired radius. Shown here is a 17" radius for a tail block.

The spindle.

The jig and wood.



Not the ideal set-up for sure, but works for me.

I do it the same way these days on neck and tail blocks..but I use the oscillating spindle sander.
I used to do it on the vertical belt sander..but i've now sold that machine so the spindle sander is now used instead...But the same radius jig is still used.
Here is an old youtube video I made. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J55tc1BqcM&list=UUZy2EMxIuULsTGoMthfyFvw

Timbuck said:

I do it the same way these days on neck and tail blocks..but I use the oscillating spindle sander.
I used to do it on the vertical belt sander..but i've now sold that machine so the spindle sander is now used instead...But the same radius jig is still used.
Here is an old youtube video I made. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J55tc1BqcM&list=UUZy2EMxIuULsTGoMthfyFvw

Click to expand...

Nice pinch, hey make that jig a little taller and you'd have a fretboard radius-er !