How making a slotted headstock?
 

I´m thinking of making a new neck with slotted headstock for my homemade acoustic 12-string jumbo.
I had made it a baritone guitar but would like to transfer it to a "normal" 12-string.
Any information about making one without the Stewmac gear that seems to help alot?
As I´m building only one it would be no use to buy one of thos little helpers.;)

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Here´s a pic still without frets:
http://viento.zenfolio.com/img/s/v-2/p1504131945-5.jpg

It depends, in part, on the tooling you have available. Drill the machine head holes first, then slot it. If you are using individual, rather than "X" on a plate, machine heads, the accuracy of the hole spacing is less critical (i.e. easier to make). A simple jig can be made to use with a hand drill, or, if you have a drill press, you can use the drill press to drill the machine head holes.

For the slots, one method that produces good results is to make a plywood template to guide a router fitted with a bushing. Clamp the template to the head after drilling the machine head holes, then route the depth of the slot in several passes.

If you don't have, or don't want to use, a router, drill holes at the ends of each slot and then use a coping saw to remove the waste between holes. (You could also use a jig saw, if you have one.) Clean up the resulting slots with chisels, files, scrapers and sandpaper.

The router method is more predictable and requires less hand clean-up of the slots. Both will work, though.

I think what you have there looks nice. I'd leave it. But anyway, what Charles said. The only thing I would add is that I would think it will be very difficult to get six holes on the side perfect to match the tuning posts on a plate. So you might want to consider getting individual ones.

You will need a thicker headstock . Side mounted/slothead tuning machines prefer flat surfaces for mounting the plates .
I have a system for mounting side mounted tuning machines that does not require a slotted headstock .

+1 to Otterhound's comment.

On a 12 string, I'd be reluctant to make a slotted headstock with 16 or 16.5 mm thick headstock due to the string tension and length of headstock. I'd guess it has been done before, but I prefer to err on the side of safety. There are any number of headstock strengthening design mods you could use, including (as I do on my steel string headstocks) a thicker spine through the middle to add strength.

for the slots:

a) holes > coping saw/jigsaw > chisel/files > clean-up

b) ho-made template > router with a bushing > clean-up

c) manual milling machine > clean-up

d) cnc mill > clean-up

No Stewmac goodies required!

tuner holes:

FWIW, I usually go to Stewmac for hole dimensions, but I just put some oddball 3 on a plate econo tuners on a guitar so I took one of them apart and used the base plate for a drilling template.

Thanks for your help!

As the neck has a mortise and tennon joint I can easily change the necks if wanted.
So I don´t mess anything.

I will use my router with a template for the slots like Charles mentioned. I just have to look around for the plan for such helpful thing.

And I´ll have to search the net attentively for the right thickness of the headstock.
The wood of the neck and headstock will be "cedro".

As to the tuning machines I will look for either individual ones or -more decorative- tuning posts on a plate.

It is VERY important to drill the tuner holes first.

Then I drill a series of overlapping hole narrower thant the slot and use rasps, then files, then sanding sticks to form each slot to a beautiful proportion. I personally cannot abide the look of router cut slots.

A scroll saw also works great to connect two holes to complete a slot. With the right blade, sanding is minimal.

Thanks to both of you!
I´ll think about these alternative ways making the slots.

eh, not entirely necessary to drill tuner holes first ime.

I do my slots first -complete. Then I'll quickly plane a scrap of neck wood to fill in the slot snugly (no corner radii, just the flats) and drill my holes right through it. Slots are finished, holes are done and clean with no chip-out.

If the finished product has the same proportions, be it router cut or "hand" cut with a different spinning hand power tool (ie: an electric drill rather than a router), 1) how can you tell what tool produced it, and 2) having been told which tool produced it, how can you prefer one look over the other (when the look is the same)...??

Puzzled...

On occasion I have forgotten to drill first... Doh! That is my preferred method. But then I just use the block that was cut out with the coping saw as a back stop by making little wedges that force it flush from the bottom.

If you are not moving the bridge, which fret meets the body on the new scale?

Ed

The bridge is glued on. I can not move it.
I ordered a slotted fingerboard and have to see when it arrives..;)