bolt-on mortise and tenon neck question

[gilles]

Hello,
First-time builder on a budget...
I'm at the point in my build where I am ready to cut the mortise and tenon for my neck assembly. I am doing as much as I can without spending any more money than absolutely necessary.
I have been making simple jigs for everything so far.
Any ideas to help me out?
Maybe plans for router templates? Youtube videos (other than O'Brien's monster jig)?
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by gilles

Hello,
First-time builder on a budget...
I'm at the point in my build where I am ready to cut the mortise and tenon for my neck assembly. I am doing as much as I can without spending any more money than absolutely necessary.
I have been making simple jigs for everything so far.
Any ideas to help me out?
Maybe plans for router templates? Youtube videos (other than O'Brien's monster jig)?
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.

You can make very simple temporary jigs to cut simple straight sided mortise and tenons. In a pinch you can even cut them carefully by hand without jigs.
Jigs are necessary only to form good fitting dovetail mortise and tenon joints.

[Fathand]

I cut a few mortise and tenons on the bandsaw before I made router templates. Cut the mortise before attaching the back. It's ok for 1 or 2 guitars but router templates are easier..

Bandsawn Tenon

https://www.flickr.com/photos/194462...7720296961058/

Bandsawn Mortise , poor pic. Put a plug in the bottom after cutting it out.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/194462...7720296961058/

Router templates made from mdf, cut on a jigsaw or with router


My Tenon template I cut the angle on the end of the neck. I screw the template on the end with drywall screws. The holes later become bolt holes.
Clamp the neck or tenon in a vise and rout the tenon.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/194462...7720296629122/

In Use

https://www.flickr.com/photos/194462...7720296629122/

Mortise Template

https://www.flickr.com/photos/194462...7720296629122/

In use

https://www.flickr.com/photos/194462...7720296629122/

There are a lot of home made jigs and templates shown on my Flickr pages. Feel free to browse , maybe find something useful.

[phavriluk]

I've done this several times without jigs: I use my router table to cut a slot in the neck block and a corresponding slot in the flush-cut neck, and then make up a separate tenon to glue into the neck. I match-drill bolt holes by placing the tenon in the neck block and using the drill press to drill through both at the same time. Instant bolt alignment. By running the grain of the tenon the long way, I've created a neck reinforcement without the need for a dowel, the tenon does two jobs.

The neck being flush-cut, I can accurately cut my chosen neck angle on the untrimmed neck on a table saw, and there's no fussing with matching one side of the neck to the other.

Not a jig in sight.

I'm lazy.

[Gary Davis]

Originally Posted by phavriluk

I've done this several times without jigs: I use my router table to cut a slot in the neck block and a corresponding slot in the flush-cut neck, and then make up a separate tenon to glue into the neck. I match-drill bolt holes by placing the tenon in the neck block and using the drill press to drill through both at the same time. Instant bolt alignment. By running the grain of the tenon the long way, I've created a neck reinforcement without the need for a dowel, the tenon does two jobs.

The neck being flush-cut, I can accurately cut my chosen neck angle on the untrimmed neck on a table saw, and there's no fussing with matching one side of the neck to the other.

Not a jig in sight.

I'm lazy.

Good morning. I'm interested in your method. Can you direct me to more information on the process?

Thanks - Gary Davis

[phavriluk]

Gary, thanks for asking. But I'm not going to be of much more help than I outlined. It's a process that made sense to me given the power tools I had.

There is an order of operation, though: Cut the neck angle first. The rest depends on accurate, or at least being aware of, centering the router slots and drill locations. My tenons are 3/4" wide and the slots in the neck and neck block are 1/2" deep. I make my tenon 1" deep, leaving a gap inside the neck block the thickness of the side. Nobody's stopping me from taking a bit off the tenon depth just to be sure it doesn't bottom in the body. I round the bottom of the tenon to correspond with the bottoms of the routed slots. I make sure the tenon grain runs the height of the neck, or use plywood. It's a freebie reinforcement of the heel, no need to drill for a dowel.

[Gary Davis]

Thanks. I think I'll try that next time.

Gary

[DickHutchings]

You may think me silly for saying this, but, learn to use hand tools and mortise and tenon and dovetails are a breeze. No jigs required. It's a journey though.