The FrankenWashie is dead....

[vh2580]

Hi FW what thickness is the headstock at the neck joint. Looks like it would still be 12mm+ . If so maybe could draw file flat.

[FrankenWashie]

Hi FW what thickness is the headstock at the neck joint. Looks like it would still be 12mm+ . If so maybe could draw file flat.

I'm not quite sure what you mean Tony? The thinnest point of the head stock is the upper corner nearest the transition, it tapers down to about 3/8".
The transition itself is pretty much a match for a factory neck, the splice/scarf joint itself is fine.

[Simon Barden]

Ouch! But add some glue and some filler and it will be fine.


...but maybe go no heavier than 0.008"s

[FrankenWashie]

Ouch! But add some glue and some filler and it will be fine.


...but maybe go no heavier than 0.008"s

Yeah, might take a bit more than filler eh? I'm thinking I might attempt what Tony has suggested to flatten and strengthen the head stock

[FrankenWashie]

Okay, so after some ruminating and some cursing, i elected to try and salvage this by doing as Tony had suggested and thinning the headstock further and then adding a patch.

Which ended up looking like this:




I left this for a couple of days to settle before attempting to re-shape it (next post)

[FrankenWashie]

A combination of japanese razor saws and a spokeshave and rasps got me back to this:



there is still about 3/16" to come off of the thickness, which i will be doing with a router jig set up.

I also discovered that its not such a great idea to have your truss rod channel routed until you've actually got the truss rod you are going to use in your hot little hand!



I cut my TR channel with a 1/4" bit which left the channel a little over 6.3 mm at 6.5, this haps meant some slop and a potentially rattling TR.

I think i can get around this with some additional heat shrink and some silicon, but again another lesson learned.
the ALS supplied TR's are all nominally smaller at the adjustment end, so there is no need to widen the rout for the adjuster, unlike the PBG supplied neck that i'd patterned off.

All part of the experience i guess!

[wokkaboy]

nice fix Frankie, so was the headstock thickness too thin hence you glued on the extra pieces ?

Always lesson learned mate, been there done that ! Sure you can bulk up the truss rod so it doesn't rattle around when you are headbanging to some cool chords !

[FrankenWashie]

nice fix Frankie, so was the headstock thickness too thin hence you glued on the extra pieces ?

Always lesson learned mate, been there done that ! Sure you can bulk up the truss rod so it doesn't rattle around when you are headbanging to some cool chords !

Yep, tried to thin it with a long rip cut down the length of the headstock and cocked it up. Reduced the whole thing to the thinnest measurement and made up another laminate patch to line up with the existing laminate lines. Quite happy with that bit actually, it worked really well. I'll set up a jig on the weekend and thin it properly in 1/32" incremental passes.
I've fixed the TR issue with some heatshrink, now I just have to decide whether to use my dud fretboard or set up the fretting jig and do a spot on one.

Like I've said repeatedly, it's an exercise in the exercise and what I'm learning is all good. And if the neck works okay, it may end up being an Addition to the FrankenWashie that is severely Frankenstein-ish!

[wokkaboy]

sounds good Frankie. There is so much to learn building scratch necks so you are learning not what to do so next one will be better !

[FrankenWashie]

sounds good Frankie. There is so much to learn building scratch necks so you are learning not what to do so next one will be better !

One can only hope!

First lesson, GET EVERYTHING SQUARE, not Square-ISH!