Neck holding jig for coping saw work

[Trevor Davies]

I had a bit of an issue where I needed a neck to be held while cutting the head stock with a coping saw, while working on a bench with no vices. I did not think that sawing with the blade held vertically was a viable option. I also thought that if I make a jig for this, then it should work on all neck types - those with a flat headstock, angled headstock, inline, 3x3 etc.

So, I have built a "Bench Hook" for necks. It should also be useful in non-guitar related sawing.

It is 60 cm x 14 cm long plank, with a "hook" running under the plank and along the entire length. The top "hooks" are on either end (for lefties and righties) and only 10 cm long. I can clamp the headstock to one of the top hooks. Cutting parallel to the neck was harder, but it did still work.

Note: I usually use a jigsaw to cut the headstock pattern - so holding the neck flat was not a big issue!

[fender3x]

This is interesting on a couple of different levels. As usual I can't help but admire how nice your jigs look. My jigs tend to look indistinguishable from scrap ready for the trash heap. I also like how simple, effective and especially how compact it looks. Compact is getting to be more of an issue for me because my wife keeps threatening to put her car in my workspace/garage.

I have never used a coping saw to shape the headstock. Not all of the approaches I have used have been good. In particular there was the time I was using a table router and accidentlally shot a piece of it into my chest hard enough to leave a mark. Mostly these days I have been using combination of a jigsaw and spindle sanding drum attached to my drill press. One lovely thing about a coping saw is that you don't need any of those tools to do the cutting. I am curious about what other advantages and disadvantages are to using a coping saw? (Aside from not shooting pieces of wood at me)...

[Trevor Davies]

IMO having a bench hook is great tool for most hand sawing. Sometimes more convenient than using a vice. The fact that it can also work with guitar necks was my priority.

Usually, I cut the headstock pattern with a jigsaw or scroll saw, then finesse with a router (and template) or a sander and drum sanders.

The idea behind this jig is to show (and teach to a small group) how it can be done without needing a garage full of specialty (and sometimes scary!) power tools. Let's see how it goes. The first class may be this week.

[fender3x]

I like the idea of doing it with a coping saw...it's just that in practice i don't seem to be very good at it. However, the part about the "scary" resonates. Everyone these days seems to be using trim routers...but my go-to router is a 2.5hp Makita-clone plunge router. It's like using a lawnmower engine to route. I have tremendous respect for it, the same way I have tremendous respect for mountain lions and bears. But the good thing about it is that it's weight seems to make it quite stable. My scariest tools are the ones that either have a tendency to jump/kick back, or make pieces fly off. My trim router has a tendency to catch and jump, which can be very distressing. I feel like I should invest in body armor working with the table router, even though it's half as powerful as the plunge router. But the scariest of all is my spiral saw:



There is only one good thing about this tool. With a proper base, it can be used like a router to cut curves, without making as wide a cut as the router. You pay for it because it really wants to jump out of it's track, base or no base. It spins much faster than a drill if it jumps or gets out of your hand that little blade could do some really nasty damage.

Not much potential, by contrast, for a coping saw to land you in the ER.