Neck to Body Jig , which one ?

[auscab]

Has any one built this ?


youtu.be/

And would you recommend it ?

Or what do you use ?

[Kamusur]

Guy felt sorry for me today and sold me 1/2 a sheet of 18mm ply to build this jig Rob (for $10 bucks), and scored some scrap perspex awhile back from a signwriters waste bin and copied the LMI cheap templates think they were around $30 with some hardware. Plenty of toggle clamps on the Bay (bout 12 or 14 bucks delivered) so it has been a pretty frugal exercise so far.

Only snag has been in the AEG router department because they don't sell template guides? (The AEG takes takes either 1/2 or 1/4 inch collet) I have both LMI and Stewmac d/tail bits but i might be snookered into only being able to use the smaller Stewmac 1/4 and it just doesn't look very robust and it won't be on the AEG.


Steve

[kiwigeo]

Only snag has been in the AEG router department because they don't sell template guides? (The AEG takes takes either 1/2 or 1/4 inch collet) I have both LMI and Stewmac d/tail bits but i might be snookered into only being able to use the smaller Stewmac 1/4 and it just doesn't look very robust and it won't be on the AEG.

Steve

If your dovetail cutter is a 1/4" shank job then it'll work ok as long as you hog out most of the cut first with a larger shanked straight cutter.

Carbitool have suitable dovetail cutters with 1/2" shanks and theyre cheaper than the LMI/Stewmac cutters.

[Nick]

I built my own version of this jig using what I could find around the shop, unfortunatley I don't have a pic of it on this computer to post but it was similar in design. Makes machining the neck dovetail/mortice & tenon a hell of a lot easier & getting the correct neck geometry is a breeze.

[kiwigeo]

BTW this jig is commonly known as a Woolson Jig.

[auscab]

BTW this jig is commonly known as a Woolson Jig.

Yeah I read that up on the OLF , there is a thread up there where they were discussing it, and it's good to give the credit where it's due.
It was also mentioned that the OLF have plans for sale for this jig. I was looking for them but I think you have to pay to look in the clasified section. I wouldn't mind knowing how much they are.

The bit I'm interested in ATM is how the body is held when cutting the mortice , it's like trying to hold an egg sandwiched between two boards while keeping it level at the top. Is that all that is holding the body Nick ?

Are you using the same jig Martin?

Steve , I don't know about the AEG , I've been into Makita ever since I fell in love with one of the Makita cardboard cut out girls 25 years back
Good to hear your putting one of these jigs together as well.

[kiwigeo]

The bit I'm interested in ATM is how the body is held when cutting the tennon , it's like trying to hold an egg sandwiched between two boards while keeping it level at the top. Is that all that is holding the body Nick ?

Are you using the same jig Martin?

I had a jig but I recently pulled it apart for rejigging....sorry. It was based on photos in the now defunct LMI handbook/catalogue.

[Nick]

The bit I'm interested in ATM is how the body is held when cutting the mortice , it's like trying to hold an egg sandwiched between two boards while keeping it level at the top. Is that all that is holding the body Nick ?

A picture is worth a thousand words Rob so I'll see if I can dig out the photo's of mine off my home computer but basically I have the body 'packed' out from the vertical backboard with packing that essentially only goes in as far from the edge as my linings (don't want to go clamping with the forces directly on the soundboard!) then I have a clamping 'bar' that spans the back, again with blocks fixed to it so the clamping force is pushing onto the linings.It goes across the waist.
Just done a quick search (bugger me it showed up on Google image search! )
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1553&start=75
and about three quarters the way down the page you'll see my first neck/body clamping jig, a bit further down is how I used to do the neck dovetail but I've since changed this setup & made a seperate jig with an variable system for adjusting the angle when doing the neck.

[auscab]

Good one Nick, thanks. You made the jig in two parts.

You wrote
" I've since changed this setup & made a separate jig with an variable system for adjusting the angle when doing the neck."

Is this a two part jig or the same as the Woolson jig ?

I love that thread too. Last week when I followed it to it's second half I was surprised to see it being played so nicely on the youtube link.

[ozwood]

Hi All,

I have this Jig , I got the Plans and templates from LMI it took me about 4 hours to make and its a ripper , did the whole neck and Body join in about 3 hours the other day .

Robbie O has a full tute and assembly instructions on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJLfkh3G ... ure=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If9EokfW ... ure=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi9HVsVj ... ure=relmfu

Cheers,

[auscab]

Sounds good Paul. good youtube tute's too.

[Kamusur]

Thanks Martin.
My Makita is only a laminate trimmer Rob but it could yet come into play somewhere along the line.

Perhaps some form of support for the waist area of the guitar (customise the jig) would make me feel like not treading on those "eggshells" as well, Robbie makes reference to tightening the jig till you hear a crack, jokingly of course, in one of his vids if i recall so holding the body safely is still the main concern.

Steve