To neck plate or not to neck plate?

[slowlearner]

Ok, so I've got 2 short scale basses (32") close to neck on, but I'm caught in a bind. I'd like to just use countersunk screws to bolt them without a neck plate. My dilemma is, the body timber is Kauri Pine. Now sure, it's not a hard wood strictly, but this timber has been stable for over 50 years now and for pine, it's quite hard. What making me think twice about a plate is two things...

1. It's whole lot of fluffing around with steel, shaping, painting, etc.
2. I reckon it's total engineering overkill.
3. I just tested a piece of pine with said screw and countersunk hole and I got the screw so tight my drill and my screwdriver couldn't do it up any tighter.
4. I could easily make it a 6 bolt (or more neck joint) taking the stress off each screw hole.

I know people are gonna suggest metal countersunk inserts instead, but for the trouble I'd go to to get them in OZ, I may as well make a plate.

So I am an idiot to leave the plate out, or will the wood be fine if the test worked?

[DarwinStrings]

Hi Pete, if you are worried about the countersunk screw wedging the wood apart you could look for screws like this.

Jim

screw.jpg (21.47 KiB) Viewed 10898 times

[Matt Bach]

How about some of these guys?

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Hardware,_p ... 1&xsr=0131

[slowlearner]

Hi Pete, if you are worried about the countersunk screw wedging the wood apart you could look for screws like this.

Jim

screw.jpg

Where would I find such elusive creatures?

[DarwinStrings]

You would find them HERE You also might be able to get them in S.S. or gold or copper as they are a furniture type screw.

Jim

[slowlearner]

Between this and some other advise, really I think I should just pull my finger out and make some plates. Dang, I'm lazy some times...

[DarwinStrings]

If you can use a standard sized plate you can buy Fender copies in chrome pretty cheap on Ebay from memory Pete. I have always made my own from S.S. but that's just me and I don't see a real need for the trouble I go to at times.

Jim

[slowlearner]

No, nothing "standard sized" on anything I build. Lol

Gotta stop being like that, but I build what I want, not what fender wants. But yeah, I've got some plate and screws. Just need to do it really. I just hate working with steel these days. So much dirtier and dangerous.

[Steve.Toscano]

I use the mounting ferrules from stewmac as someone else posted.