good tool for neck shaping?

axisus

What's a good tool for neck shaping. My current stuff doesn't work very well and it takes an age.

Preferably something that can be bought in the UK

Kalimna

Do you mean beyond rasps and microplanes?
Ive used a combo of coarse/fine rasps, the microplanes and shoe-shiner-with-sandpaper approach, which has worked well.
 

Sporky

Spokeshave and scrapers.

Roland

Everyone likes a picture:


From the bottom: Wood rasp, Japanese (actually Czech) toothed rasp, wire brush to keep rasps clear, surform, spokeshave, templates and micrometer. Conclusions: Surform is best at removing wood; spokeshave gives the best finish; only the rasp can handle the volutes at each end of the neck. For finishing I prefer a cabinet scraper, particularly over the volutes where sandpaper can leave the surface smooth but bumpy.

Corvus

These Shinto rasps are good - a lighter cut and an evil side -
https://www.axminster.co.uk/japanese-saw-rasp-384015

Plus spokeshaves, rasps, files, scrapers, cylinder blocks for sanding, etc. Got some 0.25mm scrapers than bend easily, good for curved things.

WezV

Corvus said:

These Shinto rasps are good - a lighter cut and an evil side -
https://www.axminster.co.uk/japanese-saw-rasp-384015

Plus spokeshaves, rasps, files, scrapers, cylinder blocks for sanding, etc. Got some 0.25mm scrapers than bend easily, good for curved things.

Yeah, once I have roughed in the contours on a sander the Shinto rasp does 90% of the carving work for me.  

I finish off with shoe shine sanding and/or scrapers

axisus

Many thanks all. @Roland thanks for the pix! very helpful!

octatonic

Herdim rasps and a Veritas spokeshave.

Andyjr1515

I'm the same as @Sporky ; - spokeshave and scrapers. I also use a curved micro- plane for the volute and heel areas

Danielsguitars

Shinto rasps are great, as already said it'll do most of the work then just scrapers and sandpaper 

Gizmo

Ive worked with rasps/spoke shaves cabinet scrapers ect ect,great fun but can be slow going if you have a lot or mertial to remove.

I Anyhows  purchased this rather large 1/2" router bit from aliexpress (was about £12)



Set it up in a overarm jig i bult and im building a few test necks with it now for a headless 6'er



this one is cut to thickness of 14.6mm with a final neck thickness of 19.6mm,

ive done few tests with leaving more shoulder in not just using the fretboard as the shoulder and they all feel great,like a modern wide D feel with a slight flat center section,reminds me of my HM strat necks.takes about 3 min's from thicknessed blank to profiled neck.

Marktigere1

I use an Angle Grinder and flap disc method.

Works very well and is a really delicate tool if needs be or a complete hooligan if lots of material is needed to be removed. I do use the random orbital sander to finish the final carve just in case I get a bit trigger happy

Check out Crimson Guitars for videos on him using this method.

Ta

Gassage

Email Mark D Phillips.

He's a complete tool who shapes necks.