Working with carbon fibre

2003amxl

I'm looking to make a vigier style strat neck with no truss rod and a large carbon strip down the center to keep it stable.

I'm wondering if i'm going to have a problem sanding the back of the neck where the hard carbon meets the softer maple. Is having two materials of different hardness a problem when it comes to this?

Sporky

Will the carbon be exposed on the back of the neck then? I thought/assumed the Vigiers just had a couple of chunky CFRP rods under the fretboard.

ArchtopDave

I would advise you to seriously reconsider sanding carbon fibre unless you are going to wear adequate protective gear. Carbon fibre particles and strands do not treat the human body kindly - we have no bodily mechanisms for breaking it down once it gets inside us.

2003amxl

Sporky said:

Will the carbon be exposed on the back of the neck then? I thought/assumed the Vigiers just had a couple of chunky CFRP rods under the fretboard.

They have one big strip exposed on the bottom and top of the neck, then they have the fretboard on top of that.



I'm not sure about the best way of going about putting the carbon in. I could either route out from the head stock downwards like the vigier or have it going the entirety of the neck and put a veneer on the headstock to hide it.

Sporky

Ah - I didn't know that was how they were done. Ta. 

downbytheriver

Do not sand the carbon - you will expose the fibre and a life of splinters will ensue. I’m not sure how Vigier go about building that neck but I suspect it may not be as simple as it appears. 

DrBob

And you really really don’t want a Carbon Fibre splinter. I got one trying to put a couple of strengthening rods in a bass neck, hurt so bad !