A neck shaping jig

[Paul Montgomery]

Clamping neck blanks for shaping is tricky but I just found a simple way. I'd be interested to know how you all accomplish that. Here is what I just figured out:

https://youtu.be/5J68M1_ByTA

[Clay Schaeffer]

Hi Paul,
I use a simple "L" type jig to rough shape necks with a router. I also use it for a router table fence (I made a cut out in it) and it can also be used as a drill press fixture. The neck blank is held on by two screws through the jig and into the fretboard side of the blank.

[Steve Sawyer]

Nothing revolutionary here, but I do find assorted pieces of 8020 extrusion to be very handy. This is how I use one for carving necks. Note the pads of leather between the FB and the beam to protect the FB, and the leather pads under the clamps. I should make a mounting "L" like Pauls to fit onto this beam!

[Bob Gleason]

This is really interesting to see how similar Steve's jig is to mine. Almost like we built then together. Mine has a T-Track in the center to adjust the hold downs.

[Barry Daniels]

I like both of them.

[Steve Sawyer]

So on the current build (a short scale electric bass) the neck was a little too long for that piece of 8020, so had to change things up. Digging into the rathole I had another square piece that was long enough, but needed a way to clamp it to the bench. A couple of pieces of 1/4” scrap and some T-bolts & knobs and Bob’s your uncle. That hold-down at the heel is a Rockler thingamabob for holding stuff like sacrificial faces to table saw and router fences. Unfortunately these protruded so as to interfere with shaping. Easy enough to move out of the way as needed but found that moving them to the heel end and slipping a short 1/4-20 bolt between the two pieces of 8020 keeps everything stable & aligned (see second pic). Also, by clamping to the center of the bench as shown instead of in the end vise I can use the hi-intensity work light to get the low-angle lighting that helps with the task. This also gets the whole assembly up at about my sternum so it’s comfortable to work on!

By the way, if any of you live in areas with a lot of manufacturing, stop into your local scrap metal dealer. Shops use 8020 all the time for all kinds of one-off stuff like benches, racks etc. and will throw this stuff away when the piece gets disassembled or replaced by something permanent. The scrap dealers will sell it (and anything else useful like aluminum angle or tubing you find) by the pound, so you can get it dirt cheap.