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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Mar 10, 2020 8:24:30 GMT -5
Even if you're all thumbs, you're way ahead of two guys I know who are professional woodworkers. They are missing portions of their thumbs because they chopped 'em off in a moment of complacency while working in the shop. But that's not what this thread is about. You can easily make your own neck rest from scrap materials, e.g., scavenge a chunk of 2x4 from a construction skip, and use an old trashed leather belt. This is a small project that takes about 45 minutes of work, but it's an item you will use every time you restring or do maintenance on a guitar. And it will last pretty much forever if the dog doesn't get hold of it and you keep it out of the rain. Materials: -8" length of 2x4 lumber -4" length of leather, 1.5" wide (old belt, etc.) cut into two 2" lengths -Wood glue Tools: -Drill press with 1.75" Forstner bit or hole saw You can use a hand drill motor instead -Chop saw, or table saw, or hand saw -Belt sander You can block sand by hand or use a palm sander instead -Clamps This design flips 90 degrees to support acoustic necks (high) and electrics (low). Drill a 1 3/4" hole through the center of the 2x4, with the center point of the hole 2" from one end. Saw through the middle of the hole (cut the board into two pieces) and glue a slightly-oversize piece of thick (10 oz.) leather into each half. Sand all sides smooth. Cut the long piece to 4" long, and the short piece to 1 1/8" long. Apply glue to the end grain of the short piece and clamp it to the side of the long piece, flush with the end. Scrub off glue squeeze-out with a damp paper towel and give it an hour for the glue to dry. Unclamp and touch up the hard corners with a sanding block; I like rounding over the upper corners on each side of the leather cushions. There's no need to use fasteners (screws/nails) because this will not be subjected to heavy loads. The glue alone is plenty strong for the job. If you don't have leather, you can use pressed cork sheet. Stay away from rubber/vinyl stuff, because that can damage nitro finishes.  |
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Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on Mar 10, 2020 9:39:03 GMT -5
Thats a very nice neck rest. At work, I use my stewmac guitar vise with a number of different accessories that I've made for it. Unfortunately, the price of this vise has risen to an almost unobtainable level for most people. I'm not sure I'd buy a new one at the current price but there is nothing better.
Having a neck rest is essential if you work on guitars. Having options to height and the depth of the resting surface is important. The focus always needs to be the safety of the instrument. It doesn't matter if you have fretwork talent from the guitar gods themselves. If you damage a guitar while you're working on it, you suck.
One of the lessons I've learned is to always remove the guitar strap before putting the guitar on the bench and don't allow an instrument cable to dangle below the level of the bench. I have seen a Les Paul bounce on the floor. I did not know that they do that.
I have spent an entire day fabricating 45 spool clamps. The hour or less it would take to make a number of neck rests is nothin. You can make them as simple or as fancy as you want. I like the idea of adding weight to the base with lead and an optional restraint using rubber hair ties.
Got an old electric guitar body? Turn it into a neck rest with pockets for tool storage. I did this with an electric mandolin body a few years ago and gave it to someone as a gift. I'll see if I have something and make another one today.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Mar 10, 2020 9:46:43 GMT -5
"I have seen a Les Paul bounce on the floor. I did not know that they do that." I have always wondered (in horror) about the origins of the term when someone describes an infant as a "bouncing baby." Most things in language are based in fact, so at some point in history, *somebody* must've tried it  If you have a permanent guitar workstation, a guitar/mandolin body is a great idea for a neck rest base. You could install a two-position rest that hinges and flips 90 degrees to accommodate electrics and acoustics. |
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Post by LTB on Mar 11, 2020 20:04:48 GMT -5
That is nice Peegoo. Going to make one when I have time soon
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Post by LTB on Mar 11, 2020 22:38:20 GMT -5
Geno, a little hard to tell from the photo as it looks like it but did you slant the drill a little when drilling (to give a slight angle for an Electric or just drill straight?
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Mar 11, 2020 23:41:40 GMT -5
LTB, you've got a good eye.
I did open up one side of each of the cutouts a little after I sliced the stick in two; I did this on the oscillating sander. It doesn't take much; you have to look closely to see it.
This 'open' side points toward the guitar body in use. Doing this is not essential, but it's something I tried on this recent version because I noticed the leading edge of the leather in my earlier version was wearing a bit more from use.
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Post by rdr on Apr 29, 2020 17:31:23 GMT -5
A great reason to buy a hole saw set!
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Apr 29, 2020 18:41:37 GMT -5
Yep.
And you won't be lying when you tell someone, "I saw the hole thing!"
I'm here in the lounge all week.
Avoid the meatloaf in the restaurant for a few days; one of the waiters has disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
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Post by LTB on Apr 29, 2020 21:38:50 GMT -5
Yep. And you won't be lying when you tell someone, "I saw the hole thing!" I'm here in the lounge all week. Avoid the meatloaf in the restaurant for a few days; one of the waiters has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. You must keep friends in stitches  |
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Apr 29, 2020 23:43:52 GMT -5
Suture self!
har har
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Apr 30, 2020 10:04:24 GMT -5
I love the two-in-one-ness of it! Like wrnch I use a bench vise, but if I was doing stuff on the level of most home warriors I probably wouldn't bother. When it REALLY shines is in doing stuff like trying to remove an acoustic bridge, fitting an archtop bridge, finish sanding, neck resets (getting the neck off, that is), drilling out end pins, gluing loose tops and backs (you can clamp the guitar up in the air quite nicely) and a whole bunch of other things. For basic set up stuff, it gets in the way, if anything.
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sirWheat
Wholenote
For a better future, play Stevie Wonder for your children.
Posts: 318
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Post by sirWheat on Apr 30, 2020 11:36:41 GMT -5
I made my own, it's like this StuCrack one. Made it on a table saw and cut it in half lengthwise and used some velcro so I can stack the pieces for use with an acoustic. As for vises I have a couple that I can use but when I get around to building a dedicated bench I'll probably make one like THIS (third and fourth pics down). Simple as they come (uses a normal door hinge at the bottom) and pretty cheap; most expensive part is the screw for around forty bucks. Of course you'll still want some kind of normal vice for other things but for set-up and general repairs this is a great design. |
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Apr 30, 2020 13:57:06 GMT -5
I made my own, it's like this StuCrack one. Made it on a table saw and cut it in half lengthwise and used some velcro so I can stack the pieces for use with an acoustic. As for vises I have a couple that I can use but when I get around to building a dedicated bench I'll probably make one like THIS (third and fourth pics down). Simple as they come (uses a normal door hinge at the bottom) and pretty cheap; most expensive part is the screw for around forty bucks. Of course you'll still want some kind of normal vice for other things but for set-up and general repairs this is a great design. Ah yes, the Bryan Galloup special! Those are great, too. I slightly prefer the beefier one because of the rare times that I'm putting something in there and really muscling it, but if it were unavailable, I'd do that one in a heart beat.
Another trick handy with the vices: take one of those long neck blocks that StewMac sells for their fret arbors (pretty cheap) and clamp it in there for a good, even neck back support for fingerboard/fret sanding. A really flexible neck sometimes bounces around on you with a simple support, and that will fight that. I'm sure it would work with the Galloup version too, though the block might need slight modification.
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Post by Larry Madsen on May 1, 2020 17:35:11 GMT -5
Very nice. I might have to make one of those for myself. certainly easier to handle and store than what I made a while back.  guitar work bench by Larry Madsen, on Flickr |
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 2, 2020 1:02:38 GMT -5
Well now that looks like a massage table for snappin' turtles.
I remember when you built that years ago. Nice work!
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Post by saltyseadog on May 2, 2020 3:15:27 GMT -5
Very nice and also very easy to make Peegoo. I have a goodly bit of 2" x 4" stumps left over from building my patio decking last year one of which will shortly become a dual neck rest.
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Post by hushnel on May 17, 2020 10:59:29 GMT -5
That’s sweet Geno, I want one.
You should inlay the pick. I’ve been using the weighted pillow rifle rest.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 17, 2020 12:44:07 GMT -5
Already there, brother!  |
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Post by hushnel on May 17, 2020 13:15:59 GMT -5
That’s sweet Geno, I want one. Now I have one too. Well 24 hours for the glue to cure and a bit of fine polishing “o) Traditional inlay may not work as well as a Forster bit. Maybe if I seal the surface first, then go traditional. |
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 17, 2020 13:50:56 GMT -5
Way cool!
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Post by hushnel on May 19, 2020 12:15:58 GMT -5
Pine is way to soft for traditional inlay but the branding iron worked OK. I didn’t put a finish on it, yet, but it’s done. Didn’t have a 1 3/4ths hole saw so I used a 2” I made a couple slight adjustments to the pattern for the extra 1/4”. Nice cheap Christmas gifts for my music playing relatives and friends. I got a buddy with a mill, I’ll get some cut offs of cedar from him.  Guitar Rest Geno design by hushnel, on Flickr |
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