microplane

[peter havriluk]

Time to start shaping my neck. Angle's set and tested. Headplate's on, tuner holes cut. Heel roughly trimmed with a coping saw. Heel roughly shaped with a wood rasp. Now I'm stuck. Today I went and bought a 2-inch-diameter microplane thinking I could use it to chip away at the shape of the neck's shank. Sure jumps and chatters. I don't own a spokeshaved so there's no reverting to that tool. But I'd buy one if I could find one that's not gold-plated.

I need lessons in using the microplane. I attempted to do some heel shaping with the tool and it was not happy with me. I am sure I'm missing something, but I don't know what. Would I be better off chucking the microplane in a drill press and manipulate the neck against the spinning tool?

Thanks, folks.

[John Parchem]

I have not used a one that can be put in a drill press. I have used the flat ones that are the size of a rasp. I used them like a rasp to cut a bevel on each of the back corners of the neck by going down the neck while pushing the plane forward. You need a gentle touch or you will smash in all of the little micro planes and it will not cut any more. I would rather and do use a sharp flat rasp than a microplane mainly the rasp last longer.

It your microplane is designed to fits in the drill press that would be the way to go.

[peter havriluk]

John, I'll see if the drill press helps. The microplane version I bought is a 2-inch-diameter drum. I'll slow down the drill press and test on some scrap lumber. If I can find a way to mitigate the grabbing and snatching, this tool stands some chance to be useful.

Like more than one person who is building guitars, I'm coming from virtually no experience with detailed and precise woodworking, learning woodworking and guitar building as I go from one task to the next.

Thanks very much for commenting.

[Tim Benware]

I bought one of the micro planes that can be used in a drill press (one inch size) used it once and put it away. I do use a round hand held one to get my depth when carving a neck. Here are the tools I use now in neck carving.

[peter havriluk]

Tim, once again, a picture is worth a thousand words. The files/rasps, I think I can parse. The spokeshave, can you please tell me whether it's one of those sold all over the Internet for more-or-less fifteen bucks? I think I need a spokeshave but I am reluctant to take out a mortgage to buy one, and online advice often drifts into look-how-much-I-spent. I had a real recent lesson in that when I bought a set of files from, of all places, Aldi, and they work nicely and sharpen up nicely. Great value, according to me. I'd love to find a spokeshave that also offers basic value and serviceability.

Again, thanks very much.