optimizing lumber use in neck fabrication

[peter havriluk]

Yesterday I purchased a quartersawn plank of 'African Mahogany' over the counter at an exotic-wood vendor. Grain is all but dead vertical throughout the plank. Plank is 1 7/8 inches thick, 4 feet long, 9.25 inches wide. 9.5% moisture. Thirty-eight bucks. I'd like some advice as to how to cut it into guitar neck parts. As in what to avoid, when and where to not get greedy, and suggestions about conservative sizing of the various bits. And how should the cut-up wood be stored? And any resawing suggestions, as the temptation is great to slice a two-inch-thick plank 3 inches by 24 inches into two one-inch planks, but I have no idea as to whether I would be in a danger zone of spoiling a good piece of wood by trying to stretch its use too far. I can see how I can strip the plank into three lengths three inches wide, but whether some of those could be cut in half horizontally so that each piece is half the thickness less the amount lost to the cut, 7/8" thick if evenly distributed. I'm guessing that each cut costs me an eighth-inch of wood. If I can safely get away with the 7/8" thick necks, I can get six necks out of this hunk of wood, six pieces 3" x 7/8" x 24", and heel blocks, and maybe some neck blocks as well. That would be a lifetime supply of necks for me.

Thanks very much.

[Kevin in California]

Peter, so tough decisions there. I had a billet of 2" x 11" x 48" Sapele that I resawed into guitar sets and had some for necks. What I wound up doing with the 2" thick is cutting it into two 1" boards, then I did stacked heels. I had the same thoughts.....should I leave some of it two inches so I'd only use two pieces for the heel instead of 4 but when I calculated it all out, I got more yield, and it worked out pretty well to use alternating ends of the boards for shafts and heel pieces. If I could I'd paint a picture of what I did. What I found when I got some African hog and was going to make necks with it, in my shop the 1" thick boards warped a little on me, but I don't have environmental controls in my shop. I did make one neck with it and it turned out fine...a lighter color than honduras but it pared up nice with the walnut body.

[peter havriluk]

Kevin, thanks for describing your experiences. Sounds like we're singing from the same hymnbook. For the immediate future, I can continue to speculate but not commit to cutting up the plank. I have two other necks on the bench right now, and those two projects will occupy what little mind I have for some considerable while. But I'd love to turn that plank into neck parts.

[peter havriluk]

Thought I might close out this topic - - - I took me and my plank to a luthier in darkest rural New York and spent the best part of a day in his shop turning the plank into neck blanks - - - six of them. I'm fixed for necks for the forseeable future. And I had a delightful day of discussion, explanation, and learning.

[Kevin in California]

Hey Peter, I'm sure you had fun. You should get great necks for your efforts.