F2 Back Strip

[SteveB]

I am going to put an ebony back strip on the neck of an F2 I'm building. Can anyone recommned how thick the strip should be ( I see 0.02" strips from LMI), or how I would go about cutting a channel?

[dunwell]

Isn't that usually done with a 2/3 piece neck where there is a colored layer between the two fly-leaved sides? When shaped this shows as a line down the center. I haven't heard of it as an inlay although it could be done by hand I suppose. I have done other inlay like a basket knot sort of thing on the back with silver wire, but it was all by hand. Others may be more knowledgeable on this than I.

Alan D.

[SteveB]

I'm working from the siminoff plans, and they say that, while the strip allowed the appearance of a 3 piece laminated neck, it is actually an inlayed strip.

[dunwell]

Ah, I hadn't seen that in the book. If your neck is still in the square rough form then I can see shaping the bottom edge of the neck to almost true profile but keeping it square to the sides. Then use a Dremell or laminate trimmer with a side guide set to the center line and load it with a small milling bit or dental bit to cut the slot down the center line. You could cut it deepish so you wouldn't have to worry about carving through it later on. If you wait till the neck is carved then you have the double taper of both the thickness of the neck and the taper of the FB, so at that point I'd think it would be a hand-carved project. Should be OK if you are careful.

I'm guessing some of the black fiber stuff might be good for the inlay itself, it bends easily with a bit of a spritz of water and comes in different sizes. To my eye 0.02" seems a bit thin for that application. I'd like to see something like 2mm or so if you want it to show up well. Still, the thin line stuff might be kind of a cool "stealth" line that would show up only when you look close. That could be a nice touch.

Hmmm, now you've got me thinking. It might be cool to put some recon-stone or other materials in that could go in an epoxy slurry, some torquois and jade with bits of silver!! "Can you say 'gaudy' boys and girls?":))

FWIW,
Alan D.

[SteveB]

I just installed trussrods last night, so the backs are still square. I like that idea vs. doing it by hand. Now I just have to be careful not to bottom out my dremel on the truss rod. Actually, I'm wondering if you even need a truss rod with a 12 fret neck. Sense of security, just in case, I guess. I'll forego the rhinestones for now. Thanks

[Steve Etter]

rhinestones!...rhinestones!...rhinestones!...rhine stones!

[Rick Turner]

That was probably another one of the shaper jobs at Gibson. No big deal tooled up like that.

[Rob Grant]

For extra strength and ease, I think the centre strip is best achived with a "three piece neck." Of course, this is if you make your necks from "scratch" and not a kit.

In the below images the same timber as the centre strip has been used as a cover for the trussrod trench. The neck is for an F style octave mandolin. The timbers are figured Queensland maple (Flindersia), local black ebony and Cooktown ironwood.

[Gary Watson]

Its easy to get carried away on your first instrument. Many a work of art has been ruined by a few extra brush strokes. Keep it simple. You won't regret it.

[Paul Hostetter]

Its easy to get carried away on your first instrument. Many a work of art has been ruined by a few extra brush strokes. Keep it simple. You won't regret it.

Couldn’t agree more.

One of the drawbacks to a fully laminated 3-piece is that the trussrod (as completely unnecessary as it is in a neck of that size) bears right on the center lamination, which is a weak point. If you want to have an adjustable trussrod, do it in a 1-piece neck. If you really want the aesthetics of a center strip, either skip the adjustable trussrod or use carbon fiber bars.

An F-2 has a stout little neck, and doesn't benefit from an adjustable trussrod.

[Rob Grant]

Paul wrote: "One of the drawbacks to a fully laminated 3-piece is that the trussrod (as completely unnecessary as it is in a neck of that size) bears right on the center lamination, which is a weak point."

I can see Paul's point, but I have to say that with all the long three piece necks I've made, I have never had this sort of failure or any failure at all for that matter. With modern adhesives, the laminated bond is as strong as the actual timber component. Another factor is that I use a timber for my centre strip with about the same structural integrity as a steel UB.<g>