V-Joint fixture plans

[jlynn]

I have been building guitars since 1976 and have just now decided to build an A-5 mandolin (my first). ALL WENT WELL UNTIL I APPROACHED THE NECK JOINT PROBLEM. I
In my ignorance I assumed I would be able to buy plans and build any jig or fixture I would need. Can anyone out there guide me to a source for the V-Joint fixture for A-5?
Please help this rookie.

[Ken]

I've never seen an A or F style arch top mandolin with a v joint for attaching the head to the neck. Traditionally the neck and head are sawn from one piece of wood. I suppose it could be done, but I'd worry about how well it would hold up to 8 high tension strings.

[Tom Haywood]

When I google "mandolin neck v joint jig" (without the quotes), a number of sites come up - including a video of Roger Siminoff demonstrating his jig.

[J.Sloan]

I went down this path for at least a year and cut a couple of necks this way. There was ALOT of time spent on designing both fixtures to cut the headblock and neck. It did ok, but I just never could get the consistent results that I was after.
I went back to dovetail joints. Once you do a few, it gets easier. And you'll have more control over the final fit.
Jason
www.sloanmandolins.com

[Tom Haywood]

I spent a lot of time a while back trying to copy or design the jigs too. Finally, I gave up and cut the V joints for two mandolins by hand. It wasn't hard to do and didn't take near as long as making a jig would have. I went back to the dovetail after that because I need regular practice with it.

[jlynn]

Thanks for your reply. I was referring to the neck heel/head block join....just rookie ignorance.

[peter.coombe]

I was referring to the neck heel/head block join....just rookie ignorance.

Use a dovetail.

[j. condino]

https://vimeo.com/149088032

[HoGo]

I use tapered dovetail and always cut it by hand. No big deal, just some precision work with pencil, saw, chisels, gouges and scrapers is needed (and some thinking during fitting).
If you can make a jig that is precise enough to allow you seat necks without abovementioned skills then you can just plain do it without jig. (unless you plan making series of mandolins)

[Chris Pritchett]

Here's a pic of the jig I made. Used on 9 instruments now with good results.

[HoGo]

If I wanted to build jig for V joint I would use something similar to the standard guitar dovetail routing jig (on ethet uses templates, Stew mac used to sell it). I see that Tom Ellis uses such and I've seen Gibson (Derrington era) use it and also several other makers. It has advantage of using interchangeable templates so you can change shape of the joint to your liking and use the same jig for neck and body with simple angled insert for neck. The bandsaw jig would not be precise enough and you would always have to check the bandsaw for blade thickness and angle before using it and that limits you to straight sides of joint that look IMO "cheap" on finished mandolin.
Tom Ellis's can be seen on his web:
http://www.ellismandolins.com/shop-tour.html (go to pic #21)

or similar (though less rigid one) here:
http://siminoff.net/mandolin-constru...ual-editorial/
scroll down

They are simple enough to build without plans, you will just have to make precise templates.