Curves

Have you ever had that strange feeling that someone was watching you as you worked?


I had an email request to show how I create the curvature of the neck to match the pot.




I create the curvature of the neck with a sanding drum mounted to a drill press. The bottom of the sanding drum has a guide attached to follow a pattern.





The neck is set on a 3 degree angle, this assures proper string tension.







I created a guide for the sanding drum to follow. I transferred the curvature of the pot to the guide.





The form is the length of the neck.






On the guide I have marked a center line. I match the center line of the guide with the center line of the neck.





Clamp the neck at the center...












and sand away the waste...





to create the correct curvature.






I use a router to create the curvature for the tension hoop.






This jig replaces the router fence. It is the same curvature as the bracket band. By adjusting the fence, I can control the depth of the cut.






I clamp waste blocks to the neck to control tear out.













And a photo of the completed neck.






I still have to do some cleanup with sandpaper, and sometimes with chisels, but for the most part this system works pretty well.