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So I made my first neck with a piece of birch just to practice and it turned out very well. All of my mistakes all happend because I tried using a disc and belt sander to shape it, after I had a rough shape done with a chisel. After I noticed the belt sander just made it shape wrong I just kept on chiseling out little parts and the hand sanded it. Should I be getting good at using power tools like a belt sander or should I just work on making my stuff with hand tools?

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" Blues is a low down achin chill, if you ain't never had it, I hope you never will."

Robert Johnson

Woodworking, including lutherie, was done by hand tools for centuries, and
some of the most revered instruments in the world were made that way.
Power tools are (in general) faster, and take less effort. But the speed comes
with increased chance to take off too much, burn the work, hurt yourself, or
other problems. It's very much a personal choice, and there is no "right" answer.
Using power tools properly definitely has a learning curve, and if you are happy
using the hand tools- and many people get more personal satisfaction using
them-then keep going that way.

Another problem, as you found, is that while several power tools may be capable
of doing things like shaping a neck, there will in general be one that is much better
for a particular job. I believe a pneumatic drum sander in my drill press is much better
for shaping necks than a Disk/Belt sander. So you are faced with the choice of getting
another power tool, or taking more risk in doing the job right. For some of us (I'm included),
buying more power tools is part of the fun of woodworking (TAS is a common malady of
woodworkers- Tool Acquisition Syndrome). But the tools will not create a better
product than can be done by hand. And the cost is a lot lower by hand...

_________________
Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

The first thing I'd do is to go and buy at least 1 and probably 2 spokeshaves. You need at least a flat one and most likely a curved one as well.

Belt and Disk sanders are very aggresive tools. Even the smallest belt sander with a fine grade belt is not really going to be much use in Luthiery. (My opinion only). I made quite a bit of use of my Orbital Sander and my Palm Sander using only 120 grit paper at the roughest but mostly 240 grit or higher.

I can't imaging sculpting a neck using a chisel.

Belt sanders and other 'aggressive' tools have their place, for sure. Mario still uses a Lancelot (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=42528&cat=1,42524,42527) to rough his necks. It takes a higher degree of control to use tools like those effectively without removing too much material, but it's very effective in the right hands. There's a local repair guy who can cut and intonate a saddle freehand on a belt sander so fast it'd make your head spin, but he's good enough to pull it off and it saves him a load of time!

As a general rule: the faster a tool removes material, the more skill is required using that tool to avoid destroying your work. Sometimes the right tool for a job might remove material faster -and- be easier to control, though. Tool skills are like most other manual skills that are taught: get good, then get fast.

(Without the CNC, BTW, I'm very fond of 30 grit discs and 60 or 80 grit belts for carving things on sanders. Check your work often, keep a light touch, and wear gloves!)

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services