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The pic below shows what I tried doing. I rarely use templates for these two OM's I purchased the Stewmac vintage OM templates. I used a rasp to carve out the heal, 10th, 5th, and first fret. Then with a spoke shave I joined everything together.

It came out okay, not perfect but close enough. For those of you who do use templates what is your technique and does it ever truly come out perfect?

I usually employ a four-in-hand rasp and do the whole neck in one go, checking frequently with templates. Perfection is not possible, but dang good is. I shoot for the goal of perfection, but allow tolerances (wiggle room). Call me a savage.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Savage.

I do it pretty much the way you did, but I only use templates at the 1st and 10th frets. I usually get the ends as close as I dare, and then work the middle with a spoke shave. I'll start with the spoke shave by making a flat from one end to the other that goes right down to the shaped area at either end. It really helps to have some sideways lighting when you do this, so that you can keep track of the break line at the edges of the flat. The break lines need to be straight; if they dip inward you just made the neck too thin in the middle. They also have to come all the way down to the shaped parts at the ends. Since I started using this method I've found carving necks to be fairly easy and enjoyable. For ones you get to make a pile of shavings in a short time. Some of the students have more trouble with it, usually from not being as careful about checking as they go.

I used to use a similar method, but recently have been using a 'mark out and carve the facets' approach, as described in the Gilet/Gore books. I don't think it's any faster or more accurate but I like that it allows me to store templates of different necks shapes just as diagrams and dimensions on a page rather than a collection of physical templates. This method requires the shaft of the neck to be at final thickness (be that a consistent thickness or a tapering thickness) before you start, such that you are removing zero wood in the center of the neck shaft (assuming it's a symmetrical neck profile).

No matter what I do the final "hand feel" trumps any template or dimensions I'm working to and I find no matter how carefully I carve, I usually end up going back the day after and tweaking the shape somewhat

I use the neck templates from Luthier Suppliers, which measure at the first and tenth frets, so that's where I shape the initial facets with a rasp.

I do want to neck to be close to the final thickness at both points, but not quite all the way there. Something within .05” to .06”-ish gives you some fudge room and isn’t super difficult to work away to the final thickness.

I have two Lioger rasps. My 10" 9 grain cabinet maker's rasp removes material very quickly. My 7" 13 grain modeller is much finer. I'll remove the bulk with the 9 grain, and once I'm close, take my time with the 13. That's how I dial those initial facets.

Next it's just connecting the dots between those two facets. My 9 grain removes material really fast, and I'm also more consistent with it than my spokeshave. But, I'll also use the spokeshave because it's fun. I'm trying to draw straight lines from point to point with whatever the tool is. Consistent width, consistent angle, consistent straight path along the length of the neck. If I'm starting at the tenth fret, pull the tool to the first. If I'm starting at the first, pull the tool to the tenth. Remove some material, then move over to create another path so that I'm removing a consistent amount of material all around the profile rather than hogging off a lot here, but not there.

Once I'm within that last 10%, I might grab a piece of flat plywood about as wide as the area between the 1st and 10th frets with sandpaper adhered to it to remove the last bit of material. Rather than pulling it along the length, now I'm pulling it across the profile. This ensures a straight and true path along the length of the neck rather than one that might have a shallow dip or bump here or there.

I also really like using old strips of sandpaper from my drum sander to floss with. It really helps blend all the facets together.

I like to remove the bulk of the material with a large router bit. I first taper the neck both ways and mount it to a simple "L"jig. A couple of passes with the router and a uniformly rounded and tapered "blank" is ready for final refinement using templates and files or spokeshaves and scrapers or what have you. The rasps I have usually create more work than they save.

For rough shaping the heel I use the tablesaw and miter gauge to eat away most of the material. Then I finish up with chisels and files.

I use templates at 1 and 10 and get the profile as perfect as possible and shape the transition to the neck and heel using mostly rasps and on the heel the hand drill Grizzly pneumatic drum sanders plus rasps and scrapers. Al I love your scraper!!

I always mark off facets and after the above is accomplished I hog off the middle section with a 5" Dynabrade air sander and 40G using the facet lines as a guide and switch to 80G to blend in to the shaped areas at 1 and 10 as I get close. I saw a video of Kevin Ryan doing it that way and it works for me. I put some binding tape on the areas at 1 and 10 when doing it to help protect against going too deep.

After I am close I do the final merging and contouring with a 4" sanding block with 80G. Doing it on a good downdraft sanding table works pretty well for containing the mess. I need to hone my skills with a spokeshave as that would be a lot less messy for the initial hogging off but it does go fast with 40G

I strongly agree that your fingers are the best tool for getting the final contour right. I often diddle with necks over a period of several days before I am happy. Sometimes morning fingers are better than ones late in the day

IMG_4021 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

IMG_4022 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

IMG_4023 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I use the templates to draw out facet lines on paper that I can transfer to the neck. Before I start carving the neck is profiled to the fretboard and also tapered for thickness.

Given that I want smooth longitudinal lines along the neck I always carve along the neck. I find it really hard to blend in the carving between carved sections. I find I get better results if I bring the entire neck down.

I alway layout the first set of facets on paper and the neck. WIth this simple cathedral shape once the primary facets are carved I can see the addition facets without penciling them in. Although if I was doing a more advanced shape I would draw in the additional facets.



I hog most of the wood off with a spokeshave and finish the facets with a rasp. on the nut and heel side.







I just go back and knock off the corners of the facets with both the spokeshave and the rasp. I then go back and knock off the new corners with the rasp or a scraper.

Here it is getting close. At this point I pull the template back out and remove the high points; again always in cuts or rasp strokes along the neck.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I will first carve out the 1st and tenth. The 5th is not necessary and might actually complicate things.