A Bench Hook for a 10 String Classic Guitar Neck

There can be nothing exclusive about substantial art. It comes directly out of the heart of the experience of life and thinking about life and living life.

Charles Ives, American Composer



The Obsession Continues....

I glued the peg head to the neck shaft this morning, it worked, but the scarf joint always slips a little from the pressure of the clamps. I plan for that and try to set the neck shaft about a 1/16th of an inch proud of the peg head when I glue up the pieces. Once the glue has dried I correct any problems either with a sanding board or my trusty Stanley No. 7 jointer plane.

The only problem with using the jointer plane was finding a block of wood tall enough to compensate for the 14 degree peg head angle. With such a long peg head (it's four inches longer than a six string guitar peg head) I knew the block should be about 5 inches tall, which I don't have. Then I remembered why I had that piece of 1x6 pine leaning in the corner.

A few quick cuts with crosscut and rip saws, a few screws and I solved my problem by making a bench hook. You all know what a bench hook is, don't you? I make them for a task, forget that I've got one hiding in the shop and when I find it I remove the screws and use the wood to build a fire in the cook stove.

My mother showed me how to make a bench hook when I was about 11-12 years old. I wanted to try relief carving but had no way to hold the board. We found some old boards, Mom told how to cut the pieces and nail the cleats on, all the while telling me stories of how her dad would make them for just the same reason. It was a great moment because I was using his tools.