How to make a Dovetail neck joint by hand

Рет қаралды 100,444

Күн бұрын

Hand cut dovetail neck joint
This is the latest part in the Octave Mandolin build where I make the dovetail joint by hand to the body of the instrument.
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Пікірлер: 134

@peterpetrusa3131 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks again. Looking forward to your next video.

@MarcelDiane 6 жыл бұрын

I understand what it takes to do what you do. You are truly a master.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Marcel! That means a lot...

@alanhusband9422 4 жыл бұрын

This is very impressive. Building a dovetail like that by hand is incredible.

@HovingtonInstruments 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Alan, really rewarding

@NotJustSawdust 6 жыл бұрын

And again as always, it's about patience and accuracy. Really enjoyable to watch!

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Gerrit! It's nearing completion... I Better go get some strings soon!

@edgorner9429 6 жыл бұрын

I really appreciate your teaching demeanor and the sharing of your awesome skills!

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback Ed, I really appreciate!

@michellessard7047 6 жыл бұрын

Awesome job Tomy , thank you for sharing !😊👍👍

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Welcome Michel! And thank you for watching...

@randomdds 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing this. It's beautifully done and presented

@HovingtonInstruments 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Matt

@willysunday 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you Tomy !! I learned a lot. Great work with that chisel!

@HovingtonInstruments 5 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear Will , and thanks

@ThePipeous 6 жыл бұрын

Amazing. I am going to have to get out busking every day to finish paying you LOL. You are just flying now. Thanks for keeping the vids coming. It's like watching a child grow up

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome Barry... I love making fretboards.. and I can’t wait to get started on this one!!! I’m really happy you are enjoying watching the videos of the making of your new instrument!!

@jamiewroten92 5 жыл бұрын

Excellent job. Very informative.

@HovingtonInstruments 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jamie, glad you found something useful in this video!

@johnautry6851 2 жыл бұрын

Greetings from Mineral Bluff, Georgia. I love your videos. Very well done, very helpful. This one is extremely helpful and encouraging, as I long ago sold my big bandsaw, before I ever thought about building a mandolin. The 7 1'2" one I have is handy but inadequate, so seeing you do this by hand is awesome. Thanks for all your efforts in showing us all how to do these things. ja

@HovingtonInstruments 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback John, glad you are enjoying the videos!

@matthewjamestaylor 6 жыл бұрын

Beautiful work.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you Matthew!

@gregmartin1757 4 жыл бұрын

Nicely done.

@robertschaeffer5861 4 жыл бұрын

Thnkx for sharing your layout tool...can only imagine how joints you have behind you now...

@StundeDesSiegers 7 ай бұрын

Great Work, great explanation. Thank you!

@jeffdeluca1153 5 жыл бұрын

Excellent craftsmanship!

@HovingtonInstruments 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jeff

@krma1970 6 жыл бұрын

Really instructive, thank you for sharing.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Nicolas

@ragtie6177 6 жыл бұрын

Wonderfully explained process & a captivating video

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed the video!

@michellek5789 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this. I have struggled with this joint for years never understanding how and where to adjust to get rid of the shoulder gaps. The majority of people use a router which I don’t and there is little to no information on how to do this joint by hand so thanks again for he explanation.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome Michelle.. it can be daunting... best advice would be not to rush it.. Btw, I did receive your email but was too busy to get back to you ... I will try to send you a reply asap.. Thanks for watching!!

@denaleesdreams 4 жыл бұрын

Stubbled onto your video and checked out your website! Your instruments are just beautiful!

@HovingtonInstruments 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks little Sasquatch.. welcome aboard!! Glad you are enjoying the videos:)

@ibrhemahmed170 Жыл бұрын

Thanks

@tombaker3794 6 жыл бұрын

Great accuracy, nice work.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tom!

@rustyaxelrod 5 жыл бұрын

Nice job!

@martingreen2449 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliant ... thank you

@j.danaclark89 6 жыл бұрын

Very cool.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@danielloidolt1644 4 жыл бұрын

Building my first Ukulele after 2 concert guitars,thought about how ill make the dovetail joint by hand... well Thank you Sir, i worry no more. Thank you for passing on your wisdom :)

@HovingtonInstruments 4 жыл бұрын

Glad the content is useful Daniel! Let me know how your neck joint went! Happy building!

@scottman-cl4jm 6 жыл бұрын

Tomy, You are a Master Craftsman I cannot wait for the next video. Happy Christmas

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Happy Christmas to you too Scott... the next video on this build will most likely be in the new year! Have a great holiday season!!!

@braiansingh9730 6 жыл бұрын

Can't wait to see the next video!!! You are amazing man, seriously.... I hope that one day I'm going to be as good as you. Sorry for my bad english, Greetings from Argentina!!

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Braian, I'm really happy you enjoyed the video!!

@hatchethill9379 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

You are welcome

@walterrider9600 6 жыл бұрын

thank you Tomy

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome Walter!

@angelguallan2719 6 жыл бұрын

Toda la explicación me gustaría en español me gustaría acer una para mi me gusta los estromentos musicales y quiero acer uno con mis propias manos

@Sailing_SY_Melody 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this good sharing...

@HovingtonInstruments 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks, hope it’s helpful in some way

@johnniecameron8829 6 жыл бұрын

YOUR clamp is really cool

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@yojik_creates_stuff 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video!! the topic seems a lot less scary now...at least , theoretically :)

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Glad this video might be helpful in any way!! Thanks for watching

@sapelesteve 6 жыл бұрын

Very nice work! One thing that I might have done differently is to use Hyde glue for the glue up just in case the neck had to be reset in the future.

@timsmoot5141 6 жыл бұрын

FYI, a neck glued with Titebond (original) can be removed with the same procedure as one with hide glue, just a little more time with the steam to soften. The longer open time of Titebond takes some of the stress out of a complicated or fiddly glue up.

@PaulDesmondimakewoodthings 6 жыл бұрын

I love watching you go through this process. After building the body I would be terrified to cut that dovetail for the neck. I wonder how many instruments it took you before you mastered this.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

It’s always a nerve racking process.. I always allow myself a lot of time to make it.. I have yet to mess one up. But if it ever happened I could always fix it... hopefully I never have to make a video about that;) Thanks for watching..

@lewisworkshop 6 жыл бұрын

Beautiful. Try flipping your template over so the scribe lines are on the back side. That can make the alignment to your pencil marks much easier!

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

I always keep the template facing the same way.. meaning that if the scribe lines are out to trace the neck they will be in tracing the body.. just in case there would be a slightly different angle from one side or the other.. thanks for watching Chris.

@rickmcbroome 5 жыл бұрын

Every body is an expert.

@CMRWoodworks 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome work. It must be a bit nerve-racking to cut into something you‘ve put so much work into. Nice job!

@HovingtonInstruments 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, always is but also very rewarding;)

@electricwally 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you Tomy! Had to search for awhile before I found a video on how to cut a dovetail by hand! Spectacular work! Is there a video that explains how to make the entire neck? Thank you kindly!

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful and that you enjoyed. I have made a full playlist including all the steps to make this instrument. You will find the video you are looking after in this playlist. Thanks for watching... kzfaq.info/sun/PLAoIsxfenTwYWTdxDy6WIon8oNYdaWi50

@hendrix1288 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for making this video! I found it very helpful and inspiring for a current project I am working on. I have some building videos I'd like to make myself. If you don't mind me asking, what type of camera / mic setup do you use? Your video and sound quality are very nice

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Glad you found this video helpful.. that’s always nice to hear.. I use a Canon DSLR T5i. I don’t have a mic other than the one in the camera. My very first build videos were made with my IPhone. The upgrade made a big difference.

@JoelWetzel 4 жыл бұрын

Greetings, and thank you for this video. Are dovetail neck joints suitable for flat-top acoustics and solid-body electrics as well. Put another way, if I master this type of neck joint are there luthier applications where it's not the best or badly suited? Peace.

@HovingtonInstruments 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Joel, Flat top use dovetail also. But they do have other options like a bolted neck. Most archtop use dovetail like this one ( tapered) and also like in my Mandocello neck dovetail video ( straight). For electric the bolt on fender style seems to be a favourite but lots of options here. You can run your neck material all the way down to the tail end or, like an es-335 a tenon style. I would use a dovetail joint on an electric.

@mwj5368 4 жыл бұрын

very nice of you to create such a great video? How is the Martin Guitar dovetail neck joint so unique and renowned? How is your design and technique different than Martin's?

@57ffjjimenez 2 жыл бұрын

Una union en cola de milano, a mano es critico si no tienes experiencia te puede volver loco, en caso de error como se corrige si te as pasado con el ajuste y el mastil queda suelto o lo tienes que desechar ? gracias por tus videos

@peterpetrusa3131 6 жыл бұрын

Beautiful work. I admire your patience and extreme attention to detail. How did you make the dovetail plexiglass template? I tried to make my own, but am not happy with the outcome

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

I trace the heel of the neck down and made a triangle from it on paper. then I put a line down the same distance as how deep the dovetail will be. this line then becomes the top of the template. just have to add the dovetail line again and where you want it to stop. Hope this helps!

@peterpetrusa3131 6 жыл бұрын

Yes it does. Thanks. What type of plexiglass do you sue and how do you cut it?

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

P Petrusa I use lexan about 1/8 thick. I cut it on the band saw with a 3/16 6 tpi blade.

@1777DK 4 жыл бұрын

This video is awesome. Would you consider selling a PDF version, of only the template?

@HovingtonInstruments 4 жыл бұрын

the template information is part of the Drawing I made available and unfortunately I am not selling them separately. I am sure you can appreciate the time involved in just creating this template and video on how to use it. For this reason I feel that the asking price for the whole PDF is very well priced and gives more than one template. I do appreciate your interest and if you want to have a second look at the PDF drawings for the Octave Mandolin I will leave a link here.. thanks www.hovingtoninstruments.com/store/p11/OctaveMandolinPDF.html

@liliansaelens3026 Жыл бұрын

Did you transfer the body angle to the neck block before cutting the dovetail?

@adamfox9442 6 жыл бұрын

Awesome work. I always enjoy watching your content. Couple of things I’m curious about....What kind of chisel are you using to fit the neck? It appears to be a one piece steel chisel. Why yellow glue vs hide glue?

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

The chisel was my fathers and I got it when he passed. Nothing fancy about it , I just like to used the tools I have from him.. the glue, there are many different glue out there and depending what you prefer you’ll be using a certain glue. Hide glue is a very good glue the same for AR glue. I just prefer using the AR personally.. glad you enjoyed the video!

@il_chris Жыл бұрын

it can also work for a guitar?

@Riffme81 6 жыл бұрын

Great video. What chisel are you using?

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I use those chisel because they used to be my fathers chisel. They are framer ,Craftman chisel with a steel handle.. Nothing special really, except for me.. Thanks for watching...

@larscw74 6 жыл бұрын

So how to you control the neck angle from this point as it's all manual labor?

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Hi Lars, the neck angle was established when building the neck. I cut a 6 degree angle at the back of the heel. The second part is to keep the tail Part of the joint ( in the body) 90 degrees.. you can do this by measuring from the face like I did when it was 3/4”. So when they get together they will create the proper angle. If you need to move side to side, you remove wood on the pin ( neck) on the side you want the neck to move towards.

@expatluthierinthephilippin6441 5 жыл бұрын

Tomy - Great video. What is the ratio of the dovetail you use and do you think it matters?

@HovingtonInstruments 5 жыл бұрын

I used a 1:5 on this build only because of the taper of the backboard at the heel. The height was minimal. Does it matter? Well, I believe what matters is to have as much material from the neck in the neck block as possible. So on a wider instrument I would use a 1:6, maybe even 1:8 . I’m not set on a particular ratio. I just make the dovetail in that way to maximize the integrity of the neck side without compromising the neck block .

@expatluthierinthephilippin6441 5 жыл бұрын

Great thanks. In general woodworking the usual answer is that the dovetail ratio is based on esthetics. But what you say makes sense - to use as much neck material as you can.@@HovingtonInstruments

@hobiecat901 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Tomy, How do you know what size to make your Template? You did not give any information on the length or width of your plexiglass Templet. I certainly enjoyed watching your workmanship. Very nice indeed.

@HovingtonInstruments 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Russell, all the information including the template are on the Octave Mandolin blueprints available on my website. Thanks for your interest and feedback. www.hovingtoninstruments.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

@axelekedahl4340 6 жыл бұрын

Great video! What dimensions is the dovetail template?

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Axel, I have all the details of all jigs on my PDF blueprint. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mJ1ijL2SpqyRh3k.html. Thanks for watching

@robwalton7749 6 жыл бұрын

The reason for the 1/8" gap when you did your first fit was that you aligned your template with the edge of raised section of the top and not the edge of the binding, as it should have been. Other than that, a fabulous video. Thank you.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Rob! But if you look again at 3:50 ish I’m explaining that point and use the edge of the binding and not the top of the raised section. I got the extra 1/8 by cutting on the inside of the line on the body and outside of the line on the neck heel...

@robwalton7749 6 жыл бұрын

Ooooops sorry. My humblest apologies, great video.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

No worries! No apology needed... I actually had to go back and watch, for a bref second I thought I had screwed up ... :)

@felialfonso 2 жыл бұрын

Very good video. Could you put the measurements of the insole? I don't speak English and I don't know if you expressed them

@HovingtonInstruments 2 жыл бұрын

The template is part of the octave mandolin blueprints on my website www.hovingtoninstruments.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html Thanks for your interest

@jimhuskins8506 6 жыл бұрын

Hello Tomy, Thanks again for this series. It's marvelous, and I would love to build one. Do you sell your plans? This instrument is similar to the one Sarah Jarosz plays. Your work is gorgeous.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you Jim... I’m making changes at the moment to the prints as I go along.. the fact being that it’s the first one coming out from those drawings.. depending on the interest i might get them made into actually sellable blueprints.. I don’t have the computer skills to do this myself.. thanks for your interest!

@jimhuskins8506 6 жыл бұрын

Please get those plans done if you can. I’d love to purchase.

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

I’ll look at what I s available to distribute and print full size drawing . If I can still make a profit I will definitely make them available. Thanks for your interest Jim..

@dobietoms1463 6 жыл бұрын

where can i print out pattern for dovetail that you use

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Dobie toms In sell the drawings here . kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mJ1ijL2SpqyRh3k.html

@electricwally 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Tomy, I'm building my first acoustic guitar. Do you sell the plans to make the triangular clear acrylic template for making a dovetail joint on an acoustic guitar? I scrolled through the comments to see if anyone else has asked but I cannot locate any info. I also scrolled through your wonderful and helpful website but did not see anything referencing the dovetail template. Thank you Tomy.

@HovingtonInstruments 2 жыл бұрын

The dovetail template layout in this video is included in the Octave Mandolin blueprints. Depending on the size of your neck heel It might work. But I cannot say it will 100% What prints are you following for your build? Odd that this isn’t included..

@chrisn527 2 жыл бұрын

@@HovingtonInstruments I am looking to replace a broken neck on a vintage archtop,,, How would I get a formula for the template so if I bought a blank neck I could cut the dovetail to correct specs. Thank you so much

@HovingtonInstruments 2 жыл бұрын

@@chrisn527 my best guess without seeing the instrument in question would be to use the neck dovetail angle viewed from the top to dictate the actual triangle. Then the first line of the triangle would be the actual depth of the dovetail inside the neck block. From this you should be able to recreate the proper angles the same way I did in this video. Hope this helps

@chrisblenkinsopp8588 3 жыл бұрын

What are the measurements for the acrylic jig?????

@HovingtonInstruments 3 жыл бұрын

The acrylic jig is part of the Octave mandolin blueprints available on my website . Thanks for your interest.. www.hovingtoninstruments.com/store/p11/OctaveMandolinPDF.html

@il_chris Жыл бұрын

can you send me the file to print to create the plexiglass shape?

@HovingtonInstruments Жыл бұрын

Hi Christian, the template is on this drawing. Thanks for your interest www.hovingtoninstruments.com/store/p11/OctaveMandolinPDF.html

@NeverTalkToCops1 5 жыл бұрын

Nice work, thanks. Thing is, the point of most dovetail neck joints is to bolt them to the body, not glue them. Gluing the joint has no advantages over a Spanish heel method, save for the minor luxury of easier binding attachment since the neck is not in the way when you install the binding. Bolt on necks allow for neck angle adjustment with shims, if necessary.

@somedude3601 4 жыл бұрын

Dovetail neck joints are almost always glued, mortise and tenon neck joints are almost always bolted on

@amanthatthinks Жыл бұрын

@@somedude3601 he's such an idiot that he couldn't comprehend that a dovetail joint cannot be adjusted without removing the material 🤣

@hewanternak123 4 жыл бұрын

Subscribe. Thanks for sharing

@HovingtonInstruments 4 жыл бұрын

Welcome aboard Olen 👍

@genethornhill218 Жыл бұрын

Where are the measurements for the template

@HovingtonInstruments Жыл бұрын

Hey, the template is part of the drawing that you can get on my website. www.hovingtoninstruments.com/store/p11/OctaveMandolinPDF.html Cheers

@samanthakumara8644 4 жыл бұрын

Pls give me sizes

@HovingtonInstruments 4 жыл бұрын

All the sizes and layout are available on the blueprints and can be obtained following this link. Thanks for your interest www.hovingtoninstruments.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

@bishlap 6 жыл бұрын

Lookin' thru a glass onion...

@HovingtonInstruments 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching.

@wolflahti412 4 жыл бұрын

You begin by saying you'll show how to make the template, but all you do is cut out a shape and scribe lines that have already been laid down. What are the dimensions, angles, and other measurements? In using the template, the scribed lines should be adjacent the material to be marked, not on top of the template, which can introduce parallax errors in placement. You discuss how to adjust for skew and twist of the neck, but how do you determine and establish the neck's break angle? Cutting and chiseling the way shown makes it seem a matter of luck in getting the neck angle correct.

@HovingtonInstruments 4 жыл бұрын

Wolf Lahti all of the dimensions, break angle etc... are on the full size print available on my website. Template layouts too. www.hovingtoninstruments.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html