Neck fitting

Well I started fitting the neck last night. This is the first time I've used my assembly board. I like it. I mark the top and bottom widths of the neck, actually mark them 1+mm small. Then I saw the edges and add a few more saw cuts in between them. The I used a chisel to rough out the dovetail. Nothing unusual there. Cutting through the spruce on the top always amazes me. How is spruce so hard? That 4mm chunk of spruce is not easy to cut. Now how does the board change things? When I start to fit the neck I can immediately see if the neck is straight to the center line of the body. Then with four measurements, the projection, the step, the top of the nut, and where the eye is to the top of the board, I can check the neck angle and be sure everything will be good.





Right now the neck is straight and the angle is correct. I just need to keep it that way while dropping it about 7mm. Maybe when I get more experience I'll only cut the slot 1-mm narrow. This is one of those tasks where I need my magnifying headband and some chalk. The small details I can't see well enough, even with bifocals. I always had perfect vision, even though no one else in the family did. Age wiped away my short vision. I fit the neck just like the bass bar, with chalk. When you're done you should be able to hold the violin, with the board, up by the scroll. If you con't feel comfortable doing that maybe your joint isn't good enough. If you don't feel comfortable in your faith, maybe it isn't good enough.