I was recently given a lovely piece of tiger stripe maple just the right size for a baritone neck. Even though I have not decided to make another baritone at the moment, I could not resist carving a neck with this beautifully figured wood. Never made a uke neck of tiger stripe maple before, but lots of classic violins had such nccks.
The idea came to me during the night. A way to hold the neck firmly in a good position to carve with spokeshave, rasps, knives, chisels, and the bow sander. Just a couple of simple pieces of 3/4 inch plywood screwed and glued together to be held in the versatile parrot vise.
It is just a tiny bit narrower than the neck, You can clamp the neck to it in most of its length using two clamps or in this case just one, giving wonderful access to the entire length of the neck.
The parrot vise can be turned to whatever angle is most convenient for you. Notice the vise itself is portable, simply attached to a piece of plywood that is clamped to the work table where ever it is convenient.
Just a simple little idea, but I am really pleased with the results.
