NOW WE ARE ROLLING

SORRY! I have not blogged for a couple of days, but I have made some great progress on the three Rosewood/Redwood tenors.  Lets go back a few days and show you the fretboard newly glued to the neck.  Now the final shaping of the neck can begin.

See the hardened glue that oozed out of the joint under pressure of the clamps,  and note the need to trim the neck peg head down to fit the final shape. 

First I chose to use a jewelers saw to reduce the amount of wood that must be removed to get the peg head in shape.

The next step is the use of this great little rasp that I have had for many years.  It cuts fast but leaves a very smooth surface.  I use it to begin the final shaping of the neck.  Here it is attacking the glue over-spill along the fretboard.  As I do this I begin a continual rounding of the neck.

The instrument is placed in the padded vise and I work one entire side, taking down the fretboard/neck juncture as well as working the rolling features of my peg head.

Now the neck is shaping up nicely.  I measure frequently to get it down to the tolerances I think best.  Now it is time to do the final sanding.  I love to make the "hook", an elegant swoop of the neck.

Sand and sand, first with 120 then 180, 220 and finally 320.  This neck wants to be smooth, slick and fast.
These sanding tools are very nice to use as they have a long handle that fits into the palm of the hand and relieves a lot of the pressure on the fingers and thumb.

Here is another sanding idea for you.  Using sticky sandpaper, wrap a piece around an un-used credit card.  I find that they sand up to a vertical surface like the neck-body joint, very nicely.  They also follow the curve of the uke side very well.  Give it a try, I bet you will find the idea useful.  
 I sanded all surfaces of the three tenors to 320 grit today.  A final inspection tonight, and I think I will begin the French Polishing tomorrow.  First project will be filling the pores,  Rosewood is pretty porous.