Best way to attach a temporary neck/handle

[Watchie]

What is the best way to attach a piece of wood in the neck socket to facilitate the finish process?  Should I use two or more of the pre-drilled hole for bolting the temp neck in place or am I better off drilling a couple of holes and using wood screws to secure the temporary piece into the middle of the socket?

 

[Jusatele]

If you are going use the paddle method,yes use the predrilled holes, I use them for coat hangers to hang mine.

 

[Tonar8352]

I use a stick drilled to match two neck holes then I put break a toothpick in half and put it down in the whole of the neck pocket and screw a regular neck screw in. Since Warmoth drills the holes slightly larger than then diameter of normal neck screws the toothpicks work as a wedge and make the fit tight and secure.  I started doing this after I had a freshly sprayed gold guitar fall of the spray stick and hit the floor.  I have not had a problem since.

I also make sure that the stick is rolled on the edge that goes against the body and have a channel cut where it goes against the neck pocket so finish can wrap the edges.

 

[dmraco]

Tonar...I go one better...what if you are working on a body with an attached neck?  I like it to lay flat when spraying...any tips?

 

[tangent]

Tonar...I go one better...what if you are working on a body with an attached neck?  I like it to lay flat when spraying...any tips?

its not advisable to lay flat when spraying, you will get more dust nibs that way (assuming you are not spraying in a booth)

BTW nice tip about the toothpicks Tonar, I will have to try that next time.  I have been putting a dab of gorilla glue in the holes to give the screw something to bite into, then drill the glue out afterwards.. your way is much easier =)

 

[Tonar8352]

The only time I ever spray a guitar flat is if I'm refinishing an early vintage Fender with the nail holes in order to replicate the way they did it in the factory.  I HATE doing it that way because it is so much more labor intensive.

If I have to spray a guitar with a glued in neck like a Gibson I put an I-bolt in the back strap-pin hole and hang it. Here is a picture of a black beauty with the I-bolt in place after it has been sprayed and pulled down to scrape the binding.