Lowering and leveling neck pocket - am I on the right track?

[hamid]

I reckon it will not require much sanding to level it.

There is some finish build up at the outer facing parts of the pocket which in themselves are probably causing the level to show light through it. Obviously I can only see what I can see from the photos but it does not look very much that the wood itself is uneven.

I always clean up any finish residue from a neck pocket as a matter of course.

I ran my finger around the edge before installing the neck, warmoth has removed the paint from the edges. That sealed looking edge is the clear coat that has penetrated the wood and changed the colour, but there is nothing on the surface.

But just now after this discussion I looked at it carefully, and discovered the reason for that curve is exactly that. Seems while removing the paint from the edges of the neck pocket, warmoth has scraped unevenly and dug too deep, which resulted in those two curves on the side and front of the pocket.

I'm sure this is a rare thing, but I think this means they scrape it rather than sand it. In the future, I will probably ask them not to remove paint residue from the neck pocket and do it myself using a block.

But adding the filler and sanding back won't change the depth of the pocket....

This is a rear routed body so I think I can take it down as far as a 720 mode safely, or is there something else that I should be aware of?

 

[stratamania]

Okay, thanks for clarifying.

I don't think that there is anything else to be aware of. I agree, using filler and then levelling would only result in the low spots matching the high spots and the overall pocket would not be lower. If the goal is to bring the high spots level with the low spots (or a touch more) then filler would not be worth doing.

I suppose one obvious thing if the pocket is made lower than the screw lengths for mounting the neck need to be thought about so that there is no risk of going too deep into the neck and into the fretboard.

 

[hamid]

Okay, thanks for clarifying.

I don't think that there is anything else to be aware of. I agree, using filler and then levelling would only result in the low spots matching the high spots and the overall pocket would not be lower. If the goal is to bring the high spots level with the low spots (or a touch more) then filler would not be worth doing.

I suppose one obvious thing if the pocket is made lower than the screw lengths for mounting the neck need to be thought about so that there is no risk of going too deep into the neck and into the fretboard.

Thanks Stratamania and everyone who replied.

The neck pocket is now level, didn't have to take off much. Maybe 0.5-1mm, still not in the 720 mode range as I still see about a 2mm gap between 22nd fret overhang and body.
It wasn't difficult to do at all, only harm seems to be the turtle is gone. Fret rocker is sitting beautifully flat in the pocket now. I will move on to put this together  :hello2:

 

[stratamania]

Good to see you got it sorted out  :icon_thumright:

 

[ragamuffin]

Nice work!

 

[NedRyerson]

Good thing you didn't use the router

 

[hamid]

Good to see you got it sorted out  :icon_thumright:

Nice work!

Good thing you didn't use the router

Thank you! main challenge I found was to lower the back end of the pocket and front the same amount, the area right below the back wall of the cavity gets less travel. The fret rocker and checking for light leaking from the other side is super useful.
Putting in the pickups now, should be done today or tomorrow, very exciting!

 

[TheOtherEric]

So you used your router?  I'd like to see the jig you used that the router traveled around on. 

 

[stratamania]

So you used your router?  I'd like to see the jig you used that the router traveled around on.

No he did not use a router, he used the method that I suggested at the earlier part of the thread.