Day 26 - Gluing the fretboard and carving the neck

I sanded a bevel into the wood that will sit on top of the head so that it sits flush with the nut.

I drilled holes for toothpicks to hold the wood in place so it doesn't slip around while gluing.

I glued and clamped the fretboard and the wood covering the head.

I attached the neck and head templates with double-sided tape and I cut a piece of wood to fit where the nut will go - this is for the router to move across.

I cut the excess wood off the sides of the neck with the band saw.

I cut the outline of the neck with the table router.

I thinned and sanded the head.

I routed the holes in the head.

I removed excess wood from the neck on the belt sander.

I carved the neck with a spokeshave.

Day 25 - Cutting the dovetail joint and repairing the rosette.

I marked the center of the soundboard

I fitted the body into the dovetail cutting jig.

I routed down to 15mm deep.

I changed router bits to cut the outward angle.

I fitted the neck into the dovetail cutting jig.

I routed to 13mm deep.

I changed blades to cut the outward angle.

Some of the outer perfling surrounding my rosette had come apart when the soundboard was being thinned. 

I made a circular piece to fit into the soundhole to create an anchor point for the dremmel. 

I used the dremmel to route into the existing perfling.

I fitted new perfling into the routed channel.

Day 24 - Planing the headstock and preparing neck measurements

I planed the headstock to make it flat

I sanded the headstock to make it smooth and to remove any creases from the planing.

I measured and marked the points on the neck for the 12th fret and for the edge, leaving space for the dovetail joint.

I checked the measurements against the pre-slotted fretboard. 

I cut the end of the neck.

I placed a toothpick under the neck, near the headstock and sanded the edge flat. The toothpick has a 2mm diameter, this will create a slight downward angle for the neck when it will be fitted against the body

I traced around the headstock onto a piece of flat ebony.

I cut the ebony on the band saw.

I traced the outline of the ebony onto thin sheets of light and dark wood and cut these on the band saw. 

These will be laminated together onto the headstock.

I glued the thin sheets of wood together.

I positioned the fretboard on the neck and used a try square to ensure that the positioning was correct.

I positioned a fretboard template on top and taped it all to the neck to hold it in place.

I drilled 2mm holes through the fretboard and into the neck.

I inserted toothpicks into the holes to hold the fretboard in position.