Headstock veneer flamed maple 110x190x5mm

Working with head veneer
The processing of head veneer can be done in several ways. You can first glue and then saw, or first saw both or 1 of the parts and then glue. This is how we do it:

Make your plan.
1)      How thick do you want your veneer? Take into account the total thickness of your headstock and the minimum and maximum setting of your tuners. The rest is a matter of taste.
2)      On it or in it? Can you stick your veneer on top of your headstock, or do your tuners get too high? The eye of your tuner should preferably not exceed your nut height. The string wraps around the pin under the eye and then certainly will be set lower than your nut slot, giving you a nice string tension. Maybe it is necessary to first make the right thickness for your headstock and remove material from the top.
3)      Your nut. Usually your headstock sets against your nut. They are in a corner with respect to each other and you have to keep this in mind with your preparation and cutting of the veneer.

The base
1)      Make your headstock base in the required thickness. Remove from the top as much height as the head veneer is thick. A little less is allowed, but make sure that your tuners do not get too high. You can use a router to remove the material from the top. Secure your headstock, eg in a workbench and clamp 2 slats that are equally high on either side of your headstock. These are the support points for your router. Set the depth and cut everything away right to the nut slot. You can of course also use a file, rasp and / or (machine) sand. Draw a line on the sides to see how far you have to go and check regularly whether you are working straight. Finally, sand with 120 grit sandpaper around a block to smooth the surface.

2)      Cut out the shape of the headstock with a bandsaw. Keep some leeway around so that you can sand away saw marks neatly and have some space to move with the gluing.

You can of course also reverse the top steps. Be extra careful at the edges when you are routing or rasping the top.

The veneer
1)      If necessary, make it to the required thickness. The best way to do this is to stick 80 grit sandpaper on a sheet of mdf or similar and to run your veneer over it. Check regularly to see if you are going straight and are sanding equally and how much you still have to. Change to 120 grit for the last bits.

2)      Create the right angle in the lowest part of the veneer to make a tight fit against the nut. You could clamp your veneer between two sheets of MDF, where you can change the angle by positioning the MDF plates. The top will protrude a bit further than the bottom one. Remove material with a fine file, sandpaper or small scraper. Put your veneer on your headstock and check if it fits neatly by putting your nut or a bar in the nut slot.

3)      Draw your headstock and cut out the shape. Keep some leeway around.

Gluing
1)      To prevent gliding when gluing, you can put 2 thin nails into your headstock and cut just above the wood with a pair of pliers. Hit the nails diagonally opposite each other and avoid the positions of the tuner holes. Position your veneer and press it on the nails so that you have the nail tips in the bottom of your veneer.

2)      Then make the surfaces to be glued dust and grease free.

3)      Lubricate with wood glue such as Titebond, place the parts together and position with the help of the nails. Clamp well and allow to dry.

Finish
After 12 hours the glue has set and you can loosen the clamps and finish the sides.

Logo engraving?
If you want to engrave your logo in the headstock, upload your design with your logo and the centerline. Make sure to provide a design with sharp black lines and upload your illustrator .ai or .pdf file with your order.