Steve Stevens

The neck cuts are best made with the neck held in a vice or clamped to the bench.  For the neck, the saw cut should be kept outside the layout lines.  I am using the rip tooth side of this Japanese pull saw to make the 'with the grain' cuts.

Cross grain cuts are best done using the finer toothed saw blade filed to a cross cut pattern.  Stay outside the layout lines.

Once these two set of cuts have been made, use the layout tools to mark the heel end of the mortise at the same angle as the mortise sides, allowing for the 1/2" to 5/8" set back from the back.

The two pieces, neck dovetail tenon and body mortise, now have their rough cuts completed.