Brian's Guitar from Conception to Birth or How to Build a Guitar in 62 Easy Steps!
40 Glue in the Neck
Keeping all the pieces separated up to this point has proven to be a very good approach. It allowed tool access to certain areas which couldn’t have been reached otherwise. It protected the neck and the expensive top while other aggressive maneuvers were being carried out. It allowed replacement of a single piece if someone (me) broke something (the neck).
Tape off the area around the neck cavity. This will make clean up much easier. I know this is the middle of the sandwich which no one will see anyway, but I have OCD and everything has to be kept neat and clean. Use a finger to spread around the glue and a brush to get into the tight spots. A thin layer of glue is all you need. Don’t go overboard or you’ll have a ton of squeeze out to deal with. Experience will let you know how much glue is good. Use your deep throated clamps and clamping blocks on top and bottom to evenly disperse the pressure. You could probably remove the clamps after an hour or so, but this is a very important connection. Just let it sit overnight. The next day, remove the clamps and if needed, sand the joint perfectly flush.