Truss rod part one

A 3/16in steel rod will be installed in the neck to provide for some ability to counteract the tension from the strings.  Below I am cutting a 1/4in wide slot on the table saw.

 

Below is the finished slot for the truss rod seen from the peghead end of the neck.

 

Here I have laid the truss rod on the side of the neck showing it’s approximate position when inside the neck, running down the center line.  The rod is held in a curve by maple filler strips glued into the cavity.  When the nut at the peghead is tightened, the rod is forced to straighten, which bends the neck backward counteracting the string tension.

 

One end of the rod is bent 90 degrees and will be inserted into a hole, anchoring the rod at the heel end of the neck.  The other end of the rod is threaded with a 10-32 die so a brass nut can be threaded on.

 

A pocket must be cut in the peghead so the adjusting nut can be accessed with a socket wrench.  I cut the pocket with chisels and cleaned it up with a small drum sander chucked in a Dremel tool.

 

Below you can see how the nut bears against the shoulder of the pocket.  The rod will be completely encased once the filler strips are glued in place, with only the threaded end showing in the pocket.  The nut I have here needs to be replaced with a thicker one so more threads will be engaged.  I am worried this one will strip the rod or itself when under strain.