Glue the head plates to the front and back of the headstock.  These add a decorative touch, and also significantly stiffen the headstock. 

Lay the neck blank top down on a tapered jib and plane the back with a Wagner Safe-T-Planer chucked in a drill press.  This will taper the back of the neck to the correct dimensions.

Smooth the transition from the headstock to the neck with a rasp and sandpaper.