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Slotting a tapered fingerboard
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Author:  L. Presnall [ Sat May 21, 2005 6:35 am ]
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Okay, so I won the OLF auction for the inlaid fingerboard ...Now, the board isn't square, but tapered...not the finished taper, but tapered nonetheless...my plan is to finish the board to dimensions, then center it on a squared board 3" wide or so, then slot it that way...anyone out there tried this, and is there anything I should beware of with this approach? I plan to use a hand fretting saw, because I'm not sure how thick the inlays are, and if I fling one across the shop, I'd never be able to replace it and have it look right! TIA.

Larry
Author:  crazymanmichael [ Sat May 21, 2005 7:37 am ]
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assuming you are using a fret slotting template,where are you going to put it? is your pin at a height where it will engage the notches in the template if you place it on the back of your rectangular carrier board?

obviously placement on the carrier so the the slots end up perpendicular to the cl of the board is essential.
Author:  LanceK [ Sat May 21, 2005 8:38 am ]
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id consider using a hand slotting jig, one like Stew mac sells. You could double sticky tape it to a rectangular board, dead on centers, the slot it as you wish.
Author:  Dave Rector [ Sat May 21, 2005 9:45 am ]
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When I use my Stew Mac slotting jig, I just doublestick tape the fingerboard to the template itself. I have done a tapered board before and just drew a centerline down the fretboard and the template and matched them up.

Worked ok for me. It's a little more trouble, but not that much.
Author:  L. Presnall [ Sat May 21, 2005 10:45 am ]
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Michael, yes, I'd thot of using a 1/4" masonite board and raising the pin height as needed...
Lance, yes, it's a fine excuse to purchase the hand slotting system...which I'll do in lieu of feeding my teens for a month (they're always saying they're "fat" anyhow!)...
Dave, your idea is the one I'll go with...that way, I won't have to raise the pin at all...
By the by, any ideas why the hand slotting system costs more than the power system?

Larry
Author:  CarltonM [ Sat May 21, 2005 2:09 pm ]
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Larry...The LMI jig is the expensive one. The Stew-Mac jig costs around $65.00 or so.

Carlton
Author:  L. Presnall [ Sat May 21, 2005 2:15 pm ]
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Okay, thanx! I'll give it a look tomorrow...LMI's got enough of my $$ for a while, so it's only fair I give SM a turn.
Author:  Dave Rector [ Sat May 21, 2005 10:39 pm ]
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Larry, just one more suggestion. If you buy the Stew Mac jig for hand cutting, make sure you get the saw that cuts on the pull stroke. Their old one was totally useless for cutting fret slots.
Author:  L. Presnall [ Sun May 22, 2005 8:42 am ]
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Will do Dave, and thanks!
Author:  L. Presnall [ Wed May 25, 2005 10:05 am ]
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SM shipped my package with the template and saw but NOT THE MITRE BOX! AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH! They did offer to overnite it and have it here tomorrow morning though. All in all I'd say, "good customer service"!

Larry
Author:  Don A [ Wed May 25, 2005 10:28 am ]
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[QUOTE=L. Presnall] SM shipped my package with the template and saw but NOT THE MITRE BOX! AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH! They did offer to overnite it and have it here tomorrow morning though. All in all I'd say, "good customer service"!

Larry[/QUOTE]

Glad to hear about the customer service. They once sent me the mitre box by mistake. Wish I'd gone ahead a kept it now.   
Author:  L. Presnall [ Wed May 25, 2005 12:33 pm ]
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Don,

So NOW I know where it went! Gimmie my mitre box!

Yeah, probably means I needed a day outside the shop anyway!

Larry
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