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A question for those of you who fret before gluing the board to the neck:
how do you align the fretboard?

I like the idea of fretting before gluing on the board, but had also planned
on using pins for alignment. I may leave two frets unfretted and put the
pins through them.

Just off the top of my head... Could you not align and drill for your pins first, install frets on the fingerboard, and use a shorter pin (making sure that the pin's not long enough to push your frets out)?

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

That makes a lot of sense. This will be a first for me, and I thought the
pins came out? If they stay in, this is definitely the way to go. Thanks,
Jon.

   I use the position dots as a hide away for the pins. Align the neck and I use a tiny brad, Drill 2 holes under the pearl location and through the board into the neck. you can now set the pearl, this leaves holes. 2 on the board and the 2 in the neck you drilled .
    using the small brads as locating pins you can set them to the holes and clamp the board knowing it is in the postion you set it.
john hall

[QUOTE=James Orr] A question for those of you who fret before gluing the board to the neck:
how do you align the fretboard?

I like the idea of fretting before gluing on the board, but had also planned
on using pins for alignment. I may leave two frets unfretted and put the
pins through them. [/QUOTE]


James, thst is how several books say to do it. Others say to put a staple in the neck and clip off the top, press the fretboard down to indent it, then use those indentations.   I glue mine to the neck, then fret.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

James...Here's how I do it:

1)Install all but 2 of the frets. I leave the first fret slot and the 13th slot unfretted (11th slot if it's a 12 fretter)

2) Perfectly align and clamp the FB to the neck

3) Drill a 1/16" hole through the treble side of the 1st and the bass side of the 13th and just a tad through the neck surface

4) Apply your favorite glue (I use epoxy) and insert the smooth ends of 1/16" bits (or smooth pins) through the holes and into the neck surface.

5) Clamp it up and have a beer! Remove the pins after the glue sets up...about 30 minutes with the epoxy I use.

6) Allow to set for 24 hours, unclamp and install the 2 frets

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

James,

    I use location pins and have used both methods of fretting before and
after gluing the fretboard to the neck. I prefer fretting after the neck is
set and has been in place for a day or two simply because it allows me to
address the entire length of the fingerboard for leveling before fretting.

   I use an 18 inch long radius sanding caul to flatten the entire length
and to be sure that the fingerbord is true and the approach toward the
bridge is free of any humps or low spots.

   I use two pins to locate and stabilize the board for gluing. They are
3/16" roll pins and are located between the nut and 1st fret on the treble
side of the board about 1/8" outside of the truss rod slot and the other
falls between the 12th and 13th frets on the bass side the same distance
off of the slot.

   The pins are short enough to be securely set into a 1/8" deep hole in
the fingerboard and a 3/16" deep hole in the neck. This provides great
solid stability without a risk of beng able to break through into the holes
while shaping the neck.

    With this method, ther's no need to cover up any holes or to leave frets
out or of having frets pushed out by pins that are located directly under
them.

    You'll find lots of alternatives when choosing a method amd materials
for this and one will work best for you and provide great results. This is
just my preference.

    The roll pins also offer a bit of ability to be compressed in their
circumference as woods expand and contract with environmental changes
so there's no risk of them causing any problems.

Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars Kevin Gallagher39089.8816319444

James, i did that on no 2, the same way Kathy Matsusita does except that i cut 2 very tiny finishing nails in half and pushed them through the fret slots with a very small punch, a tad deeper than the slots were, no chance of moving whatsoever. Of course, i did drill 2 tiny holes first.

[QUOTE=letseatpaste] Just off the top of my head... Could you not align and drill for your pins first, install frets on the fingerboard, and use a shorter pin (making sure that the pin's not long enough to push your frets out)?[/QUOTE]

James, I do it basically this way. I have done it by leaving out two frets then coming back and putting the remaining frets in after the fact. But the above method gives me better results.
I also use epoxy for the fingerboard so I don't get the back bow. Jim_W39090.0278472222

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

[QUOTE=James Orr]   I may leave two frets unfretted and put the
pins through them. [/QUOTE]

I've seen this done in more than one instruction book (Jim Williams is one). When knocking in frets put a strip of masking tape over the fret slots the pins will go through so you dont forget.

I do it slightly different. I have a template that matches my fretboard and
neck taper that has 2 holes drilled through it, one in the 1st fret area and
one down around the 12th I do believe.
I align the template on either piece, order doesn't matter, and with the drill
press drill the 2 holes into the neck and backside of the fretboard (very
shallow-about a 1/16th on each). I then take a cross-section of hot dog
roasting stick about 1/8" tall and glue into the holes I drilled into the neck.
Apply glue, then align and place the fretboard's corresponding holes onto
the stub of the protruding stick and clamp.

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Christopher C. Cordle
North Muskegon, MI

http://www.yardsaleunderwear.com
http://www.facebook.com/christopher.cordle

This is all very helpful -- thank you! I was thinking I'd touch my
soldering iron to the pins to pull them out of the glue. It sounds like
many of you leave them in?

I tap a few brads in alongside the board. Why overcomplicate?

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Position before fretting. That is the way baby!

Homeboy

[QUOTE=James Orr] This is all very helpful -- thank you! I was thinking I'd touch my
soldering iron to the pins to pull them out of the glue. It sounds like
many of you leave them in?[/QUOTE]

You wont need a soldering iron. Just leave enough oin protruding to get a grip on same with a pair of nippers. Just make sure you dont lever nippers against the fretboard and damage same. My pins just pull straight out without need for levering.




kiwigeo39090.6438888889

Martin the only problem with your positioning of the pin is the possible truss rod. But one could off set and that would work too.

Howard your method would be great if one were to leave the neck oversized of course.

Something I learned from Mark Swanson several years ago, shoot a couple of staple from a staple gun to the underside of the fb. The wood is so hard that the staple barely sets into the wood. Nip off the ends to just leave a little nib of the staple, align the board and press down into the mahogany. Now you can take off the board, apply the glue and reset into the holes and your good to clamp. Staples stay in the neck, sort of the same as Kevin's and Chris'

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No problems with a truss rod as its a classical. On my steel strings the pins are positioned clear of the truss rod.