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Anyone have any tips for masking a fretted fingerboard for finish? I have only done it once. My epoxy filler slipped under the masking tape and I had to pull all the frets and redo them. But I would like to fret my guitars before finish if I can figure out how to get a tight mask around them.

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ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
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Frog tape.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Hey Chris
I find it unnecessary to mask the fretboard while pore filling. I've used epoxy, CA and various paste types.
I tape just prior to shooting finish and remove after last spray session. This way everything stays nice n clean.
Nothing wrong with leaving it on for curing cycle (I use nitro) and removing after buffing but I usually retape before the level and buff just to keep the board gunk free. Works for me.
To answer your question, I use one piece of quality tape on each side using my thumbnail to push the tape tightly
against fret. A neat job here ensures a perfectly clean fretboard with no blowunder. It may take me an hour or so
to tape but it's time well invested. Also I try not to stretch the tape as it tends to contract again later with the
result of giving the finish a place to shoot under. DAMHIK.

Ken

I find it best to check often. Most pore fillers and finishes are pretty easy to scrape away with a razor before they fully harden.
I usually mask..pore fill...check and clean up. Re-mask...lay down some finish..check. etc. Its a drag

I mask the fretboard before I start finishing and don't remove it until I'm done. I use the green 3M 233+ masking tape and make sure that it is well sealed next to the frets by using a small stick I sanded to shape for that purpose. I've done this with Zpoxy and standard pore fillers. I would not do it with CA, of course.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

You might look into 3M Fine Line tape. It is used mainly for custom panting and striping in the auto body field. I have used it a few times on fretboards and it will leave a clean sharp edge. It comes in a variety of widths and will conform to shapes very well. It is more expensive that regular masking tape but you will not get any bleed through or finish creeping under it. It also doesn't leave any residue when removing it. I used it any time I was doing stripes or 2 tone paint jobs and it is really the best thing to use if you want clean crisp lines.

Bob

Thanks for all the advice. I will look into some better tape.

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ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
http://elevatelutherie.com
&
http://ensorguitars.com