Official Luthiers Forum!

Well, bit of a setback today...

I've been working on the fingerboard, and to make a long story short, I
just planed the thing too darn thin! I'm working mostly with hand tools,
and while I usually don't have any trouble face jointing with my Stanley
#6, for some reason I just could *NOT* get a flat face on this fingerboard.
Before I knew it, I had about 1/8" of wood left at one end. I

Oh well, lessons learned. I think I'm just going to buy a pre-dimensioned
and pre-slotted fingerboard for this build. I'll see if I can't salvage this
piece maybe as a mandolin fingerboard. I needed an excuse to start
another mandolin anyway...

You need a Craig Holden fretboard arching jig !
It works really really well.

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

[QUOTE=Don Williams] You need a Craig Holden fretboard arching jig !
It works really really well.[/QUOTE]

Which would take care of the top of the fretboard, but not the bottom
gluing surface, which still has to be flat!

His is a neat looking tool, though.

HI JAY,
I HAVE A BUNCH OF FRETBOARDS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE ONE I CAN SEND ONE TO YOU...FREE.
THEY ARE RADIUSED 16 AND SLOTTED TO 25.4'
LET ME KNOW IF I CAN HELP.

WALTER

Walter, I just wanna say it again...YOU ARE THE MAN! Hope you're feeling better!

_________________
http://www.presnallguitars.com

Thanks Walter, I like having my heart warmed!! Very glad to have you back!

Shane

_________________
Canada

[QUOTE=WalterK] HI JAY,
I HAVE A BUNCH OF FRETBOARDS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE ONE I CAN SEND
ONE TO YOU...FREE.
THEY ARE RADIUSED 16 AND SLOTTED TO 25.4'
LET ME KNOW IF I CAN HELP.

WALTER [/QUOTE]

Wow, Walter, that's an incredibly generous offer. I'll send you a PM!

Thanks,

Jay

Hi again Jay,
I have rosewood and Ebony wood FB's.
Some are 24.9" sacale too!
Let me know what you are using.

Thanks again,
walter

For flattening the bottom, there's always the old standby 'piece of sandpaper stuck to a flat surface' trick, if the plane's being annoying...

[QUOTE=Mattia Valente] For flattening the bottom, there's always the old standby 'piece of sandpaper stuck to a flat surface' trick, if the plane's being annoying...[/QUOTE]

Mattia, Isn't it true though that you get a better surface by planing?

Oh, and what about the shwoosh of the plane and the cute curley shavings! Boy you change your mind a lot!

Sorry, couldn't resist, Steve

[QUOTE=sfbrown] [QUOTE=Mattia Valente] For flattening the bottom, there's always the old standby 'piece of sandpaper stuck to a flat surface' trick, if the plane's being annoying...[/QUOTE]

Mattia, Isn't it true though that you get a better surface by planing?

Oh, and what about the shwoosh of the plane and the cute curley shavings! Boy you change your mind a lot!

Sorry, couldn't resist, Steve [/QUOTE]




It is, you do, but sometimes, y'know, if your plane's not sharp enough, or the ebony's being annoying, it's easiest to sand level. And then use a scraper (fluffy shavings!!) to clean up any sanding marks.

Good point about using the sandpaper and reference plate for flattening a "disobedient" piece of wood. I've got a granite surface plate just perfect for that task.

As to the surface it leaves, it wouldn't be as smooth as a planed surface, but it should be more than sufficient for gluing.

Jay,

I gotcha beat. On my first, I planed it down to about 3/32 at the sound hole end. Since it was for me and I had already made a ton of mistakes on this guitar. I went ahead and used it. It looks OK except for being thin and I don't think it has affected the sound. By the way, I don't show this guitar to anyone.

A possible option (when Walter runs out of wood!), would be to make an appropriate neck-long shim of a compatible hardwood, glue it under the fingerboard, and bind that puppy!