Making a finger board

Moderators: kiwigeo, Jeremy D

Post Reply
User avatar
Dominic
Blackwood
Posts: 1098
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:58 am
Location: Canberra

Making a finger board

Post by Dominic » Wed Oct 20, 2010 9:10 pm

Making the fingerboard

Below is the process I use to take a fingerboard from thicknessed blank to tapered slotted and radiused and ready for frets.

The first thing I do is use a clear template to find the best centerline for the finished FB. This may be determined by the best grain pattern or to line up the grain better on a not so straight grained blank. If you use a standard tapering jig on the table saw you end up with what ever is in the middle of the blank which may not be the best use of the wood.

Here are a couple of different arrangements of the FB template to show you what I mean.
Fretboard jigs 018 (Custom).JPG
You can see that this IRW FB is pretty straight but the grain is not parallel to the sides.
If I was to centre the finished fretboard as a standard jig would do I would get this with the grain running slightly off. This shows my template with centre line centered down the middle of the blank.
Fretboard jigs 019 (Custom).JPG
Better to skew it so the grain is straight like this.
Fretboard jigs 026 (Custom).JPG
BTW, I don’t cut my FB to length until just before I glue it to the neck. Once I have found the right place for the FB I clamp the template to the blank and drill two 2mm holes through it at each end of the blank that fall just beyond the nut position and just after the last fret. I just drill through 2 on the centre line of the jig. For electric guitar FBs I have another hole further along that allows me to make a 24 fret FB. You can see the centre line and holes in the previous shot.

The two holes become my centre line and fix to various jigs to complete the process.

You can taper the FB before you cut the fret slots if you like but you risk chipping out the fret slots so I do it last.

OK, I use a table saw with LMI scale length templates but the same process works for using templates in a miter box jig. On all my templates of various scale lengths I have marked a line parallel to the edge. It does not matter if it is in the exact centre of the template or not as long as it is parallel. The templates also have holes corresponding to the FB template and now the FB blank. I use bamboo pins to hold the blank to the template and a little double sided tape. Even if your chosen FB centre line and outline is not parallel with the blank you are guaranteed to end up with frets square to the centre line.

Here you can see the FB on my scale template with 2 bamboo pins in the pre-drilled holes. The TS jig is underneath with 2 long miter bars that keep it running very true during the cut. That’s not my fret blade in case you were wondering.
Fretboard jigs 036 (Custom).JPG
Flip it over and cut the frets as usual being sure to take only one pass over the saw and not to pull it back through the saw or you may end up with kerfs that are too wide. Take the blank/template assembly out of the jig before you return it to position ready for the next cut.

I like my fret slots to follow the radius of the FB so I cut them only so deep so the centre will be right once the radius is put in. The slot may have almost gone on the sides once the radius is put on but we’ll come to that.

Now it is time to taper the FB back on the table saw. A similar set up could be used on a shooting board with a plane. My jig has pins that slide in a groove and that fit into the holes in the blank. By moving them in or out you can cut a fingerboard of any width with or without binding. Measure half the width of the final FB from the pin to the nearest blade edge. If a 44mm nut width is required, set the pin 22mm from the nut end and the corresponding width at the 12th fret for the other end. I use hold downs that run in T-track but you could use toggle clamps or as John has done, vacuum. Make a pass on the saw, flip the blank over and cut the other side. You now have a perfectly symmetrical FB with perfectly parallel fret slots and 2 holes that mark the centre line. I use the holes to draw a centre on the back of the FB for later.
Fretboard jigs 027 (Custom).JPG
Fretboard jigs 028 (Custom).JPG
Next, I take the flat FB to an angled jig that also has pins that hold the FB while I send it under the drum sander to take a first cut at putting the radius on. Do one pass, flip it around and do the other pass then it back to the workshop to finish putting the radius on.

I use the beautiful Stew Mac sanding beam with gold stikit paper which I have just discovered and find amazing. Very very good sand paper and about the same price as buying it from Bunnings.
You could also use the shorter wooden or stick two together so you have a longer beam for better results.



I have made another simple a jig that the beam rides in to keep it parallel to the centre line of the FB while sanding the radius. The FB fits onto to pins again that line it up and keep it from sliding around. The beam runs snuggly between two guides but rests on the fingerboard only. I have found that using the beams free hand, even if I am very careful, can leave a finished FB with a smaller radius at the edges of the FB than intended if you get even the smallest amount of movement of the beam out of parallel as you sand. Its almost impossible to keep it perfectly square the whole time. The result is subtle and is not really a problem as far as playability is concerned but now when I aim for 12” radius that is what I get. I was actually surprised how flat a true 12” was. Try it out and see how you go.
Fretboard jigs 038 (Custom).JPG
Work your way through with 80 or so grit to establish the radius. Be careful with you FB inlays using too coarse grits. The scratches can be hard to remove. Use light coloured pencil to indicate where you need to keep working. Keep your hand pressure centered and check often that you are not taking more off one edge than the other. If you are, place a little more pressure on the high side with each pass until you have it even. Also be mindful that the middle will get around twice as much sanding action as the ends because the beam is almost always in contact with the middle but only on the ends until the beam moves further up. Try to place lighter pressure on the middle to compensate for this and check the FB often for flatness. You can also use shorter strokes of the beam or block.

Once the radius is correct you can work through finer grits as you like. But you still need to finish the fret slots.
Fretboard jigs 040 (Custom).JPG
I used to use my LMI fret saw with an mdf depth gauge screwed to the side. This worked OK but the saw was always a tight fit and was difficult and sometimes would jump out of the slot and scrape my FB. I recently got a douzi with depth gauge from SM and it’s great. Much easier to cut. Get your chosen fret wire and sit the top onto the teeth of your fret saw with the tang hanging down and adjust the gauge until it is just a hair below the bottom of the tang. Then saw out the slots until the gauge bottoms out all the way across the FB.
Fretboard jigs 042 (Custom).JPG
Finish sand you FB and it is done and ready for either binding, fret makers or fretting.

Last, use the two holes to draw a centre line down your fretboard to help line up your fret markers or inlays.

Return it your radius jig to flush up your dots or inlays and you are done.

Let me know if you have any questions. Happy to clarify anything I may have missed out.

Cheers
Dom
You can bomb the world to pieces,
but you can't bomb the world to peace!

Joe Sustaire
Myrtle
Posts: 92
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:23 am
Location: Talihina Oklahoma
Contact:

Re: Making a finger board

Post by Joe Sustaire » Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:49 pm

Thanks Dom!
That is a well done tute, picked up some tips to improve my routine.

Joe
The only safe thing to do, is to take a chance! Mike Nichols

User avatar
Kim
Admin
Posts: 4376
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 8:32 pm
Location: South of Perth WA

Re: Making a finger board

Post by Kim » Thu Oct 21, 2010 12:42 am

Thanks for the effort Dom, good tute and great forum rebuilding content 8)

Cheers

Kim

User avatar
charangohabsburg
Blackwood
Posts: 1818
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2010 1:25 am
Location: Switzerland

Re: Making a finger board

Post by charangohabsburg » Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:56 pm

Brilliant method and description. Very inspiring, thank you!
Markus

To be stupid is like to be dead. Oneself will not be aware of it.
It's only the others who suffer.

User avatar
Dominic
Blackwood
Posts: 1098
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:58 am
Location: Canberra

Re: Making a finger board

Post by Dominic » Fri Oct 22, 2010 7:15 pm

No worries guys. It all comes down to the initial clear template. Once you have that everything else is just a copy of the hole spacing.

Kim, its a bummer we lost so much stuff but we all get the chance to put up new tutes and jigs so all is not lost.
Cheers
Dom
You can bomb the world to pieces,
but you can't bomb the world to peace!

User avatar
Kim
Admin
Posts: 4376
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 8:32 pm
Location: South of Perth WA

Re: Making a finger board

Post by Kim » Fri Oct 22, 2010 11:03 pm

Ah yes Dom tis true what you say, but it was so nice of you to kick it off again with this little number. While the rest of us have been fretting the old (pun entirely intended. :) ) you come good with the new making a double barrel front toward recovery.

Well done M8 :cl :cl :cl

Kim

User avatar
Dominic
Blackwood
Posts: 1098
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:58 am
Location: Canberra

Re: Making a finger board

Post by Dominic » Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:56 am

Thanks for the encouragement Kim. I'l check what is still up from my jig collection and repost anything that is missing. I have a few more ideas so I'll put them up as well.
Cheers
Dom
You can bomb the world to pieces,
but you can't bomb the world to peace!

User avatar
Dominic
Blackwood
Posts: 1098
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:58 am
Location: Canberra

Re: Making a finger board

Post by Dominic » Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:39 am

Hey Will, I sent you a PM about your request for details of the above jigs on Friday but it is still in my outbox. You should get a response soon. :? Send me your email address if you want and I'll reply directly.
Cheers
Dom
You can bomb the world to pieces,
but you can't bomb the world to peace!

User avatar
Taffy Evans
Blackwood
Posts: 994
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:54 pm
Location: Charters Towers North Queensland

Re: Making a finger board

Post by Taffy Evans » Tue Nov 16, 2010 9:45 am

Thanks for that Dom, looks like I've got a bit of tidying up to do with my process. I's been one of those jobs I'm "gonna do" after the I finish the board I'm working on at the time, but never do. Now I will, thanks.
Taff

User avatar
timbuk2
Gidgee
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:14 pm

Re: Making a finger board

Post by timbuk2 » Tue Dec 21, 2010 3:30 pm

Thanks for the post!!
Cheers 8)

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests