Sen's Guitar Making Blog: Making the fingerboard

2016-04-25

Making the fingerboard

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Next is to prepare the fingerboard.
Basically the process is pretty simple: Slotting, Sawing off the excess sides, thicknessing, final shaping (at sound hole part), sanding.
I use the LMI fret slotting jig which essentially is a mitre box.
It works very very.
To help cutting, I first use my ryouba saw before final cutting with the fret saw.
I also sharpen the fret saw with my saw file.

The 3 fingerboard blank for #7 #8 #9. 2 Ebony fingerboard and 1 Madagascar Rosewood Fingerboard.

Marking the centre line for the fingerboard. The raw fingerboard is double sided taped to the fingerboard template.

Sawing the fret slots

2 Ebony fingerboard done. For the MadRW fingerboard I still pondering to cut 640 or 650 scale length.

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The fingerboard was then shaped into the standard wedge shape and thicknessed accordingly.
As the fingerboard is one of the factors affecting the neck geometry, I did regular check to make sure the neck geometry is correct.
I also trace the sound hole shape and saw and cut it.
I included a small unobtrusive 20th fret.
As the end of the fingerboard is rounded the fret slots become visible, so I patch it up with ebony dust and epoxy.
Now the fingerboard is ready to be glued to the neck.

I also cut the head curve part of the neck.
This 2 curve will narrow nicely into the fingerboard.
Also I thickness the back of the head.

Shaping the sides into a standard wedge shape.

Thicknessing the fingerboard.

Scraping the underside smooth.

Checking the neck geometry

Cutting the curve portion of the fingerboard

Filling up the fret slot gaps.

Shaping the head portion to curve into the width of the nut end of the fingerboard.

Fingerboard ready to be glued.

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The fingerboard is glued to the body.
Firstly is alignment problem, I use the centre line of the fingerboard to be in line with the centre line of the top and the head.
I use a ruler to place on the top to clearly show where the top's centre line is.
After satisfied that the alignment is good, I lightly clamp down the fingerboard and drill the 1 mm alignment pin holes.
But I have to be careful to coincide the holes with the fingerboard caul which I will be using later on for clamping.
So before drilling, I marked out the approximate marking for the alignment pin holes.

After drilling I inserted the 1 mm wire (handed down by my father who is very fond of using the metal wires to secure almost anything)
It's really useful.
So I practise dry run for the clamping the fingerboard while the hide glue warms up.
When it's ready I applied the glue, heat it up and glue it to the neck using the alignment pin.
I double check the alignment to make sure it dead on before put in the caul and applying the clamps.
Now to wait for the glue to dry.