Radiusing fingerboards

downbytheriver

I’m the first to admit this is my biggest (of many) weakness. Especially with ebony - I get nowhere with a radiusing block and I’m thinking of buying a G&W routing jig (and yet another router) to get the job done. 

What do people think? What do people do? Advice would be massively appreciated

davros

A radius block is slow going, but not too bad if you start with coarser grits (I start with 120) and work your way down. I've done ebony and rosewood without too many problems. If you're doing more than 1 guitar every couple of months, a radius jig would probably worth the investment though.

Alternatively, some suppliers have a slotting and radiusing service.

Cheesyfeet

I find that starting with a coarser grit, but crucially with good quality new sandpaper, it doesn't take took long.  The other vital thing for me is making sure that the work is firmly fixed to a solid bench so it's not moving at all makes a massive difference to efficiency

Jaycee

I draw lines along the fretboard at equal distances apart. Start off with 120 grit and make sure that the start of the radius block  is right on the end of the fretboard and when I finish the stroke make sure that the end of the radius block leaves at the end of the fretboard. This helps to prevent a dip in the middle of the boardif you just plonk the block on the board and sand without it leaving the board.

Check that the parallel lines are being sanded off evenly, this prevents over radiusing one side. When I am 80% done I sand the board flat allong it's length using 320 grit glued on a piece of 6mm thick glass which is longer than the fretboard, so it is in contact at all times. Re-mark the lines and repeat.

It's a bit long winded but the flattening reduses the amount of fret dressing at the end

downbytheriver

Many thanks - excellent advice here! 

WezV

I use a massive radius block. It's longer than the neck and has 4 sides with a radius on each one.   I stick 60g paper to it and clamp it in a vice, then run the neck along it in one direction, cleaning the abrasive regularly.  It takes about 15 minutes to rough in a board.

I will switch to shorter hand held blocks once it's roughed in.

Obviously this method needs the board to be stuck to the neck already, but that suits my way of working.

Covering the board in white crayon helps show whether you are doing it evenly, and you can adjust technique if needed.

I am tempted by that GW jig though


Don't rule out a hand plane either, but best done before slotting

Roland

Maybe we should organise a bulk order of GW jigs

Andyjr1515

I bought the G&W after using a home-designed router jig for a number of years.  Best investment I've made for a long time.
It's not just the speed compared with using a block for ebony (45 minutes vs several days if you talk full elapsed time!), it's that at the end of the process, the radius and thickness is spot on...which it never is if I try doing it by hand.

SteveRobinson

I too bought a G&W jig last year, it is a great bit of kit.

downbytheriver

Thanks again chaps. As ever WezV is the sage of the fretboard but I think I am convinced about the G&W jig! 

poopot

You can make one for a lot less than the price of the gw job!!!!

Here’s my wife using it!...

https://youtu.be/cZj8nDORb24

takes about 5mins to radius... 10 if you go slow!...

WezV

Pricing it up for 3 or 4 radius options and a dedicated router/cutter,  I don't think I can afford it yet.   might treat myself if I start selling a few more guitars  

although can save a bit by going for a cheap router.  This one is a clone of a makita RT0700C for a third of the price,  and gets pretty good reviews
https://www.amazon.co.uk/101748-Electric-Trimmer-Laminator-Joiners/dp/B00LVVJ99U/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=katsu+router&qid=1618305561&sr=8-1

I have one sitting next to me ready to try in a binding jig.  

downbytheriver

Well, I’ve ordered the jig and the cheap Makita trimmer... we’ll see. What’s the best bit? 

GSPBASSES

I would certainly recommend the G&W system to radius fingerboards.

This is how I use mine, I've made a jig from 25mm Birch ply with a second piece of Birch ply 70mm wide on top. On the jig where the body end of the finger board is placed, I have a piece of plastic with a small piece of wood on top of that, this is to set the height up the router cutter. The first cut will be set a 6.5mm then the finishing cut 5.5mm.  These measurements are for a 12” rad fingerboard, I will add .5mm to these heights for a 9.5 inch radius fingerboard. One other point that might be worth mentioning, at the nut end of the jig I have raised the centre part by .5mm, this will give I constant thickness to edge of the Fingerboard when the neck finished.

Before Brexit come into play I purchase the new version of this system which allows you to radius wider fingerboard. When I change over to this new system I'm also going to mount it on precision rails and runner, instead of running along the Birch ply.

Before I switch to the G&W system, I used a long bed linisher with a swinging arm above it. This was designed specifically for compound radius fingerboards, ether 9.5” to 12” or 12” to16”. It was a very fast way of radius a fingerboards, and very accurate.

downbytheriver

This is what I love about this forum - I knew I’d get good advice and opinion -and I pretty much knew where it would come from! 

Makes you almost forget about the repetitive threads from other sections! 

Thank you all 

axisus

I've done a couple of Ebony ones. It's a pain in the ass but it can be done with decent quality sandpapers and a radius block. I chalk up the top surface occasionally so that I can see the (limited) progress, Also I leave it set up and keep returning to it for another go during various times of the day. I also swap hands but I'm pretty good at using either hand for stuff generally.

If I was going to produce another 20 guitars I'd probably knock up a router jig like the one above, but I'm probably only going to make 2 or 3 more. I don't have the space or the spare cash for more and I keep them all.

mlennon

downbytheriver said:

Well, I’ve ordered the jig and the cheap Makita trimmer... we’ll see. What’s the best bit? 

Were you able to order from G&W ok?
I tried to place an order yesterday and again today but once I get to the checkout I seem to get stuck in a loop and don't get as far as entering my payment details. 

downbytheriver

mlennon said:

downbytheriver said:

Well, I’ve ordered the jig and the cheap Makita trimmer... we’ll see. What’s the best bit? 

Were you able to order from G&W ok?
I tried to place an order yesterday and again today but once I get to the checkout I seem to get stuck in a loop and don't get as far as entering my payment details. 

All seemed fine - I got a dispatch notice this morning. 

mlennon

Thanks, rather than wait for them to reply to my email that I sent last night. I managed to place an order by creating a new delivery address (exactly the same as the one they had stored) and this let me add the shipping fees and took me to the checkout.  So nothing to do with Brexit as I had feared