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| How do you radius fretboards? http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=15173 |
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| Author: | JJ Donohue [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 2:21 am ] |
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I built the router jig based on the Micheletti plans. Check here I have found the jig to be fast, accurate and simple to use. On the slotting side I use the fine tablesaw blade provided by Shane and built a simple sled to cut the slots. |
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| Author: | Colin S [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 2:27 am ] |
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Smae as Sylvan, not surprising really as it was him I copied! Colin |
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| Author: | Kim [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:01 am ] |
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Same as JJ, not surprising really as it was him I copied! 
HERE is a supplementary to JJ thread on Rick Micheletti's jig. I have done a few boards with mine now and found it to be excellent for any number of various radii. It is fast, easy to use and simple set up. But like any jig, take your time when putting it together as it will only ever be as accurate as it's construction, build in an error and it will transfer to your workpiece, every time. Cheers Kim |
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| Author: | Terence Kennedy [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:26 am ] |
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I used to do it by hand and now use the jig Todd Stock wrote up a year or so ago. I think it was on the mimf. The round nosed router bit like JJ showed has helped a lot with chip out. This jig only cuts one radius but that's all I use. I slot with the LMI blade and Sylvan's table saw jig. Taper with his jig too. I now use a better router than is in the picture with a 1/2" shank round nose bit. I'm happy with this setup so far. Terry   |
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| Author: | grumpy [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:27 am ] |
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How you approach cutting the radius will depend on if you want a straight or compound radii. The above will do perfectly for a straight radius, and will be hard to beat, though I don't understand why y'all need a round bit to cut something that is essentially, straight... Some time last year, I has Bob Garrish carve my compound radius into a large slab of aluminum that acts as a platen on my long bed sander. Press the fretboard into it, and it sands the compound nicely. There's more to it than that, but it's rather touchy and finicky at times, so until I have it all ironed out and fool proof, that's all I'll share for now. Lots of ways to approach this. But for now, keep it simple, and stay wit a straight radius <bg>. |
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| Author: | JJ Donohue [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:49 am ] |
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I have successfully produced a 12" to 20" radius on this jig for the electric I'm currently building...very simple. Also...the original bit that was specified was done so in error. Rick has since specd a different one...flatter and it works much faster. |
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| Author: | David R White [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:52 am ] |
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For low volumes it's very possible to do this quickly by hand if you have a thickness sander. I run the fretboard through the thickness sander a coule of times using tape to gradually raise the outer edge/s. This hogs off 80% of the material, and I then finish up with an aluminum block. Less jiggin, more buildin! |
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| Author: | davidmor [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:13 am ] |
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I am like Mr. White as I use my thickness sander to remove the bulk and then use a radius sanding block. |
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| Author: | Kent Chasson [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:15 am ] |
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This works for simple or compound radii. The fretboard mounts to the piece in the foreground with double stick tape (vacuum would work better). On each end is a pattern (same radius or different). The bolt that holds the pattern on rides in one of the slots on the jig. Having more than one slot allows you to use more of the sanding belt. The patterns then contact a stop rail that sits right next to the belt.
This is how it looks in use.
If you don't have an edge sander, this same concept can be made to work on a jointer. |
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| Author: | SStallings [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:28 am ] |
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Elbow grease with a radiused sanding block. An ebony fret board takes 15-20 minutes. For someone like me that tries to make 2 or 3 guitars a year, can do a few years supply of fret boards in the time it takes to make most of the jigs. |
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| Author: | Louis Freilicher [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:40 am ] |
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I use my old #8 jointer plane to do most of the work and finish up with sandpaper stuck to a cut down #7 plane body. Louis |
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| Author: | Wes McMillian [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 7:02 am ] |
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Good timing, as I planned on building a compound radius jig, probably today or tomorrow. One that uses a router and a swinging carriage like I've seen several use - John How, I think, uses one and Mario used to use one. Curius about the new setup, though. I'll be watching this thread for other ideas. For a straight radius, I've used sandpaper stuck inside a piece of 30" pipe. Seriously. Gives a nice 15" radius. Hey, you use whatcha got. Like old car hoods for top radius, huh Mario? |
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| Author: | JJ Donohue [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 7:19 am ] |
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[QUOTE=fmorelli] I have the Micheletti plans, and was planning to make that with a few small modifications. JJ - you mention Rick is now specifying a different bit. Can you post what that is? Thanks, Filippo p.s. It's great to see what people are doing with the jigs, especially since the ideas carry over to other things ...[/QUOTE] It's been changed to a 3/4" Core Box Bit. I found one at Rockler... #90946. Check here It works much better than the wrong bit and takes off more stock with fewer passes 
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| Author: | erikbojerik [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 8:14 am ] |
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[QUOTE=Kent Chasson]This works for simple or compound radii.[/QUOTE] Kent, if that's all that meets the eye there, I don't think this will quite work for a standard compound if you simply put a different radius pattern on each end and have the end-bolts aligned on a single axis. I tried this, and while maybe close enough, it is not a true compound. Think of a regular compound radius (where the radius changes linearly with length) as a section from the outer surface of a cone; the patterns at each end then cannot have a radius center located on an axis parallel to the fretboard surface. With a cone, the outer surface is at an angle to the rotation axis, and the angle changes with the aspect ratio of the cone. So for a compound, your fretboard mount would need a different bolt position (at one end) for each different radius. I'm working on a router jig that will do this, but there are still a few small bugs. |
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| Author: | Kent Chasson [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:01 am ] |
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Erik, to be honest, I'm not sure if this gives me a geometrically perfect compound or not. For what it's worth, I'm not even shooting for a conical section. I started with the radius I wanted at the nut end and determined the radius that I thought would work best at the other end by working backwards from the curve of my saddles. A conical section makes sense on paper but in reality, given relief and the fact that the strings tend to need progressively higher action from 1st to 6th, mathematically perfect geometry breaks down. This jig does give me the radii I want at either end with a smooth transition between. And it gives me what I'm really after which is a linear surface under each string path, or at least something pretty darn close that has proven to be a better starting point than a cylindrical board. And it was really easy to make, easy and quick to use, and easy to change if needed. |
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| Author: | paul harrell [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:16 am ] |
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Sharp hand plane. Ten minutes tops. Paul |
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| Author: | LuthierSupplier [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:08 am ] |
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I'll soon be coming out with a jig that allows you use a thickness sander that has a 3" opening in it. You just bolt the fretboard down, and then send the whole jig through the thickness sander 4 or 5 times and your done. 2 minutes tops and absolutely perfect. We are still testing the prototype and we are testing to see if it will do a compound radius. It may be able to do this. We have also decided to make is interchangeable with multiple radius'. I'll post pics once we have the jig tested and ready sometime in Jan. But for now, I just use a radius block with sandpaper and lots of elbow grease. This is part of the build process that is mundane, and give you no skills in building, except patience 
Tracy |
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| Author: | erikbojerik [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:13 am ] |
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[QUOTE=fmorelli]Hi Erik, Can you share a bit more about how your jig will work? I'm curious as I was shooting for the Micheletti jig (which I have plans for). With that, you can place radius inserts on either end ... per what you were analyzing. Filippo[/QUOTE] I don't have any pics, and I don't know how the Micheletti jig works, but mine is basically a sled that rides left-and-right over a bull-nose bit sticking up through a template guide on a router table (so the fretboard hangs upside-down). Radius inserts at either end, but instead of rolling against a flat surface the inserts fit into guides of the same radius...so there is only one position in which both radius inserts are sitting flush against their sister inserts...then run it across the bit. So the end with the flatter radius swings wider than the end with the smaller radius. It's a bit fiddly to find the position where both radius guides are sitting flush, that's the part I'm trying to make better. Take a cone and roll it on a table while dragging it left & right...that's basically the idea. |
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| Author: | JJ Donohue [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:24 pm ] |
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[QUOTE=JJ Donohue] It's been changed to a 3/4" Core Box Bit. I found one at Rockler... #90946. Check here [/QUOTE] ERROR...ERROR...ERROR... The above info is NOT the correct bit...it is the original incorrectly spec'd. bit. THE CORRECT BIT IS: 3/4" bowl and tray bit...CMT#851.002.11 from www.routerbitworld.com Sorry! 
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| Author: | Kim [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:49 pm ] |
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Yeah, the correct bit is shown clearly in my supplementary post to JJ's which is right HERE Cheers |
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| Author: | Rod True [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:36 pm ] |
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Al Peebels showed a fretboard radius jig he designed and built in May 2006. Here's a pic from the archives 
Serge built one and used it for a couple of boards with good success, and he was so nice as to make me one and send it to me. I haven't used it yet but am looking forward to using it. It really looks simple to make and use. |
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| Author: | Rod True [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:41 pm ] |
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I wanted to add that in the thread linked in my first post, there are links to plans for the jig which Al has made available to anyone who wants them. |
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| Author: | Dave Anderson [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:42 pm ] |
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Elbow grease here! Love the Stew-Mac radius caul : 
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| Author: | luthier49 [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:22 pm ] |
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Same here Dave. The StewMac aluminium block really gives a perfectly flat end to end finger board. I have the 12 and 16" versions. If I built more instruments than one at a time, I would mechanise this process. 
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| Author: | Bob Garrish [ Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:19 pm ] |
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My fretboard radiusing setup weighs eleven thousand pounds
I made up some aluminum radius blocks, originally to sell, and though I don't use them to radius the boards they're really handy for levelling inlay. The benefit of any of the abrasive shaping setups is that you can shape the board with the inlay in it and save a lot of work (if you're the sort that does their own inlay). The system Mario has, once he gets the bugs worked out, will be able to pump out super-consistent boards really fast, with inlay installed. As fast as Taylor, actually, on the radiusing part. |
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