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I'm studying up the process of binding a fingerboard. Benedetto's instructions on p.133 of his Making an Archtop Guitar shows him cutting fret slots through the fingerboard binding. Nowhere that I can find does he show how he fills the slots after fretting. I don't see the reason for cutting slots through the binding. Can someone clue me in on the correct process for binding the fingerboard

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

Many ways to do it… I slot my FB before binding. You can clamp the bindings with tape, or make a jig with bar clamps. Miter or butt joint them at the corners. Either way make sure the slots do not fill with glue, a ground #11 x-acto blade makes a good slot-cleaner (before the glue sets…).

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Fret tang slots showing through binding is just too tacky for words...

Fret first, bind over is the Gibson way. Nubs of binding on fret ends look really dumb.

Slot, then bind, fret with nipped back tangs and overlaid fret crowns...best way.

If I put purfling on a fret board (rare, but I do it ocassionally) I put it on a slotted board and go back and slot through it (again) with a hand saw before I bind it.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Ricardo, slot through purfling lines ONLY, as Brock said. Then, as the next para says, "The wide outside strip can now be glued in place."

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Dave
Milton, ON

Brock, do you use a rabbeting bit for binding your headstock?

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

He is only cutting through the BLK WHT BLK WHT binding that he attached to the fingerboard prior to attaching the final white binding that will cover over the fret slot ends.

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Rich S

"The inconvenience of poor quality will linger long after the thrill of a bargain has been forgotten"

Ricardo,

I have built several guitars with bound fingerboards, usually bound with wood. I simply use a flat file and file off the tang ends so that the fret is seated in the slot but hangs out over the binding. Then use a small amount of super glue under that overhanging portion. Never had any problems. Like they said, be sure to remove any glue from fret slot before installing frets.

Mark L.

I've bound all my fretboards to date. Here's how I do it.

Slot the board, taper to the desired dimensions MINUS the binding thickness, glue on the binding either with tape or a jig of some sort. I made a jig which is just a piece of flat plywood with two runners, one screwed down, the other is just clamped in place with the fretboard and binding set in dry. I than take out the fretboard and binding, apply the glue and put it back in the jig with some wax paper on the bottom so the board doesn't stick to the jig. I tap the board into the taper to get the bindings tight and I also tap down on the binding and the board to make sure the bottom of each is level one with the other. After this is all done, I use my compressor to blow out the glue squeeze out in the fret slots (thanks to Paul Woolson & Charles Fox). I just hold a rag over the fret slot and spray the glue out. Works great with no cleaning of the slot required.

Take the board out of the jig a couple hours later and scrape the bottom glue squeeze out with a rigid scraper, making sure the bottom remains level.

Your ready to profile the top to your desired radius (if this is when you do it) or glue it to your neck. Fret when ever your proceedure allows.

When fretting the first 4 guitars I filed the tang of the fret away which wasn't to bad, but since I got the Stew Mac fret tang nipper and I wish I had it for the first 4. It removes the tang perfectly and quickly.

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You can actually it as described above on pg. 134, fig. 106. You'll see the slots cut through the purfling but not the outside binding.