Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm trying out inserting the frets before I attach the fingerboard to the neck. For those of you that
like this, how do you align the board to the neck. I'm thinking of inserting brads through the board
and into the neck (as is usual for fretting after attaching the neck), but cutting the brads off
short and leaving them in the neck- since they will be underneath frets after fingerboard attach.
I didn't drill very far into the neck, so I don't think I'll have any problem with hitting the brads
as I contour the back of the neck.

Or are there better ways to approach this, like brads just to either side, or other external
fixturing?

TIA

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

Gene,

On my last I used a dummy piece of 3/8 mdf and with a pattern bit on the router table made a copy of the fretboard. I drilled alignment holes through this and used those holes with a small piece of 1/8" dowel to align the fretboard. The mdf caul also allows you to rout the neck to the exact shape of the fingerboard before gluing it on(again with the router table and a heavy duty pattern bit). The more shaping you can do to the neck before gluing on the fingerboard the better as it shows you any hidden stresses in the neck. Good luck!

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

I use a very small drill bit to drill 2 holes through the fb and a small way into the neck. One is between the nut and fret 1, the other on the opposite side of the centerline, around fret 11 or so. Broken drill bits the same diameter as the hole are used as alignment pins. I use ebony fb's so after gluing down the fb, I just go back and fill these 2 small holes.

LMI sells a bit/alignment pin set that is small enough to drill into a fret slot; just leave 2 frets out and do this, then come back and drop in the frets...no hole seen.

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Brad Tucker

This thread opens a whole new can of worms ,so to speak.
I have used blind holes with alignment pins so you never go through the fretboard face.This allows you to use any size pins . I set up for 3/32" but it seems to me the bigger the better to a point. 1/4" or even larger could be used as an alignment pin hole.
When shaping ,slotting ,cutting the radius or inlaying your fretboards.You can use the same drill jig on both neck and fretboards to align the whole neck shape process. Truss rod , tenon ,perimeter ,break points ect...could be established relative to the same index holes.
No more measuring required when all your jigs are aligned.
A larger pin size will not shift as easily due to deformed wood fibers but remember to keep the holes and pins short.
I think blegeyt has the right idea.about pre shaping all you can.
I realize that some of you out there prefer to "wing it " using as few jigs as possible but methods vary.
Any other thoughts on methods would be welcome.

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How long is that in luthyears?

Since this is an operation that requires precision and is largely the same on all guitars, I use a jig and still sleep well at night comfortable with my manhood.
Cut a piece of 1/2" fibercore or plywood exactly the same as the fretboard you are using. ( If you have a good centerline you can use the same jig for different nut widths and for 12 or 14 fret necks) Put a couple of locator dowel pins in the centerline to key the truss rod slot. Press a couple of 1/8" drill bushings in where you want your locator pins.



Stick it in the truss rod slot and set your nut width and double check the location of the fret that meets the body. Clamp and drill the holes for the locator pins.



Then line your fretboard up with the centerline and flush with the nut end. Clamp and flip it over and drill shallow holes in the fretboard (put a stop on your drill)





Stick some 1/8" wood dowels in the holes and you're all set. It holds quite securely. I've used it on 20+ guitars and it has worked well for me. I've used the pins through the fret slots too and like this better because it's easier for me to clamp it up when gluing. If your dowels fit snugly it won't move.



Terry

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.