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Surgical tubing works also.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

I think that Kathy Matsushita make little holes in a couple of fret slots and drives little naills in there so the fretboard doesn't shift while glueing. I love Michael and Colin's way of clamping the fretboard to the neck, it looks like an easy and quick solution.

Rather than pins, does anyone use the method where you staple into the neck surface (not too deep) and then clip off the top leaving a sharp stub, then carefully positioning the FB and pressing down? I have seen it somewhere, but I have yet to try it. Obvously, they are left in and placement would be very important.

Heshtone,

Tiger myrtle fretboard binding too?

Man, that's gonna look good

Can't wait...

Dude, that is so nice, and with that black gloss top, the fb binding will really pop.

Donovan, I've done the staple nib trick on all 4 fb/necks to date. Works like a charm. I think I learned it from Mark Swanson about 4 years ago.

The one downside of course is that there is this little piece of metal in there, and someone once mentioned that a repairman taking off the fb would be questioning what it was for. This is not even an issue IMHO, so go for it, many do it I think.

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[QUOTE=Alain Desforges] Roy, you can get surgical tubing like that from Lee Valley. I think the length is something around 25 ft. It's extremelly flexible and giving and I like using mine to glue on the back and top to the plates. I've pulled and tightened mine quite a bit and it's very resilient.

You can check it out here.

Hope this helps.

[/QUOTE]

Thanks Alain. Next time I order from them I'll get some tubing too.

[QUOTE=Steve Kinnaird] Hesh, that will certainly work.
But here's a pic of how I do mine:






You might just be able to see the caul under all those clamps. It has arched "feet", or runners that bear on the edges of the board.

Steve
[/QUOTE]

That's 100% exactly the same way I do mine. Down to the clamps used.

I glue mine down the same way Steve Kinnaird does. I taper and bind my fretboard and laminate it to an uncarved neck blank.   

Prior to gluing down I clamp the freboard at the desired location, then tack glue little squares of spruce at the sides and end of the fretboard rather than using pins. When its dry the little pieces of spruce easily pop off with a chisel.

Just another way and my 0.02 cents

I have used clamps and rubber bands. I now use cotton clothes line rope. It is easier to get the needed pressure at the edges of the fretboard by pulling on the rope. I start at the nut end and wrap toward the heel with about a 1" gap in the rope. I pull the rope tight with each round and turn the neck as I go. Once I get to the the dove tail, I turn and go back up the neck to the nut. This time going in between the gaps in the first round of rope. I use Titebond glue and I don't worry too much about squeeze out. I leave the neck about 1/16" wider than the finished fretboard, and I clean up the dried glue with my final sanding.

I index the fretboard by drilling and leaving a 1/16" bit in the hole where the off-center fret marker goes at the 12th fret. The fret marker goes in later to cover the hole. I also drill one at a 45 degree angle in the end of the fretboard so the hole will end up behind the nut. I also drill this one off-center to keep it away from the truss rod.

I leave my indexing pins in until the glue is completely dry. The easiest way to get the drill bits out after the glue dries is to tighten the drill back onto the bit and reverse it out. You'll be amazed at how easy it comes out this way. It's next to impossible to get them out any other way I have found.

I level the fretboard after the neck is on the guitar, so I don't worry so much about inducing any bow into the neck. I also use the Hot Rod double action truss rod so that I can adjust it either way. So far, I have not had much bowing caused by the moisture in the glue.

I do mine like Steve and Mattia, I have often wondered about those little StewMac clamps and how well they worked. Thanks for sharing the info Michael.

Mike