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Just thought I'd show off the fretboard radius tool that I made today. It was a design as you go project. No drawings.
Anyway it works good, and if anyone wants to build one feel free to copy and to ask questions.







Any router will work, and no special base is required, only a bit with an upper guide bearing. I set it up to cut 10,12, and 14 ind radii, and will show the setup for compound later.


Al

Looks Good and Simple Al,

Looking forward to seeing some more detail on the compound

Thanks for posting

Cheers

Kim

Al, that's sweet, how did you cut the long slot accurately in the top? Also, do you have the brand and part number of the router bit and the size of the slot?

Really nice looking jig.   

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Hi Al,

Great looking jig! Do you use double sided tape to hold down the fingerboard? I was also curious as to how you manipulate the fingerboard part of the fixture for each pass of the router?

Thanks for posting your jig, Al.

Pete

Bruce I used a 3/4" straight bit and the edge guide that came with my lam trimmer to cut the slot. The lam trimmer seemms to be easier to control for this sort of thing than my big Porter Cable router. For cutting the fretboard I just happened to grab my Stewmac 3/8" template bit, but any bit with a upper guide bearing will work. I hold the guide bearing tight to the back side.

Pete Yes I use doubleside carpet tape from the BORG. I start by setting the swinging table so that the router cuts about 1/8" from the back side then I use clamps to lock the arms during the cut to prevent movement.

Al

By the way... I just got home from a quick fly fishing trip to Arrowhead lake about a mile from my house. I broke out the 2 weight Orvis and caught a small bass and a medium bluegill on some #10 clouser minnows that I tied this morning. My son caught 4,on a topwater foam bug. All 6 fish will live to get tricked again.

Al (still a proud dad after 21 years)A Peebels38844.7701736111

Al, that's a great jig for this purpose, i too am curious about this design and how you get your compound radius, i will copy this post though, thanks bud!

A great day at the lake with your son! Good on ya, you sure deserve quality time my friend!

Serge

I just set up the jig to cut 10" at the nut and 14" at the 22nd, then cut a scrap of wood. It made a perfect compound radius. I'll have dimensions and closer photos/drawings later today.

Al

looks like a winner to be! I may have to "borrow" your design!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Lookin' good! Pretty much idential to Mario's and John How's design...

I Had no idea that this sort of fixture is already out there. I am scanning hand drawings with dimensions. Is this redundent, or should I continue?

Al

Al, I would like to see the drawings. I've seen this type of jig before but haven't decided how to build one yet.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

I've never seen any drawings, just pictures of completed devices, so by all means, draw 'em up!

Please do draw up the plans Al. After buying the fret cauls from John Watkins, I'm sure a lot of us could use a jig for compound radiused fingerboards.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

The drawings and instructions are done. I have e-mailed Lance for instructions on how to post to the jigs and tools section. The hand drawings didn't scan well at all, so my wife the webwizard taught me to use Paint. I'm happy with the result.

AlA Peebels38844.7722337963

Here are the drawings. You can click on them to enlarge, depending on your browser settings:

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4A Peebels38844.8121296296

Al, thanks for the plans. It appears you may have missed a page. Picture 1 and Picture 2 are both radiustool1.jpg.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Fixed Thanks for the headsup.A Peebels38844.812974537

cool lookin jig. Simple and effective (what better combination is there!)

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

[QUOTE=A Peebels] I just set up the jig to cut 10" at the nut and 14" at the 22nd, then cut a scrap of wood. It made a perfect compound radius. I'll have dimensions and closer photos/drawings later today.

Al[/QUOTE]

Al,

That explanation has me confused. Sounds like that would put the fretboard 2" higher in the jig at the nut end, what am I missing? And what about "cut a scrap of wood"? What's the scrap for? Sorry, but I just don't understand.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

Chris The stationary arm, and the swing arm both have pivot points for each radius so that when adjusted to a particular radius, the gap under the stationary table remains the same.

The scrap was a strip of cheap wood that I sliced off for a trial cut instead of experimenting with a $30.00 peice of ebony.

Al

Thank you very much Al, all of this great information is saved in my computer's guitar making files, it sure gonna help me when i'm there on that part of the build!

Thanks for sharing this great jig with us!

Serge

[QUOTE=A Peebels] Chris The stationary arm, and the swing arm both have pivot points for each radius so that when adjusted to a particular radius, the gap under the stationary table remains the same.

The scrap was a strip of cheap wood that I sliced off for a trial cut instead of experimenting with a $30.00 peice of ebony.

Al[/QUOTE]

Al,

Thanks, I 'see what your're saying', but I still can't 'get my mind around', how this thing can swing 2 different arcs on the same pass.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

Chris: with the compound radius, the 'axis' along which the whole thing rotates is an imaginary axle running through both radius 'pivot points', not rotating around an axle that's square to the routing surface. Remember that a compound radius board is conical, and that this setup quite literally swings the blank along that cone.

Good Man Al,

Once again, thanks very much for taking the time to share mate, very much obliged. I have saved all images and this entire thread to a folder named : Al Peebles Perfect Radius Jig

Cheers

Kim