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Here are a couple of pics of my latest jig i made last night to help me cut the taper of my fretboard, it consists of a sled for my bandsaw, 2 hold down clamps and your ready to cut that taper, i have to thank BobC for showing this on his website!





The taper being cut



and also my fretboard radius jig based on Al Peebels's plans that i didn't have time to finish but now is completed, it will help me achieve compound radiuses(sp?) Thanks again Al!





Sergio

Nice Serge

I have a similar taper jig. I found one way to use it better and cleaner.
Instead of using it with a bandsaw, I use it with my router table. Use a flush
cutting router bit with a bottom bearing and it just follows the jig.
A much straighter and cleaner cut

Andy

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Andy Z.
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Great idea Andy, i could have done it also on my table saw but i still had my fretsaw blade installed on it so i guess i'm a little lazy sometimes! Thanks for the tip, i will probably do this when i trim the fretboard to bind it!

Looks great my friend! Keep up the good work.

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Hey Serge,

I got Jiggy wid it today as well.


Makes it easy to join a top and back at the same time. Wedges keep top from buckling while clamps compress glue joint.

WOW Tomas, very clever clamping set up! Thanks for sharing! Yep, jigs and more jigs huh? i hope i won't have to make so many of them for no 3!

Serge I think Andy suggested fashioning a similar jig to be used on a Router Table.

I use a similar jig but on my table saw. It will work with your fret slotting blade provided its stiff enough. I should use mine with a fine Diablo blade but was to lazy on the last two cut and used my standard general purpose cross cut/ripping blade and got a clean cut.

What I don't like about your jig (and mean no offense or disrespect) is bandsaw blades won't leave as clean a cut and tend to wander.

Other than that I love a sled style jig -- anything that keeps my 10 fingers well clear of any blade is a welcome thing.

Thanks Anthony, i thought of using my fretsaw blade at first but wasn't sure about how well it would perform with hardwoods compared to softwoods which i used for kerfed linings and on which i used the fretsaw blade so thanks for the tip, i will definitely use the table saw with that blade next time around.

I agree with you and Andy, the cut wasn't so clean but i managed to bring it slowly to the line by sanding the rest with sandpaper laying flat on a straight plate and a straight fence so i won't have to do that anymore! Thanks!

Nice jigs Serge

Man,The way you are going,You should be finished

soon with this one! nice work!

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Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Thanks Dave, yep, tonight i did the radius on the fretboard and it came out perfect, Al's jig is the real thing, just a tiny bit of sanding to smooth it out and i also cut the neck sides on the bandsaw. i just forgot the dang camera in the shop!

Pics tomorrow!

Beauty, Serge.

Are Al's plans for the radiusing jig available for sale or viewing
somewhere?

Mike

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Nice jig Serge.

I use one very similar, but like Anthony, I use it on the table saw.

I also have drilled two holes near the ends for 1/2" dowels and use this same jig to cut my braces to a 15' radius on the table saw. One of the hold down clamps is in the middle of brace, just push the brace in to the straight edge of the board and cut away. Works like a charm.

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Sylvan Wells wrote a great article in Guitarmaker #49 (summer 2004) on tapering a fingerboard on the table saw. The simple little jig is roughly the size of a credit card (slightly larger??) that has two notches cut in opposite corners of the "card". One notch is equal to your taper of the fingerboard(taper = bridge end width - nut end width)and another notch 1/2 of the taper.

1. Slot the board and make sure slots are perpendicular to the edges.

2. Cut the fingerboard to length

3. Set the tablesaw fence to the width of the bridge end of the fingerboard (substract for any binding/purfling). I like to cut the board 1/32nd oversized.

4. Using the small notch of the tapering jig, run the board nut end first, slots up with the leading corner of the fingerboard tucked into the notch (the nut end is spaced 1/2 of the taper away from the fence). You may have to make an auxillary fence so the jig doesn't fall off the table before you complete the cut.

5. Using the large notch, run the board nut end first, slots down.

6. Now I take mirrored passes on the jointer (one on the bass side for one on the treble side) with the table set to take off as little as possible. This will sweeten up the edges of the board and accurately take it down to final dimensions.

Sorry I don't have any pictures right now...I'll try to post some if I can. Hope this helps.

Hi Mike, yes, they are available here to see under " My new fretboard radius fixture" Thread, if you can't find it, PM me, and i'll send it to you!

Hi Rod, thanks for the tips! For the braces, do you have pics, i'm really interested in this!

Hi Kevin, i know which jig you mean, i think we have it here in the jigs section above. What i like about Al's jig is that it makes the fretboard radiussed in a single session, i'll show pics of the test on scrap and the EIR fretboard i radiussed with it, perfect arches right from the get go! Just a little sanding by hand was required in tiny spots!

Thanks Hesh! Jig-a-thon in Sergio's shop!

Kevin, Sylvan demo's his jig on his website if anyone is interested in seeing it.

The thing that scares me about Sylvan's approach is that when cutting the fretboard your right hand could end up between the fence and the blade.

All right guys here are some pics of the test run and the real thing made with Al's jig

The two first pics are showing both radiusses on the test run





Now on my EIR fretboard



Al's jig is really to way to go for me!!!!!! Serge Poirier38898.5035763889

Well Serge, as promised, I have taken some picures of the brace shaping jig for you. You can add two holes on your existing jig and add another handle if you want.

Anyway, here you go. The brace is a reject from an x-brace.











There you have it. If you need any explanation let me know.

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WOW Thanks Rod, pretty self-explanatory! I'm gonna build me one like that for sure! Youda man i tell ya!