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Help! How thick are your fretboards? http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=19641	Page 1 of 2

Author:	ChuckH [ Wed Nov 12, 2008 10:48 pm ]
Post subject:	Help! How thick are your fretboards?
My fretboard is approx .270 thick in the middle. When I was shaping the nut tonight it looks like it won't be tall enough. When I put the StewMac straight edge on the dressed frets it just kisses the top of the nut. I got the board pre-radiused from LMI and didn't know I had to thickness it. You think I should unglue the FB and shave it down a few thou? Attachment: DSC04249.JPG

Author:	Rod True [ Wed Nov 12, 2008 10:55 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
Chuck, just use a taller nut. Much easier.

Author:	ChuckH [ Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:01 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
lol....I actually thought of that but didn't know if you could buy taller stock nuts. Guess I need to call LMI or StewMac. I feel silly

Author:	mhammond [ Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:58 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
Go out in the back yard and steal a bone from the dog...... Same stuff, easily worked, nearly free. Mikey

Author:	Pat Foster [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 12:29 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
I had the same problem with my first guitar, built from an LMI kit. I used a plane to bring down the fretboard. Worked fine. Pat

Author:	Howard Klepper [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:08 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
.270" is OK. You got the wrong nut blank is all.

Author:	Cartierusm [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:13 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
Typically I start with 3/8" stock and plane down to about .255 and then radius it and get it to about .25" in the center or a little less. As I'm in a silly mood please refer to the sarcastic remarks I thought off when I was reading this post. 1. Despite what people tell you they just don't make taller nuts. 2. Getting a taller nut does, at first, seem like the ideal answer, but you're a luthier it's much more fitting of the trade to do what you said originally. Steam off the fingerboard, shave it down with the smallest ibex fingerplane and you'll be fine.

Author:	Martin Turner [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:14 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
That fretboard does look a bit on the thick side. The options are a higher nut or a thinner fretboard. Id whack the fretboard off and run a plane (something bigger than an Ibex) over the underside of same but Im absolutely an*l about such things and dont always go for the most cost effective option (in terms of time and money). Cheers Martin Cartierusm wrote: Steam off the fingerboard, shave it down with the smallest ibex fingerplane and you'll be fine.

Author:	Andy Matthews [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:57 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
I know it's a bit of a bodge, but if you don't fancy getting a new nut blank you could shim that one up a little with a hardwood offcut...

Author:	Arnt Rian [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:39 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
...or you can glue another piece of bone to the bottom of the one you have. The glue line will be invisible.

Author:	TonyKarol [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:03 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
Is there not a slot that the nut will fit into ??? Looks in the pic like its sitting on top of the headplate ??? That nut blank is pretty much useless IMO, cause if there was a nut slot, it would disappear into it, not even being close in height. I use .250 or so thick FB's, and always have to trim some off the top of the nut blanks that I use (Toronto - Heinl's, they are about 3/8 tall). As well, it looks like the radius is pretty flat, more so than a 15 or 16 inch FB - what was it you ordered - you may have sanded it flatter than you think ...

Author:	Terence Kennedy [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:03 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
I'd just call one of the suppliers, tell them your problem, and order a few blanks of appropriate height. Like Arnt said, if they can't get you one high enough just super glue a strip of bone to the bottom of the nut, sand it flush, and no one will ever know. Use a narrower fretboard on your next instrument. Terry

Author:	Arnt Rian [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:47 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
FWIW (,and, since the title of this topic is "Help! How thick are your fretboards?"), mine usually end up just under 6 mm in the middle, or about .24".

Author:	kfish [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:54 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
I would call LMI and see if they'll send you a taller nut. They state their radiused board will be 1/4" at the center of the board and you paid $9 for that service. I would think they owe you something if it doesn't meet the stated spec. I got one like that from them and was a lot thicker. I called and Chris sent me a new one. Someone mentioned taking a bone from the dog and cutting your own. That's fine, but two things. 1: Make sure the dog is occupied on something else. 2: I've read that grease can leach out of bone for years after and contaminate glue joints. Sean Barry documented a process to use to degrease bone and it worked for me; http://www.bearmeadow.com/build/materia ... clean.html Kent Fishburn

Author:	Howard Klepper [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:58 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
IMO removing a fretted board from a shaped neck in order to plane .020" from it is silly. I think if Rick Turner were here he could be counted on to put it less politely.

Author:	Bob Garrish [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:10 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
Here's my super-quick fretboard thickness survey: Old-schoolers often like thin boards, down to 3/16" (0.1875"). Mario (sometimes?) uses a thinner board, IIRC. Selmer style guitars have crazy thick boards, those are at 5/16" (0.3125"). Michael Collins can talk about that. My average customer uses a 0.25" board...because that's what I cut them at standard. A really skilled acoustic builder, of my clients, uses a 0.230" board. My largest client, an electric guitar company, uses a 0.215" board On my own instruments, board thickness is mainly determined by where I want to put the carbon fiber

Author:	Michael Dale Payne [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:48 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
[quote="Cartierusm"]1. Despite what people tell you they just don't make taller nuts. quote] Not really true !!!!! I have bone knife handel blanks 1 1/2" wide x 3/8" thick that I cut nut blanks from. A typicall commerical lutherie supply house's nut blank is 7/16" tall from the looks of the picture Chuck is using a flush with neck mount or very shallow nut slot so a 7/16" tall nut blank should be plenty tall .438 tall nut-.27 FB-.04 fret crown still leaves .127" of nut height for nut slot and sting adjustment. should be plenty. The nut Chuck has odviously is not 7/16" tall. So yes most do offer taller nuts blanks.

Author:	Alexandru Marian [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:08 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
Ontopic, if you really have to thin a little of the board, you should rather pull the frets instead of ungleuing the board..makes no sense. The first fret looks like it was heavily filed, why so much? There won't be a problem getting a tall new nut. At least the ones I get for classical are huge. Offtopic but related, world would be a much better place if you guys would start using millimeters

Author:	Michael Dale Payne [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:50 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
Alexandru Marian wrote: Offtopic but related, world would be a much better place if you guys would start using millimeters For you. Fist the European Crowns imposes the imperial measurement system on the colonies. Next because we become very good at using it you now want us to change[headinwall] I mean really!!!! we have to convert Metric to imperial every day in and day out to make thing easy on you guys. You don't hear us complain. So what’s the deal with you guys? Have you forgotten how to use the system of measure you invented and forced on the new world 2 centries ago???laughing6-hehe just poking fun

Author:	Mike Collins [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:45 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
I like Alex use Metric. It's much easier than the Imperial! Try dividing 26 23/32 in half! Or 12 57/64" Or 5 103/128th 1 mm - to 1000m is easily devided ! This is a learning place ! MIke

Author:	Alexandru Marian [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:51 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
well, at least it makes you good at math (( we are rly hijacking ))

Author:	WaddyThomson [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:53 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
I work in metric too. Much easier. Even easier to covert " to metric than use inches.

Author:	Michael Dale Payne [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:06 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
Mike Collins wrote: I like Alex use Metric. It's much easier than the Imperial! Try dividing 26 23/32 in half! 13 23/64 or 13.7187 Or 12 57/64" 6 57/128 or 6.4453 Or 5 103/128th 2 231/256 or 2.9023 4 place round off Sorry I could not resist 1 mm - to 1000m is easily devided ! This is a learning place ! MIke Out of these there was on one I had to calculate. as the others are easily divided x2 but then again I work with 16ths though 128ths daily

Author:	Mike Collins [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:29 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
MDP Let me know when you find a ruler with those measuremants on them -PLEASE Really that was a great post-reply! You have a special talent!! That's what this place is all about! Learning!! Mike

Author:	WaddyThomson [ Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:36 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help! How thick are your fretboards?
Yep, learning is great! 348.455 mm 163.71 mm 73.72 mm Respectively.

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