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I have been searching for some time now to find a good jig design for sanding a compound radius into my fretboards. I have seen lots of options and idea. I would prefer to use the sander method over the router so I can inlay first and just sand it clear while I radius the board. I like the idea of the Fox/Somogi jigs, but I don't have alot of spare time right now for jig building. I was thinking of purchasing the Grizzly edge sander anyway soon, so I was wondering if anyone has any experience with their radius jig? Does it work, is it reliable/repeatable, etc.

Aaron,
If I were to start from scratch, I would get the sander with the wrap around table, http://www.grizzly.com/products/Edge-Sa ... able/G0512
Then build the Fox jig that I pictured on Chris' thread. You will have the best use of space, the most versatile tool. I am sure the Grizzly jig works fine, but it is expensive in both cost and space and will not do a better job faster. The Fox jig just clamps to the table, remove and you are back to having a sander. Charles did help design that sanderl and had many other jigs that indexed into the table. The Fox version of the jig took a morning to make, not bad.
Rob

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I have an older grizzly sander similar to the G1140. This sander is slightly cheaper than the G0512. It has a tilting table that allows you to sand bevels. An auxiliary wrap around table could easily be made and mounted to the tilting table if so desired. This sander also shows an optional horizontal mounting configuration.
I have used the G0512. It works O.K. but I didn't see any great advantage to the wrap around table, and not having the tilt table limits it somewhat. Why it would be priced at $20 more is a mystery to me.
Chris Paulick posted a video of his fretboard radius sanding jig on the MIMForum (tools and jigs). Looks like a nice way to go.

I just use a plane.

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Woody - if you don't mind my asking, what is your process? Do you just use radius templates and a straightedge and plane away? I'm curious because I would like to try a compound radius on my next build but am unsure of how to go about it.

I did one by making a radius jig for what I wanted at the nut end and what I wanted at the bridge end. I roughed in the radius at either end and sanded in long strokes, connecting both radii with a sanding block and then a t-bar. I had the worst trig teacher, I'm sure he's an absolutely brilliant mathematician but he was terrible with people. I didn't want to break out the hard math for mine and this seemed like a reasonable approach.

Good to know, John. Did you like the results?

I was tryng to decide between the G1140 and the G1531 which are identical except the bench model (the G1531) is$130 cheaper. I had almost decided on the G1531 and saw the sander/jig combo and thought I would see if anyone had any experience with it. I also saw Chris's thread and vid after I posted this, it looks pretty slick, but I would have to dedicate a sander to just that and I don't have the budget for 2 sanders. All in all I think I will end up going with the G1531, build my own stand for it, and build a fox jig.

I didn't have any problems when I set it up. I'm sure it's not the most reliable technique but I think if you take your time and a lot of measurements it works just fine. I made a t-bar out of corian countertop material, it's about 24 1/2" long, rounded off the bottom edges and use psa sandpaper on it. I don't think I'd attempt to do it with a sanding block alone, it would be really hard to maintain an even plane. I was also very careful to keep the t-bar as parallel as possible to the outer edges of the fret board, (I had already tapered my blank when I went to sand it). As long as you check it with a straight-edge a lot it should be fine.

It's not going to have the repeatability of an actual jig but I wasn't too concerned with that as I'm not looking to do production any time soon. I also hadn't shaped my neck before I did it so I had some flexibility with the overall thickness of the fret board, as if I had gotten too thin I could make it up on the back side of my neck and vice versa.

Like you, my time is better spent building guitars than jigs. The sanding method was the only way to go for me, since I use aluminum in a lot of my inlays. I've been using the Grizzly 1140 w/ the radius attachment for a little while, a few months, and it's been a real timesaver. The results are good, and very repeatable. They claim that the min and max radii are 10" and 16" respectively -- this is a bit of a stretch, I've found the max to be more like 15" when measured w/ a radius gauge.
I start with 100 grit to knock the edges off and rough the radius, and go up to 220. The belt changes are easy, as is the tracking adjustment.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
-DC

Have you tried it with a compound radius yet or just a standard radius?

The G 1531 does look like a better deal. I think Chris Paulick's design could be modified to make it dismount from the sander easily (which is what I will be wanting to do). If several fretboards are done in the same session then the set up might only be done once or twice a year.

Four bolts and my jig is off and ready to hang on the wall. Six more and the bed plates off if you would need one. I use that sander for alot of things even a thickness sander for small things.
But like I stated in the other thread here if I had the cash and space I'd get the edge sander. Probably not the wraparound table but the other one you all mentioned. I would go with the fox jig an possibly make it from a hardwood or steel or/ and aluminum jig plate. The nice thing about the edge sander is it also can be used to make a Fox neck profiling jig also like Kent Chasson has made.
http://www.chassonguitars.com/necksander.html

Also a note on the wraparound edge sander is that the front roller is a smaller diameter roller to get into tighter places.
As for the jig you asked about check youtube there is a video of one in action, search for compound radius fretboards jigs or something along those lines. But that jig is pretty expensive and that style has been around for years, I think LMI use to sale plans for it made out of wood.
There's the pics of the bolts to remove my jig. the black supports are made to loosen the top bolts and bottom and the supports will swing to the side to change paper. You should check the end plates for level with sander bed when repositioned.

I was thinking if your jig had bolts or pins on the red frame, and receptors on the sander, it would drop in without screwing anything.

The small wheel on the wraparound sander can be pretty useful if one did not have a spindle sander. Thanks for the link to Kent's neck set up, have not seen that one yet.
Rob

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You want everything pretty ridgid and tight. Don't know if I would trust pins.
Yeah , Kent has had that setup quite a few years now. I saw his first version over at MIMF before OLF was around. I don't know if their library is all the way up yet but there is alot of things in that library worth taking a look at.

I normally do 10"-15" compound radius boards. I haven't tried a constant radius on it yet.

I stick the tapered/slotted fingerboard to the edge of a 2X4 with double sided tape and put it in a vise. Start on the edges and work your way to the center. Work from the nut end. As the width of the board increases it naturally creates a compound radius. I check with radius gauges. I use a #62 plane, but I'm sure bigger or smaller ones would work. I've considered doing this on the completed guitar, after the neck is installed, but I'm scared I'd either mess up, or hit the guitar somewhere with the plane. Get some cheap hardwood from Lowe's and practice on tapered pieces until you get the hang of it. With a sharp plane it takes me 15 minutes of so. If the end of the fingerboard is bound I install the binding after radiusing. I've had the plane mess up the binding.

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What do you use to sand it?

There's no need to sand a planed surface.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
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No facets left? Do you scrape or anything? You wouldn't happen to have any pics of your process that you could share? I'm always amazed at seeing those type of things done with hand tool and planes and the such.

I'll take some pictures and/or video on my next fingerboard.

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