Official Luthiers Forum!

Enhanced Fretboard Template Jig

Hi Folks!

Brock, Steve Zigenfuss, and I have been talking, thinking and prototyping a series of jigs which are either completely new ideas or enhancements to items we all use.

It is hard for us to justify having just a couple of these machined for our own personal use, so we have decided to dip our toe in the water and see if there is an interest in having a batch of these jigs commercially made.

The first jig we tackled was improving the standard fretboard slotting template. Have you ever struggled with the fretboard slipping around when you glue it on the neck? I have used staples or brads to help keep things aligned in the past but this has never seemed very accurate to me. It works “ok” but I have always wanted a better system.

So, the three of us designed a tool which will allow you to locate perfectly accurate registration pins in any neck either shop made or CNC made. It works with all existing slotting systems.

Check out this video to see it in action



We are going to make and sell a batch of these templates if anyone is interested. This may be a “one shot” opportunity, so if you think these look cool you might want to buy them now. We are taking advance orders and we are not going to make any more than we need. Our aim was to share our ideas with the community and recoup some of our engineering costs. If this works out we may decide to prototype more of our ideas.

We are producing 2 templates

Template 1 – Standard Traditional Scales, 25.34” and 24.9”
Template 2 – Modern Template Scales, 25.5” and a true 25.4”
Both Versions will come with Hardened Steel drill bushings installed.

They are $65 + $10 shipping ($14 shipping if you buy both templates) domestic only. International orders will be billed the additional postage separately.
We expect to take advanced orders through Midnight April 5th and place the order on the 6th. After that we expect that they will take 2 weeks (or so depending on the quantity) to manufacture.

We hope this is something you find interesting and valuable. Please email Brock or I with any questions.
lance@kragenbrinkguitars.com
brock@polingguitars.com

Traditional Scale Templates: 25.34” and 24.9”

Modern Scale Templates: 25.5” and a true 25.4”

Both Templates: (Traditional & Modern)

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Very nice setup, Lance!
An addition to this jig might be a template that could be mounted later using the same index holes drilled in the fretboard.
This template could be used to taper the fretboard sides on a router table depending on what sequence of operations is used.

Nelson Palen

Dang you guys. you always do something like this when I am pinching penneys. I cant see the video here at work due to firewall so I will have to wait till I get home. When you say "true 25.4 scale" I assume you mean calulated based on 12 root of 25.40".

Yes, we mention that actually late in the video, but I agree that is a great idea.

_________________
Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

That is correct. 25.4" (not some of the other '25.4"' scales) We decided to do both 25.34" and put it with the 24.9" scales so that was essentially the "Martin" template and a true 25.4 and 25.5 as part of the modern template.

_________________
Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Nice job! I have used a very similar locating system that I made for several years now and it works great. I started with guide holes in a poly template but they quickly got dinged up from the drill bit. I went to flush fitting metal bushings and all was well. You might consider that.
Oh yeah, better take your ring off when you are doing anything where you could catch it on something. One millisecond and it's by-by finger. You won't find rings on the hands of very many hand surgeons.
Terry

_________________
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Hi Terry ,
Yes the prototype has nylon busings, but in the video I mention that we will be using hardened steel bushings for the final product.

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Same idea of a fellow who made LPs over at MIMF years ago posted. I think if you just pinned it at first you wouldn't need the tape but better safe then sorry. Once you have the locating pins you can use the template to drill locating pins in other jigs as the other fellow (wish I remembered his name) used it to locate the board for tapering the board and also for locating it in a radiusing router jig or rather a sanding jig that used a sanding block that he had his son use to sand his boards. I'm glad you all mentioned you were going to add drilling bushings. Thanks for taking the time to get them made up. I'd order one except I'm not using those scales now and I'm laid off and cash is short. Good price though. Just wondering if it would cost much more to have the 1st. fret etched into the board when it's made but I suppose you could also slot it with your saw a bit by cutting the board off at the first fret the first time you use it too.

Perfect!
TJK

_________________
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Is it possible to see a photo that can tease me till I get home? like I said I cant see videos here at work.

Here are a few screen shots

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I thought of an add on to it too. What if you made another piece that you could attach through the drilling bushings that would locate the saddle with the compensation.
How long do I have to order one? Maybe I can work it in.

Chris,

Because of the variability of everyone's setup, i.e. where you place your alignment pin with your fretting system in regards to the blade plane, means that the location of the nut (first cut slot) changes with each set up. This is why we could not etch this position on the jig...but it is a critical part of proper jig use...

Stephen

_________________
www.ziegenfussguitars.com

I forgot about that . Thanks Steve.

We thought about that, the then it dawned on us that depending where your locating pin is, and how far it is from the blade will determine where the nut line is on the template. So given that everyone will have their pin in different places it made that a virtually impossible task.

And I agree we have other thoughts about how those registration pins could be used. Both in making necks and continuing to prepare the fingerboard.

_________________
Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

You would think I would read to the bottom of the thread before I post... huh.

_________________
Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

"And I agree we have other thoughts about how those registration pins could be used. Both in making necks and continuing to prepare the fingerboard."

Here's another question. What is the locating pin size for slots , 1/16" ? That's what my StewMac template is. But if they were larger you might be able to use it as a straight edge to check a fretted board if you make clearence for the nut.

Chris, that is a good idea.

The slots are 3/32" or 0.093", so they will work with standard Martin fretwire to check the straightness of the neck after installation of frets - but for some of the more moden jumbo frets, I am afraid it won't work so well.

Stephen

_________________
www.ziegenfussguitars.com

Making the nut clearence is something the buyer can do too. I'd drill two 1/8" holes in the side of the template at the nut end. Then cut that corner out and pin the piece back together. That way you keep the 1st. fret pin slot and just pull the corner off for the straight edge. Just another selling point as long as the edge is straight but I can't see where it wouldn't be. Depending on the kerf of the blade used one could replace the cut material with a spacer easy enough but I'd just cut it with a jewlers saw blade and not have to bother with a spacer.

I am not following. the slots are 3/32" so that they match the LMI templates (and presumably all the tools everyone currently has to slot the fbs.)

Or am I not grasping it?

_________________
Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Brock, I was just saying that that the jig, if it had a slot for the nut, could be turned on its side placed onto the fretboard. The 3/32 slots used for slotting are also wide enought to bridge over certain fret sizes, allowing the jig to sit of the fretboard plane and act as a straight edge, if needed...

but it is just superfluous to the real point of the jig...

Stephen

_________________
www.ziegenfussguitars.com

I think that you would want to make two tapered templates for tapering the fretboard. One template would be the final fretboard width (ex: 1-3/4" at the nut) and the other would be narrower to allow for fretboard binding. First you would attach the narrower template and cut the fretboard taper. Then you would glue on the binding which would be just a little bit oversize. Then you would attach the wider board and cut the fretboard to final shape.

For me, I would need three sets of these templates.

• 1-3/4" at the nut for a belly bridge
• 1-11/16" at the nut for a belly bridge
• 1-3/4 at the nut for a pyramid bridge
• I don't do a narrow neck with a pyramid bridge

Thanks to all those that have bought the jig so far! This will for sure help make
it viable with regards to the design costs and also make it possible to
consider making the companion jigs Brock was referring too in the first post!

Very cool!

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I ment the first fret slot that would be the nut or zero fret.
How many orders do you have? If you don't mind me asking.

Chris we talked about scoring the nut location with the saw blade and decided that the score would
end up being a whole lot wider than a razor score, there by compromising the accuracy.

We have a good start on sales, but we need to move more to be sure!

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com