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I'm doing some fretboards, normally I buy them precut and radiused. I'm asking for the order of operations. Thin to close to final thickness, slot, then radius? I have the stew-Mac slotting jig with the 25.4 slotting template (hand saw). I also have the Luthier Suppliers radius jig which is used with a thickness sander.

Thank you.

Mike

Yes, that's the order.

We have a contoured sled (matching FB radius) for our drum sand, so we can thickness after radius if need be. The sled is also adjustable for slope, nut to extension for classical finger-board taper.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

I'm looking at the OLF SJ plans. Calls for a 0.094 slot depth. Assuming I thickness to a bit over 0.26 (to give a little bit for contouring), would it be advisable to cut slots to 0.104? There about? Am I leaving enough (0.26+) before contouring? Just looking for a good estimate.

Duh on me I just re-read your OP -- we contour our all our boards prior to slotting. As for depth, if you contour and profile before slotting you are able to adjust your depth setting perfectly, cutting to match the fret wire tang exposure seen on the edge of the FB.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Because my table saw tapering procedure requires flipping the board over for the second cut my sequence is

Flatten the back and true up one side on the jointer and thickness with final touches on the thickness sander.

Cut to width.

Cut fret slots on the table saw with the LMI blade and templates. The first slot is the nut so there is an automatic +/- 0.012-0.011 compensation. Slots are about 0.125-0.150 deep.

Cut to length

Cut taper on table saw with a jig similar to the technique described by Sylvan Wells and Tony Karol

Radius with a router jig.

If I am binding I set the width and taper accordingly and bind after slotting. I have done the radius after binding.

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

I think there are a few different approaches depending on how you do each task. All are valid if they fit well with your processes for each task.

For me:
- Thickness board and make a square/reference face
- Slot board (I estimate the sot depth based on where I think the radiused edges will end up.
- Taper board (minus binding width)
- Radius board (I use a hand plane following the taper and string paths)
- Check the fret depths, sometimes I will pull the fret saw through a few more strokes using the kerf as the guide if I am not deep enough
-Bind the board
-Clean up binding with hand plane to match the radius

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I slot my boards by hand with the stew mac miter box jig. Once you set up the jig, slot depth will always be the same... A good way to check slot depth is to put a business card into the slot and mark the depth with a pencil. Check the fret tang depth with the business card...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

-Thickness to .25
-Rough taper
-Radius
-Slots are cut with matching radius on original LMI jig with matching radiused guides
-Final taper (accordingly)
-(Bind)

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Pat

Thanks guys. Appreciate the advice.