what is your preferred way of cutting a fretboard. I cut some on a table saw and am not totally happy with them. They bow a bit right off the saw. The thickness is a bit varied, and the edges aren't true. Are you guys using a bandsaw? Magic? Any tips will be both appreciated and followed.
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I usually buy one metre x 9cm x7mm strips of flooring hard wood and saw them into strips for instant fretboards - they are perfectly planed smooth and come in sapele, maple, walnut and cherry, they work out about three pounds a fretboard, four fretboards from one strip :-)
just like everything else, living in one of the least populated places in the country has its drawbacks as well as it's advantages. maybe the local guys can get the stuff without too much markup. I would love to start getting some fancy woods to work with but I need to order that stuff in quantities I might never use. I'll get it right though and through trial and error I'll get to cutting them right as well.
scants, got it.. I'll just pop over to my "local" home depot... 75 miles away..lol maybe one of the local lumberyards will have them or can get them. you guys are awesome! thanks for the replies! I sincerely appreciate your willingness to share knowledge.
Sorry to hear "local" for you is so far away. If your intended width for a fretboard is a consistent 1.5" with no taper, you could simply rip strips 1/4" to 5"16" thick from the side of a 2x4 or 6 or 8, etc. (which is really 1.5" x 3.5"). Unless you're going for a rustic "work with what you got" approach to materials like softwoods (where you could use a standard spruce or pine 2 x 4), you can still do the same with other boards. In some cases, trying this would result in a vertical grain fingerboard (a bonus), since many 2x4, etc. boards are flatsawn.
Easier to go to local home improvement, go to the moulding section, and buy 1/4" x 3" x 24" (or longer). For a few dollars, you avoid re-sawing, table saw, jointing and thickness planing/sanding to get a consistent piece of wood to make your fretboard. Most DIY stores will carry poplar, oak, and maple.
If you want rough cut rosewood blanks, you can get a pair (2) pieces for about $20 plus shipping from Bezdez on fleabay.
John Sawyer > Scott aka Farmer TedFebruary 19, 2015 at 9:38pm
I was trying to find this Bezdez on fleabay.. no love... or my typing is terrible... any help?
Replies
I usually buy one metre x 9cm x7mm strips of flooring hard wood and saw them into strips for instant fretboards - they are perfectly planed smooth and come in sapele, maple, walnut and cherry, they work out about three pounds a fretboard, four fretboards from one strip :-)
just like everything else, living in one of the least populated places in the country has its drawbacks as well as it's advantages. maybe the local guys can get the stuff without too much markup. I would love to start getting some fancy woods to work with but I need to order that stuff in quantities I might never use. I'll get it right though and through trial and error I'll get to cutting them right as well.
scants, got it.. I'll just pop over to my "local" home depot... 75 miles away..lol maybe one of the local lumberyards will have them or can get them. you guys are awesome! thanks for the replies! I sincerely appreciate your willingness to share knowledge.
Sorry to hear "local" for you is so far away. If your intended width for a fretboard is a consistent 1.5" with no taper, you could simply rip strips 1/4" to 5"16" thick from the side of a 2x4 or 6 or 8, etc. (which is really 1.5" x 3.5"). Unless you're going for a rustic "work with what you got" approach to materials like softwoods (where you could use a standard spruce or pine 2 x 4), you can still do the same with other boards. In some cases, trying this would result in a vertical grain fingerboard (a bonus), since many 2x4, etc. boards are flatsawn.
The sticks that Scott and Wayfinder are talking about are called "scants".
Easier to go to local home improvement, go to the moulding section, and buy 1/4" x 3" x 24" (or longer). For a few dollars, you avoid re-sawing, table saw, jointing and thickness planing/sanding to get a consistent piece of wood to make your fretboard. Most DIY stores will carry poplar, oak, and maple.
If you want rough cut rosewood blanks, you can get a pair (2) pieces for about $20 plus shipping from Bezdez on fleabay.
I was trying to find this Bezdez on fleabay.. no love... or my typing is terrible... any help?
better to just google bezdez direct,e/bay sometimes struggles to show vendors,bezdez take p/pal