So, I am building 50 ukuleles for the kids in my community. I am working with a local music teacher that will be providing online lessons doing all this crazy. Feel free to check out the Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/Keep-the-music-going-Arlington-100258748329492/?modal=admin_todo_tour
so, has anyone done multiple fretboards to neck glue ups? Like 5 10 at a time. I just do not have enough clamps. If you have let me know how you did it.
Thanks in advance,
Eric
Replies
Gluing on the Fretboard
Cross check that all surfaces are flat. A couple of small nails are used to prevent the fret board from sliding about. I pre-drill 1.8 mm holes in the slots of the 3rd and 12th frets. These small holes will get covered when you put the frets on. The holes also helps me keep track of where the 3rd and 12th frets are for when I add fret dots later.
Add glue to both surfaces try not to get too much glue onto parts where you are not sticking the fretboard. Place the fret board carefully making sure it aligns with the nut and body joint intended positions you planned earlier. Hammer in your two alignment nails.
I then strap it down using a strip of bicycle inner tube. Anything like that such as surgical tubing or slightly stretchy string or rubber bands linked together should be fine though be careful not to get glue on the string. I have never had much problem with the inner tube rubber. I held the loose end with a spring clamp and clamped down the last bit of the fretboard over the body.
Wipe off excess glue squeeze out. Don't get too obsessive about wiping up the squeeze out, What you don't wipe up when it is wet you can remove with a scraper or sandpaper when it is dry.
After everything is dry remove clamping and nails and check flatness and scrape/sand off excess glue.
It may be sacrilege by, I have to ask: Do you really need fretboards on these instruments? Could you just cut fret slots into the neck instead? Fender does this on several of their six string electrics. It would eliminate one major step for you which might help with product times (and costs).
Just a thought.
Nice thing you're doing.......
Hi Eric, if you plan the build in a way that allows you to work continuously you will not need to glue all fingerboards at the same time. For example: glue five boards, whilst they are drying (one hour with the glue I use)work on the five glued earlier. Then glue another five and work on the batch glued before.
Or you could glue two boards at a time by facing two necks together, that way you use half as many clamps, getting ten boards glued at a time using the same amount of clamps.
Great project, helping the community.
Taff
a stout board between the fretboard and clamp would reduce the number of clamps needed, probably could do two fretboard to fretboard as well. Pull the clamps after a couple hours and repeat.