Very nice indeed. I´m also evaluating the way to keep it in place once slotted, fretted and tapered...
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Build II - Paradox MJ5 - New design!
- Thread starter roberthabraken
- Start date
I find that the easiest ways are to either use a 1mm drill bit and pop a hole through the first and last frets through to the neck, and pop a drawing pin (push pin) through or to drill a small hole in the neck, pop in a clipped tack, pop the neck over to make a mark, remove the tack and replace it with a clipped cocktail stick and open out the mark made by the tack.
You're one for cocktail sticks of course.
I wrote about the very same technique when I was glueing up a bunch of neck laminates. Comments could be made about my lack of cauls, however not having any scrap or stock wood on hand I had to settle for pure clamping. Certainly did the job.
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You're one for cocktail sticks of course.
I wrote about the very same technique when I was glueing up a bunch of neck laminates. Comments could be made about my lack of cauls, however not having any scrap or stock wood on hand I had to settle for pure clamping. Certainly did the job.
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Don't fret before glueing it on
... if it's radiused and fretted it's much harder to clamp it on, and the fretting will bend your board backwards. True, seems a good way to go to me too.. but, I have not yet found a matching cocktail stick or nail: sizes are 2,15 mm or 1,25 mm and so on.. if I drill a hole with a 2 mm drill, it doesn't fit, and if I drill with 2,5 mm it still slides around.. if I find a matching drill bit and cocktail stick with a snug fit, I can get good results.
Another question: do you drill through the fret slots or through the position marker positions?
Prostheta said:
The main reason for the position markers is not to be able to find the right notes while playing (I can do without, in fact I don't even look at my fb while playing), but to extend my experience and skills with a very common task in guitar building (my first bass didn't have them).
It forced your hand, into what?
Tonight I did some tests for the fingerboard. I routed the roundover at the nut end of the fb (I am going to place the nut in the fingerboard, not against it). I think I will hand shape it afterwards, but this is a good starting point. It's going to be radiused afterwards anyway, but this will be done before it goes on the neck. I also did my first ever pearl dot inlay, not difficult at all, but I still wanted a test before I started drilling in the fb itself. By the way, I used gold pearl I had lying around; for this bass it's going to be white mop instead of the 'gold'. My test piece:
(The photograph doesn't really show the quality of the pearl, it actually looks a lot better then this....)
And this is how the transition is going to look roughly:
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My drawing / original design has 6 mm dots. But actually, I like the 5 mm ones quite a lot! So, I now I'm in doubt...
There's very little space for two offset 6 mm dots in the 24th fret and since I'm doing an offset layout, I think 5 mm looks a little bit more subtle than 6 mm dots.. which look better when placed on the centerline. What do you think? This is a test with 5 mm dots:
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Another thing that came into my mind: if I place the dots off-center, the difference between flat and radiused is greater, meaning that if I place the dots flush with the fingerboard, I'll probably sand through them at the outer edges.. what's your advice? Just place them deeper in the fb before starting with the radius?
Next time I will probably cut out the slot for the nut, route the fb ending roundover, rough taper and glue the fingerboard on. Not sure yet if I drill for the dots before or after glueing the fb to the neck. Oh, and the truss rod will go in without glue, I'll just slide it in there.
(The photograph doesn't really show the quality of the pearl, it actually looks a lot better then this....)
And this is how the transition is going to look roughly:
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My drawing / original design has 6 mm dots. But actually, I like the 5 mm ones quite a lot! So, I now I'm in doubt...
There's very little space for two offset 6 mm dots in the 24th fret and since I'm doing an offset layout, I think 5 mm looks a little bit more subtle than 6 mm dots.. which look better when placed on the centerline. What do you think? This is a test with 5 mm dots:Link Removed
Another thing that came into my mind: if I place the dots off-center, the difference between flat and radiused is greater, meaning that if I place the dots flush with the fingerboard, I'll probably sand through them at the outer edges.. what's your advice? Just place them deeper in the fb before starting with the radius?
Next time I will probably cut out the slot for the nut, route the fb ending roundover, rough taper and glue the fingerboard on. Not sure yet if I drill for the dots before or after glueing the fb to the neck. Oh, and the truss rod will go in without glue, I'll just slide it in there.
I press my dots in using the end of a flat plastic rod. That usually gets them flush with the radius. Are you installing them before or after radiusing? I wouldn't install them whilst it is flat...
Thanks, great to see you like the wood. Now I just have to not screw this piece up 
I planned to do it before radiusing indeed, that's what I've read how it works (except for very thin inlay material). I think it is easier to drill straight holes through a flat surface than on a curved board.. Also, the result would be more consistent: it's easier to get dots and fingerboard perfectly flush if you sand them together to the right radius.
If you would install them afterwards, would you still drill the holes before radiusing? And doesn't that give deflectings near the holes while sanding?
Apart from that, what do you all think? 5 mm or 6 mm dots?
I planned to do it before radiusing indeed, that's what I've read how it works (except for very thin inlay material). I think it is easier to drill straight holes through a flat surface than on a curved board.. Also, the result would be more consistent: it's easier to get dots and fingerboard perfectly flush if you sand them together to the right radius.
If you would install them afterwards, would you still drill the holes before radiusing? And doesn't that give deflectings near the holes while sanding?
Apart from that, what do you all think? 5 mm or 6 mm dots?
Love watching this thread!
I wouldn't go any bigger than the dots in your mock-up pic. Looks great.
I wouldn't go any bigger than the dots in your mock-up pic. Looks great.
If you're concerned about the difficulty in locating a drill bit over a radiused surfaced then perhaps just pre-drill small locating holes (1-2mm?) before coarse radiusing (80-120 grit) and only open out and do the install afterwards before finish sanding the radius (Ebony 240-1200 grit). I can't say that I have ever had problems in this regard however it have been a long time since I last made an instrument with fret markers! I kind of gloss over my minor processes because of my Aspergers which also means I forget to take photos despite the best of intentions....bleh!
I installed these dots in a wave over a 16" radius and never had problems sanding the nacre/Aragonite (I think that is correct) we want to show through to the substrate. I think however it might be worthwhile trying it out on scrap for practice.
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I installed these dots in a wave over a 16" radius and never had problems sanding the nacre/Aragonite (I think that is correct) we want to show through to the substrate. I think however it might be worthwhile trying it out on scrap for practice.
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Thanks Robin!
I think, if you say drilling over a radiused surface isn't a problem, I believe you. It might be okay. But drilling a locating hole doesn't sound as an attractive option to me, because it removes precision, can't use the center tip of the drill bit anymore to align with the mark.
Thanks for your advice!
I think, if you say drilling over a radiused surface isn't a problem, I believe you. It might be okay. But drilling a locating hole doesn't sound as an attractive option to me, because it removes precision, can't use the center tip of the drill bit anymore to align with the mark.
Thanks for your advice!
No problem Rob. I've never encountered problems with this before, which I guess is the point I was trying to make. For obvious reasons I tend to overthink things all the time so I can't exactly disagree with your looking into any potential problems of course! If such a problem was common, this is why I would use something like one of my PCB drilling bits to make a tiny hole which the spur of a drill bit would happily locate in. Running the lip and spur bit backwards to further locate itself centrally to the hole would maintain the accuracy.
To be fair (this is where I have learnt to let the clockspring of my thinking unwind) I think it will be a case of diminishing returns. How confident are you in the depth of nacre on your dots? If you have a spare one, file it down until it looks less-than-satisfactory so you know how far you can push them, I guess. They look a little thinner than the ones I have hanging around judging by the photo.
Meh, I'm starting to think too much.
To be fair (this is where I have learnt to let the clockspring of my thinking unwind) I think it will be a case of diminishing returns. How confident are you in the depth of nacre on your dots? If you have a spare one, file it down until it looks less-than-satisfactory so you know how far you can push them, I guess. They look a little thinner than the ones I have hanging around judging by the photo.
Meh, I'm starting to think too much.
