Fretless buzz

[Bruce Johnson]

Ah well, that's probably saved me some frustration. Thanks for that. It'll just be dismal work with the hated material.

To reduce the dismalness:

Start with 220 on your sanding beam. A couple of swipes right down the string path. That will show you right away if there are any dips and where they are. The dips will be the shiny gaps in the sanded line. Just do the string paths; no need to sand the whole board with 220. Keep sanding on the string paths with the 220 until the shiny gaps are gone. It won't take long, because the 220 cuts quickly.

When the string paths are all nice 220 grit scratches, switch to 400 on the beam. Go over just the string paths with the 400, making sure that the string paths are all nice 400 grit scratches, with no gaps of 220 scratches.

When the string paths all look perfect, keep going with the 400 on the beam, but moving off of the string paths, sanding the spaces between the string paths. Go over the whole fingerboard surface with the 400 on the beam, but be very careful to always keep the beam aligned with the string path, whenever you are on the string path. Sanding with the beam off-angle to the string path can put in a fresh dip.

That finishes up the leveling. From there, move up to finer grits on a soft pad to bring the surface up to whatever level of shine you want. For most fingerboards, I do 800 paper, then Light Grey Scotchbrite, then White Scotchbrite. That'll bring most fingerboards up to a nice semi-gloss. Buffing with a soft cotton wheel for a higher shine.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

But what sort of long flat sanding surface should be used? A long section of 1" by 2" wood? A square section of hollow metal tube? I would think that the soft pad would do more to preserve the radius than would a long sanding block.

Sure. I've got sanding beams made from hard maple, 1" wide x 1 1/2" tall, and I also have ones made from aluminum tubing and aluminum bar stock.

The fingerboard radius isn't important in making a fretless fingerboard level and true. The string paths are 1/4" wide strips of wood, directly below the string. That's where the string actually contacts, and that's what must be true and not have any lumps or dips. Making the radius exact and perfect isn't important. And using coarser grit paper on a soft pad can easily create dips on the string paths. Ruining the leveling.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

To reduce the dismalness:

Start with 220 on your sanding beam. A couple of swipes right down the string path. That will show you right away if there are any dips and where they are. The dips will be the shiny gaps in the sanded line. Just do the string paths; no need to sand the whole board with 220. Keep sanding on the string paths with the 220 until the shiny gaps are gone. It won't take long, because the 220 cuts quickly.

When the string paths are all nice 220 grit scratches, switch to 400 on the beam. Go over just the string paths with the 400, making sure that the string paths are all nice 400 grit scratches, with no gaps of 220 scratches.

When the string paths all look perfect, keep going with the 400 on the beam, but moving off of the string paths, sanding the spaces between the string paths. Go over the whole fingerboard surface with the 400 on the beam, but be very careful to always keep the beam aligned with the string path, whenever you are on the string path. Sanding with the beam off-angle to the string path can put in a fresh dip.

That finishes up the leveling. From there, move up to finer grits on a soft pad to bring the surface up to whatever level of shine you want. For most fingerboards, I do 800 paper, then Light Grey Scotchbrite, then White Scotchbrite. That'll bring most fingerboards up to a nice semi-gloss. Buffing with a soft cotton wheel for a higher shine.

I've used your along the string path advice before. I still end up getting covered in grey gunk

I prefer it towards the matt side to be honest.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I've used your along the string path advice before. I still end up getting covered in grey gunk

I prefer it towards the matt side to be honest.

I hear ya.....A few weeks ago I radiused and slotted a batch of Richlite fingerboards for a client. The Grey Gunk was everywhere. Particles of plastic resin.

I know we've talked about fingerboard surfacing before, but there are a lot of other folks following along here. I'm hoping to teach a few of them how to do it the right way.