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Repairing router tearout

#21
BassUrges said:
Its two pieces: neck and fingerboard. The neck blank was cut to shape before gluing but the fingerboard was still a rectangle. I thought to avoid alignment problems by flush trimming after gluing and wound up with this problem instead.



I may need to learn how if I continue to do this sort of thing. I’ve had the router catch and run away on me—thankfully damaging my workpiece rather than my arms or legs—so I’m apprehensive.
Click to expand...

ok. difficult to tell with the first picture.

practice and learning is often key, but your inlay work is pretty nice so the potential is certainly there. in terms of alignment, i think an acrylic fingerboard template could help you out a lot. one that has the taper and pining locations on it plus holes for pins that align with the truss rod slot as well. i've made the ones that i use because i work with odd scale sizes and larger nut widths. i've never built without one tbh.

regarding tearout; sharp tools as stated but more importantly recognizing and reading the grain direction. some light cuts with a plane or a chisel will tell you which direction works best.
 
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#22
Light passes are essential when climb cutting. Depending on the size of the bit I might aim for as little as 1/64 or 1/32 per pass. I don't exactly measure but that's what it feels like. I cut just outside the line with the bandsaw then do maybe two or three passes to the areas where I'm afraid of climb cutting. With really thin passes like this, there's no "meat" for the bit to dig into as it tries to run away from you.

If you don't want to climb cut, you can still plan your cut to reduce tearout for something like a fretboard where you're basically making two long cuts with a fixed orientation relative to the grain. If you've got a sized neck blank and are trimming the fretboard, use a bottom bearing bit and conventional cut to go up the treble side (body end towards head end) then flip it over and use a top bearing bit to go up the bass side (again, body to head). This way, relative to the taper of the neck, you're cutting in the direction that'll mean tearout will be in your waste instead of in your fretboard, since tearout tends to follow the direction of the grain. I'm not sure if that's a clear description but hopefully it gets the point across.

Also - I cut necks and fretboards to profile before gluing together. You can ensure alignment with alignment pins. I bought a cheap $10 pin vise in amazon, It came with an assortment of tiny drill bits. I clamp the fretboard in position (dry, no glue) then drill down through a fret slot or under the nut in two different spots. I leave the bits in the holes as alignment pins, then glue and clamp. The board will be positioned accurately and no trimming needed afterwards.
 
#23
Yes, valuable lesson learned: bottom bearing bits don't bite into your workpice if you tilt the router accidentally, but, also, this.

I'm going to take the advice given and do a piece of decorative sapele binding. This will look better than patches, and also make any errors made in carving the neck shape SCREAM AT YOU: LOOK WHERE HE SCREWED THIS UP!!!

BTW, this is my first bass build. Because why would anyone do the sensible thing and buy a neck?
 
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#26
I would repurpose that for another project with a skinnier neck, and rebuild. Or else I would Bondo the MFer and paint the whole neck black right over the frets, then level and dress (the way Fender used to do it with clear lacquer, back in the ‘50s).

For best results and minimal bit wear, the board should have been cut down to within 1/16” of the neck blank first. And, preferably, done on a router table.
 
#27
bassfire3c2a9davidmoenkhaus-edit.jpg
 
#29
2F/2F said:
I would repurpose that for another project with a skinnier neck, and rebuild. Or else I would Bondo the MFer and paint the whole neck black right over the frets, then level and dress (the way Fender used to do it with clear lacquer, back in the ‘50s).

For best results and minimal bit wear, the board should have been cut down to within 1/16” of the neck blank first. And, preferably, done on a router table.
Click to expand...

This is a rather nice piece of curly maple, and the top is this veneer inlay.

So, not going to a solid color.
 
#38
Beautiful work BassUrges!

I'm curious on how you prepared that fretboard veneer? I've seen some of your fine work here on TB/LC, but don't recall if you discussed it. Nice approach to gluing it on the neck :). I've been using the RoarRocket kit, and veered away from a technique that required yet another machine (vacuum type piece of equipment).

Thanks!!
 
#39
I went into a lot of detail in the Mermaid Bass thread. Basically I use fusible web (from the fabric store) to attach laser-cut veneers to a heavy art paper backer, and then vacuum-press that somewhat flexible but sturdy unit onto the wood. For a fretboard, there is a major problem in that veneers are not all the same thickness (so, bumpy), in this case some of them are dyed (so, can't be sanded level), and the kerf of the laser cutter is not consistent (so, gaps are inevitable). At the moment the plan is to solve this with 2-part automotive clear, which can be built up relatively thick and will hopefully allow me to level this somewhat. But if not, then the leveling will be carried on on the frets.
 
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