Compound Radius Fretboards

[biliousfrog]

couldn't you make a block like that but change the depth of the sides along the length, therefore changing the radius over the length eg. the higher sides would create a tighter curve & smaller radius - lower sides would make a shallower curve & radius.

Obviously using a very long "stroke" wouldn't work but maybe using more short strokes would get you close?....close enough to smooth things out by hand afterwards?

[westhemann]

no...i really don't think so.

i think you need to set up a jig with a router like has been talked about or do it the old fashioned way with the straight blocks but follow the string path instead of the center line of the fretboard..

"close enough" is relative...

[The royal consort]

Yep biliousfrog got the idea....

my line is there is no real reason that the curve has to go from EXACTLY 10" to 16"

Using a jig like this should get you a good compound radius it may well wind up going from 9.5" to 15" due to the action up and down the jig but I think it'd produce much better results than blending fixed radius sanding blocks and is easier to build than some of the router based affairs I've seen.

[Melvyn Hiscock]

OK, think about this.

You fingerboard blank is uniform thickness.

You have tapered the board.

You radius the board so that the height at the edges remains even and the depth is not altered in the centre.

Compound radius.

[The royal consort]

Hmm....

You'd need better carving skills than I have but that'd be a damned fine way round it....