Cutting The Fretboard After It's Been Glued To The Neck

[Hey]

It seems like everyone recommends cutting the slots in a fretboard while the board is still loose, then gluing it to the neck.

Why not just glue it to the neck and then cut the slots?

I can think of a few advantages of doing it that way -- for example, the slots could easily be cut perpendicular to the path of the strings, and then that would be that. Whereas the other way, you have to make sure you carefully align the fretboard when you glue it on, and fix it so it doesn't slip, to keep the existing slots oriented as well as they were when they were cut.

And off the top of my head I can't think of any disadvantages. But I'm thinking there must be some, or else people would already do it that way. So, what am I overlooking?

[killemall8]

the only way that would work is if the headstock wasnt shaped, and the whole neck was still square with no shaping. unless your doing it with a handsaw.

[Hey]

Well, yeah, that's what I meant. When the neck is still square, glue the fretboard on, cut the slots, then shape the neck and the fretboard at the same time.

[Rick500]

I slot the board first for a couple of reasons:

I use a hand saw and a miter box with a StewMac template. There's not enough room for anything thicker than the fretboard blank.

I'd rather make sure the slot cutting went perfectly before I glue the board onto the neck (there's usually at least 22 opportunities to make a bad cut on a fretboard). Easier to make another board than to separate an already-glued board with a problem, from a neck.

[fryovanni]

I slot on my sliding miter saw(easiest with a square fretboard blank). I just about always bind, even if that is only a thin slice of binding cut from the blank(effectively only covers the sides of the slots). So I have to taper and bind before attaching. I don't see it as a big deal to attach the fretboard to the neck blank before slotting if you prefer, it would just be less practical for me.

Rich