Fretboard Finish?

[Mors Phagist]

How do you achieve a good finish on a fretboard? What grade sandpaper should I end on before adding Lacquer and such?

Also...

When inlaying fret dots, I can use a Drill press to create the cavity that the dots go into, correct?

Ok, Thanks.

What does Fender do for Squier strat Rosewood Fretboards? Do they just have the raw wood, or do they lacquer it?

Edited April 14, 2010 by Mors Phagist

[avengers63]

...before adding Lacquer...

This suggests you intend to do a maple (or other light colored wood) fretboard. The primary purpose of sandpaper is to remove the marks left from the machines used to shape the wood. This applies doubly so when applying a film finish such as lacquer. Once the finish is on and the thickness of the finish is achieved, you won't be able to feel the wood. For touch, it won't matter if you stopped at 100-grit or 320. Now, there IS a difference in appearance, but that largely is seen on end grain, not the long grain of a fretboard.

So the answer to the first question is "when you're comfortable stopping and you can't tell a visible difference from the grit you just used to the previous one."

I can use a Drill press to create the cavity that the dots go into, correct?

Yes, and that's the most advisable method.

[killemall8]

I personlaly would NEVER go below 400 grit before spraying... You can see scratches thru the finish with anything coarser than that.

No rosewood fretboards have a finish on them.

[avengers63]

BUT.... we tend to polish the rosewoods up to 15K.

Like I said - when you can no linger SEE the difference between the grits. Kill can see it up to 400, I can't see it past 220.

[Geo]

In a music store once, I found a Rickenbacker guitar with a lacquered rosewood fingerboard. Certainly not standard practice though.

[WezV]

rickenbacker do lacquer their fretboards - usually bubinga rather than rosewood. They do it that way because they always have - there isnt much reason to copy it

[Moth]

however, bubinga is sometimes referred to as "african rosewood". I'm not sure if it has any relation, other than the fact that its wood, and its expensive.

[WezV]

nah, it aint a real rosewood

[Mors Phagist]

Ok, Ive got two fretboards ill try, One ill finish, the other Ill use some 1000+ sandpaper on.

I got the answers I needed, and I want to delete this thread, but my edit isn't working at the moment, but Ill delete as soon as I can... So heres one more finish related question.

What about the finishes on maple necks? Ive hit the whole thing with 320 grit, and Ive gotten all visible scratches out. How should I go about finishing this?

[killemall8]

You cant delete a topic, only mods can.

If your ready for finish... Just choose your finish, spray or brush it on.