Uneven fretboard blank

[ShatnersBassoon]

I have a ziricote fretboard blank (no fret slots) that is thicker on one end, it gradually gets 1mm thicker. Anyone have any ideas on the best way to remedy this? I don’t have a planer/thicknesser unfortunately! Its flat on the bottom (gluing area) but the top is rather skewed. Cheers for any help 

Edited September 18, 2019 by ShatnersBassoon

[Bizman62]

There's several ways to do that.

• If you have a good hand plane, simply plane it flat. Measure often. That's how it was done before power tools.
• If you have a router and a flat surface to work on, put rails on either side of the blank, adjust the router bit according to the lowest spot and route the blank flat. If that works for table tops, a small blank is no biggie. See image.
• If you have a table saw with a reliable fence, attach the blank to a larger piece and run it between the blade and the fence. Be extra cautious that the blade and fence are 90 deg against the table and that nothing wobbles. The right grain direction is also important to prevent tearout.
• StewMac sell a thing called Safe-T Planer for a drill press. Susie Gardener made a video review a few years ago. If it were as useful as they say, I guess everyone would have one.

In any of the above, masking tape and super glue are your friends.

 

 

[curtisa]

Another low-cost (more silent) option is to sand the high spot down using a similar technique as @Bizman62 shows above with the router. Replace the router and bit with a flat piece of timber/MDF/plywood, and attach (spray adhesive or double-sided tape) a piece of coarse sandpaper to it such that it rides on top of the rails and just kisses the thinnest part of the blank. Use shorter rails or raise the blank up on another piece of MDF to get the blank at the right height as required. When the sanding block rides the rails and no longer takes any more dust off the blank, you know the piece is flat.

Just make sure you position your sandpaper so that it doesn't come in contact with the rails and accidentally starts wearing them down while you're sanding, otherwise you'll start going too low.

[ShatnersBassoon]

Thanks for the advice! I did think about the router and double sided tape idea, but wasn’t sure about accuracy. I will give it a go today, maybe try both a router and straight edge with sandpaper 

[ADFinlayson]

you could just stick the flat side to a flat surface and plane the top flat with a hand plane, no4 would make quick work of it, then perfect it with a radius beam once it's cut down to dimensions.

[ShatnersBassoon]

Unfortunately the wood has split and also the router slipped, causing quite a gouge. In the bin now unfortunately. These things happen. Thanks again anyway! 

[Bizman62]

20 minutes ago, ShatnersBassoon said:

In the bin now unfortunately.

Bummer! However, save what's left. You may be able to use what's left for covers like over the truss rod end or the LP switch. If you're very cautious you may even be able to cleave part of it to make a bookmatched headstock veneer!

[ADFinlayson]

these things happen, you shouldn't bin it though, you've got lots of exotic wood binding strips and inlay material there!

[ShatnersBassoon]

Good point! You are both totally right. Was partly an act of frustration really.  

[MiKro]

On 9/19/2019 at 11:41 AM, ShatnersBassoon said:

Good point! You are both totally right. Was partly an act of frustration really.  

Been there when all hell brakes loose. Throw it against the wall, scream and yell, toss in the trash. Then realize I can do something else with it. It happens, so take deep breaths, a good stiff drink and think it through. We have all been there and it will happen again.

MK