Linear Measuring tool

[spindlebox]

I am building my own fretboard cutting templates and it would be so handy to have some sort of Caliper-like device to measure The scale from one point like the bridge or nut. I'm talking down to the 1000th.  It would make sense since most of the fret measuring calculators go down to that Detail.

Does anyone know of a ruler stick that is digital like that, that would make measuring between 2 points up to say a meter?

Certainly for now I can use the stewmac calculator because it has fret to fret measurement as well that I can double check with, but it would be so handy to have something I could fix to my drawing and just slide to the measurement I need and then mark.

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by spindlebox
Pic added

[henrim]

I haven’t ever used any for that purpose but a digital readout (DRO) scale could work. They are used on milling machines and lathes and such. At 1000mm length they are not cheap though. Typically resolution is at least 0.01 mm. On my milling machine the output shows 0.001 mm resolution but I don’t really trust it to be that accurate. Hundredth of a millimeter is plenty good for anything I do so I really would like to get rid of that last zero but no can do.

[nakedzen]

Just to throw it out there, but calipers? You can get them at least to a meter sized.

2 hours ago, spindlebox said:

I am building my own fretboard cutting templates and it would be so handy to have some sort of Caliper-like device to measure .

 

 

 

[curtisa]

You wouldn't be tempted to just use something like FretFind2D, print a 1:1 scale layout of the fret positions, attach it directly to the fretboard, use it as a cutting guide and skip the whole measurement bit?

[Bizman62]

15 hours ago, spindlebox said:

I'm talking down to the 1000th.  It would make sense since most of the fret measuring calculators go down to that Detail.

Although accuracy is crucial for tuning and intonation, bear in mind that there's several variables that will inevitably lessen the preciseness.

• When measuring the fret locations, any pencil line has a thickness. A knife makes a sharper line but even that has a width.
• A printed template also suffers from the width of the lines, not to mention that a) the accuracy of a printer can't be guaranteed and b) attaching the template may stretch the paper.
• No matter how accurately you can mark the location for slots - even by using CNC - cutting the slots has some built-in flaws: The blade or bit will wobble to some degree and wood being a naturally grown product isn't homogenous.
• The fret material may not be that accurate either, there's no telling that the tang is right in the middle or right-angled to start with not to mention that during hammering/pressing some slanting may happen
• When leveling and recrowning the frets, the crown can be filed off center
• A high action makes every fingered note sharper than it would be with a lower action.
• And finally, no matter how accurately the frets have been measured, installed and crowned, especially with taller frets the finger pressure plays a big role.

All that said, try to be as accurate as you can. Double check every measurement before cutting. Use a sharp pencil or rather a knife for drawing the cutting lines etc, A regular caliper is good for measuring from fret to fret and to prevent cumulative errors you can use that for measuring over several frets - from the nut to the fourth, from the first to the fifth etc. A ruler with ½mm graduations can be used for verifying the accuracy for the entire length.

The only way to create a perfect fretboard would be to mill it from one piece but as @henrim said the machine may not be as accurate as the output claims.

 

[woodfab]

How about a 36" 900 mm Digital Readout DRO for about $70

[mistermikev]

i think most of the tools that would be that large would be uber spensive. 

you'd probably have to setup some sort of feeler arm... but this dro is 36" and only $110... .004" accuracy per foot.

https://ideaengineering.us/?ec_store=pageid1904modelnumber35-736-p