Got the fretboards done today and the frets installed. Always a slow and tedious process. Also finished the French Polish on the triplets, Time to string those babies up.
The triplets are pleasantly shiny and the raw fretboards are just set on the instruments for looks.
Above is the sanding block used to put the radius in the fret boards. takes a bit of arm labor and a little time, you can see the progress on the board with the Yin/Yang. You sand until the entire arc of the radius has been sanded. Doing so shallows the groove for the frets and you must take care to have them deep enough to seat the frets fully. How do you know?
Here is the cleverest gadget I have seen in a long time, new from Stewart MacDonald. It fits into the fret slot and indicates it's depth. My frets require that the first bottom line must disappear in the slot. each edge is shaped to the approximate radius. I use a 12" radius so use the 10-14" side shown on the bottom. It not only measured the slot depth after you have completed the sanding, but ----
But, if you hold a flashlight behind it it will indicate whether or not your radius is completed. you might have to sand some more.
See the light shining under the center section. That means the job is not yet done, a little more sanding required to get the perfect radius. So simple, So ingenious, So handy. The guy who invented it is really clever.
Now knowing my slots are right, and having deepened a few with a hand saw, the fretting process begins. Here is the equipment and here is the place. Each fret is cut, tapped in, and then firmly seated with the arbor press after receiving a little glue. Takes a while.
