Neck final steps - order of operations?

[Steve Sawyer]

This is my first bound neck, so I'm unsure how to proceed at this point.

I am inclined to glue on the fretboard and binding before proceeding to final shaping of the neck. I also figure that it will be easier to bore holes for the black side-dots in the binding while attached to the neck and the neck is still square, though I may be overthinking that. When shaping the neck on my last build with an unbound neck, the rosewood FB provided a visual cue while shaping - if I could look right down the center of the shaft and see a peek of the FB on each side, I knew I was at the sweet spot. I figure the binding can serve the same purpose here.

Looking ahead to finishing, should I mask off the binding prior to finishing? When I did my Tele without a bound neck, I masked the FB edges, then when the finish was sanded and buffed, I removed the masking, scraped, sanded and polished the lacquer ridge formed at the joint between the neck shaft and FB. I'm thinking I should follow the same technique, masking the binding down to where it meets the neck shaft. True?

[John Clifford]

Steve, I’m sure there are many methods that work fine, but here’s what I do:

1. Cut fret slots while FB is rectangular and flat (if you’re going to use the same wood for binding, cut off binding strips first)

2. Measure total width of binding with calipers and subtract from desired FB width at nut and wherever else you’re measuring

3. Bandsaw and plane FB edges to final dimensions as determined above

4. Route and glue in inlays

5. Radius sand FB (I use a long radiuses aluminum sanding bar from StewMac)

6. Recut fret slots with fret saw + depth stop to match radius

7. Glue on bindings and trim & sand to match FB

8. Drill holes for side dots using a fence on my drill press table. The bottom of the FB is against the fence and one of the FB cutoffs is underneath to level it (close enough). This method ensures that all the dots will be the same distance from the bottom of the FB. I screwed up several FBs before learning to do it this way.

9. Glue FB to neck while neck is still square.

10. Bandsaw and route off excess neck wood to be flush with FB (using a pattern bit on my router table).

11. Trim fret tangs and press in frets (I use a fret press caul from StewMac in my drill press - works great).

12. Shape back of neck.

I only do french polish finish, no spray. I don't mask the sides of the FB or binding, I just finish them as part of the neck.

[Steve Sawyer]

Thanks, John. Let's see, I've completed steps 1-6, and have also completed 10 (I made a pattern that I used to flush-route the neck shaft, and also used with a StewMac rabbeting bit to route the FB to shape to allow for the binding. Good point made about installing the FB while the neck is still square - makes clamping up much easier.

I see that you go all the way to installation of frets too before carving. Interesting. On my last build frets were installed just prior to finishing.

Since you mention it, do you trim the fret ends to be flush with the outside of the neck, extending completely across the binding, or do you cut them just a bit short, leaving some binding visible at the end of the fret? I seem to recall seeing it both ways, and it sure is easier to make them flush!

[John Clifford]

Since you mention it, do you trim the fret ends to be flush with the outside of the neck, extending completely across the binding, or do you cut them just a bit short, leaving some binding visible at the end of the fret? I seem to recall seeing it both ways, and it sure is easier to make them flush!

When I press them in, they stick out about 1/8". I cut that off flush with a nipper. Later when I'm doing the final fret work (I do this after finishing, so no metal dust gets into wood pores), I use a wood block with a file set in it at about a 35 degree angle to do the initial shaping of the fret ends. I do this until the file has cut into the binding just enough to see a tiny angle at the top edge of the binding. Then of course there's a bunch more fret work.

[Barry Daniels]

I always finish the side of the fretboard (whether it is bound or not) along with the neck. Otherwise you end up with a finish ridge on the side of the neck which is not good.

Also, wait until the fretboard is radiused to put your side dots in. Otherwise you will not have an accurate way to judge the final thickness of the fretboard, since you want to install the dot in the center.

[Freeman Keller]

My sequence is basically the same as John's with one big exception. I fret before gluing the board to the neck. We can debate that one all day, I feel I get better fretting by pressing and I don't have to deal with the heel.

A couple of tricks. It is very important to get the sides of the f/b exactly the final measurement minus the thickness of the binding. There are usually two critical points - often the width at the nut and the width at the body joint.

To glue the binding on I lay a piece of waxed paper on my flat work surface, then I lay two pieces of wood on the workbench with the f/b between them and clamp them down. They form a nice wedge that will clamp the binding against the sides of the f/b. You can tap everything down flat against the bench to make sure the bottom of the f/b and the bindings are flat on the bottom. I'm an advocate of wicking thin CA in for my binding glue whether its plastic or wood - this is another debate, just saying how I do it.

I'll cut the miters for the end of the board and add the cross piece after I've glued the side binding on. The cross piece might be straight or curved depending on the board. Sand the bindings down to the radius and you are ready to fret.

I have found the easiest way to do frets for bound boards it to cut them slightly over size and file the tang back, some people use nippers. I hold the wire up to the slot, judge where the end of the tang should be and slip it into a little block of wood with a slot cut in it (the slot is slightly wider than the barbs). Clamp this to the bench and take a couple of swipes with a file. The wood block both holds the fret and acts as a fence for the file. Each fret is sized for the slot it will go into. Obviously the wire is radiused before the tangs are cut - the block of wood doesn't seem to remove any of the radius

That little L shaped thing is a piece of fretwire that I've filed the barbs off - I use it to make sure the slot is clean and deep enough for the tang

You need to be a little bit careful when cutting that protruding end. I use nippers but it might be better to use a cutoff wheel on a dremel. I make sure that I'm applying downward pressure on the end of the fret so I don't bend it up. (I also put a tiny drop of medium CA under the ends when I install them - another subject for debate). Lastly, after cutting them as flush as possible I file back to the edge of the f/b but I use slightly downward strokes to avoid pulling the ends up.

I use an eraser shield when dressing the ends. A word of warning - using a dremel to polish frets on a plastic bound f/b can damage the binding.

ps - if you are doing a bound f/b with nibs all of this changes but then why would you want to do a bound f/b with nibs?

[Freeman Keller]

As far as finish, I mask the fretboard itself right up to the edge and try to get the tape pressed down tightly at each fret. I finish the binding as part of the neck itself whether its plastic or wood. When I pull the tape I scrape up to the edge of binding and when I file the fret ends that just breaks the sharp edge. When it comes time to clean the board in the future I just use steel wool. FWIW I don't do any fretboards that require finish on the actual board itself (Fender style maple boards).