Cool jig. I’ve been using a similar jig for 6 years or so, but runs longways on CNC tracks. Very similar process. I found that end mill bits left a cleaner surface than a flush cut bit. Also, if you leave your fretboard a few millimetres wider, there’s less likelihood of tear out along the edge during the radiusing process, because with any bit there’s a tendency for tear out, depending on fretboard wood. Even running the router backwards, there’s still tear out with rosewood, so best to leave the board wider and trim down after radiusing with whatever proceeds you like. I use a meter long linisher😬 love your work. On a side note, I’ve bought some incredible old growth mahogany from Gerard, and remember buying fretboards from him when he lived at Balgowlah in the 70’s. 😎👍
Thanks- The Balgowlah days!- Did you know Michael as well? Leaving the FB a touch wider is a good idea, but as I bind all my FB's I can't really do it.
I've seen a few homemade versions of that type of jig. Nice to see someone is selling them ready-made. One way to apply even pressure with a radius sanding block is to attach a handle lengthwise down the centerline. That way all pressure is on the center of the block.
@@BeauHannamGuitars Never tried it myself - it just occurred to me. I mostly do minimalist/experimental builds using (highly) modified stock replacement necks. But a single 15mm carbon fiber tube neck with a Richlite fretboard is most likely in my future at some point, which will require radiusing using some method or another.
This is a great tool - I've been using it for a couple of months with excellent results. FYI, Philadelphia Luthier Supply is now also selling a center finding caliper similar to the one you have in the video.
Thanks for your thoughts on this. I recently ordered a three pack of the String Pluckery radius blocks and they should be here next week. I'm glad to hear they are a quality product. I'll probably pick up one of these radius gigs at in the near future. I don't own a thickness sander yet and this would make flattening the fingerboards much easier as well.
You sure are a funny bastard. I remember seeing some Instagram posts from a few years ago that made me crack up. 2 million inches is a short scale bass.
I do a lot of restorations of older beat up Harmonys, Kay, Silvertones, lots of Chicago made stuff. Lots of them have crap fingerboards (or at least the ones my partner finds out in the wild!) or have been beat to death. I end up making new fingerboards. This will be so much easier to radius. Looking forward to buying one this coming week, as I have some 30's parlor guitars to restore.
Thank you, I need this! I have the jig that you run through the thickness sander, the fingerboard is the part that moves about a radius, provided by a radius caul. It works extremely well (I’ll be selling it for half price on EBay soon) but with oily woods (most guitar wood, right?), the belt gets clogged with burned oils and is only good for maybe 3 or 4 boards before you have to change the drum wrap. Excellent video, well produced and very helpful.
@@BeauHannamGuitarsI cryogenically treat all my finger boards. Changes the atomic lattice into a super tone conductor! Or I could be completely full of s**t.
Beau, great info. When you say the standard thickness for a fretboard is that in the centre at highest point, or on side edges after radiusing? Many thanks. Greg
I ended up building my own jig taken inspiration from String Pluckery. Except mine doesnt need a specific height for the base and fretboard. Mine is height adjustable. I also made a bit depth gauge to work with it so you just set your bit depth and then adjust the height of the carriage assembly so that the bit touches the fretboard and youre good to go. It works with fretboards on the neck as well. Just set the height with nuts on a threaded rods. Easy peasy. Saved me $110 bucks.
At 15:03 was I the only one who saw the curvature between the table and the wooden board that serves as the base of the support for laminating the fretboard? Won't this generate "extra" fret cutting?
I’m planning on getting one of these. I had been using LMI to slot and radius my fretboards, but back in the 90s I used the sanding blocks. What a tedious messy process! Especially with phenolic fretboards. The thing you have to watch for with those sanding blocks is not keeping them straight. If you angle them slightly you change the radius. I had made like a miter box looking jig with walls set apart the same width as the block, and put a handle on the top. That helped, but this is better. How sturdy is this being it’s 3D printed? I was looking at another brand that’s made from aluminum, but it’s a lot more expensive.
I noticed you never checked your base for flatness along its length, especially after clamping the ends to your bench. Is this because the final sanding will account for any minute variations in flatness? Or is it because it doesn't matter with the neck relief on a finished guitar? Superb video...thank you!
Maybe some extra notches (not just a centre notch) in the radius inserts would help with the positioning of the router on passes as you work to the outside. Thank you for the video, i think i might just get one.
Thanks- It's pretty easy as is to see and keep track of where you are routing and keep it steady. If you make fingerboards for new builds (or replacement), its a great thing to have i think.
Since the fretboard is narrower at the nut end, a constant radius will result in the edges getting thinner towards the soundhole side, right? Does this not give you any problems? I've seen jigs to make a slightly cone shaped top to the fingerboard, which preserves the thickness at the edges. What are your thought on that?
The edge of the FB IS thinner at the soundhole end, but its not enough to worry about...considering 99.99% of guitars have this and no one has ever complained.
Trying to wrap my head around how electric manufacturers pull off compound radii. I have a Suhr that has a compound fretboard. I don't know how much of a difference it really makes, but I love the neck on that guitar. Somewhere between that, glassy ss frets, and the Plek job made me part with an uncomfortable chunk of change for a bolt on T style guitar.
Try this. Mark each end of the fretboard blank with the radii you want to blend. So the smaller radius at the nut end and vice-versa. Then, using a true flat sand beam, sand until the material removed from each end of the blank matches the radii marked on them. Check frequently as you work. Keeping the beam flat and not pushing down on the beam are both key to doing this precisely. Also, precut the fretboard to it's finished lateral and length dimension. A compound radius is just a section of a cone. Keeping this visual idea in mind is also helpful. Using the lowest grit paper you can find will help speed through the work. Get about 90% of the way there and then begin stepping up through the grits.
@@peachmelba1000 Oh I know how to do it- its just a subject for a totally separate video. Also, you could radius the entire FB with the flattest radius and so there would be less work at the tighter nut end .
11:16 if you want a very similar tool check out tim sway he has a TH-cam channel and a website square tools i think it called with other luthery tools he's developed
This looks great! You sound Australian and you gave the price in dollars. Unfortunately I can't see any information at the String Pluckery website about what currency they're using or where they are located. Is this price in Australian dollars? (I'm hoping it's not in US dollars!)
The radius of the insert will be what you route into the fingerboard - Thats why its important to make the base according to the dimensions I/string pluckery give (3/4" + 1/2" to be used with an industry standard 1/4" fingerboard)
use aleveling beam that has been made perfectly flat. stew mac leveling beam i bot was 8 thousadnths scoop. after board glued on, thenmake the final radius. compound radius, etc. nice playing with 7.5 radius at edge, 9 inch center of first fret; 9 inch radius at edge, 16 in center 12 fret. or variation of this.
It doesn’t do compound radius (only a CNC or by hand does that) but it would be good to radius the flatter of the two (16” in your case) then hand sand the 12” into the nut end and fair it in.
I still use my radius swing jig, just because compound radiuses have become the hype and I can lower/shorten one side and make any perfect compound radius a breathe ... I mean, any radius actually. Maximum length of the swing mounts is a little over 30", but I never ever went further than 20" (which is close to getting absurdly flat).
You're doing a fantastic job! Could you help me with something unrelated: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). Could you explain how to move them to Binance?
Thinking on getting it, but there is something I dont understand, the 3" for an 8/7 string guitar would it be too short? the wider part of an 8 string fretboard is 3". Is there a margin to consider, meaning it doesnt do 3" passes? .
If the end of your board is 3" I think the smaller one (the one I have) would work cuz the jig has a 4.5" span. I think the wider one is more for those crazy wide fingerboards some people do (like 10 string). You could always ask them too but this will do a 3" wide board. Hope that helps!
This is an awesome device and I want one. but I am not understanding how using 2 different radius inserts wound give you a compound radius fretboard. I don't think this device is capable of making a compound radius fretboard - a CNC may be the only way. for this tool, both inserts should be the same and you just get that radius over the length of your fretboard.
Traditionally, classical guitars and ukes have flat fingerboards while steel string guitars and electrics have a radius as its easier on the hand- its a personal choice and there is no right or wrong.
So about a £100 ... For a frame of plastic, churned-out on a 3D printer ....? I'll stick with the sanding caul.... It makes a lot less noise and dust and doesn't cost as much as an average top-end humbucker.
@BeauHannamGuitars I just mentioned that you could start with the tool tip touching. Nothing controversial. I might have mistyped something, and YT's AI nuked my comment. Who knows what we can say at this point? I now imagine you didn't delete my comment.
@@peachmelba1000 I very, very rarely delete a comment (its usually some racist fool saying something totally dumb and irrelevant). - so it was probably YT playing PC word god......
That looks like a very intuitive and aesthetic router jig, very smooth action. Thanks for inviting us into your lovely workshop!
Thank You :)
fantastic video i learned a lot. i’m probably never going to use this knowledge but i had a lot of fun learning thanks!
Thanks so much :)
Thanks Beau. I like this one! It's *way* better than my floppy design 🤣
Hahahhaha- “floppy design” is a great business name!
@BeauHannamGuitars I was going to use it for my next album.
I just ordered one, Thanks Beau I cannot wait to get this & try it…
@@scaira60 it’s really good 😊
From a rookie.... THANKS FOR SHARING ! I love your format !
Thanks and my pleasure
The customer is really fucking excited.
Thanks for the heads up! Happy New Year to you!! Cheers!!
😊
Cool jig. I’ve been using a similar jig for 6 years or so, but runs longways on CNC tracks. Very similar process. I found that end mill bits left a cleaner surface than a flush cut bit. Also, if you leave your fretboard a few millimetres wider, there’s less likelihood of tear out along the edge during the radiusing process, because with any bit there’s a tendency for tear out, depending on fretboard wood. Even running the router backwards, there’s still tear out with rosewood, so best to leave the board wider and trim down after radiusing with whatever proceeds you like. I use a meter long linisher😬 love your work. On a side note, I’ve bought some incredible old growth mahogany from Gerard, and remember buying fretboards from him when he lived at Balgowlah in the 70’s. 😎👍
Thanks- The Balgowlah days!- Did you know Michael as well? Leaving the FB a touch wider is a good idea, but as I bind all my FB's I can't really do it.
I've seen a few homemade versions of that type of jig. Nice to see someone is selling them ready-made.
One way to apply even pressure with a radius sanding block is to attach a handle lengthwise down the centerline. That way all pressure is on the center of the block.
I’ve seen that done- looks like it would work pretty good.
@@BeauHannamGuitars Never tried it myself - it just occurred to me. I mostly do minimalist/experimental builds using (highly) modified stock replacement necks. But a single 15mm carbon fiber tube neck with a Richlite fretboard is most likely in my future at some point, which will require radiusing using some method or another.
@@normbarrows2sounds cool! Keep on building :)
I gave this video a thumbs up because of the humor.😅
HahahahH- thanks :) 😊 you gotta laugh!
This is a great tool - I've been using it for a couple of months with excellent results. FYI, Philadelphia Luthier Supply is now also selling a center finding caliper similar to the one you have in the video.
Thanks. Oh nice! - I’ll check out that center finding tool
Thanks for your thoughts on this. I recently ordered a three pack of the String Pluckery radius blocks and they should be here next week. I'm glad to hear they are a quality product. I'll probably pick up one of these radius gigs at in the near future. I don't own a thickness sander yet and this would make flattening the fingerboards much easier as well.
Nice! If you don’t have a sander this will be a great addition.
Very helpful, man. Thanks
Thanks and my pleasure
You sure are a funny bastard. I remember seeing some Instagram posts from a few years ago that made me crack up. 2 million inches is a short scale bass.
HAHahhah- throwing in some funnies makes editing and filming a bit easier.
I do a lot of restorations of older beat up Harmonys, Kay, Silvertones, lots of Chicago made stuff. Lots of them have crap fingerboards (or at least the ones my partner finds out in the wild!) or have been beat to death. I end up making new fingerboards. This will be so much easier to radius. Looking forward to buying one this coming week, as I have some 30's parlor guitars to restore.
Nice! I’m glad you are fixing those guitars. So often the cost of doing so leads them to be forgotten.
Very nice !
Thanks
Great stuff
Thanks so much
Impressive & Thank you!
Thanks so much :)
Thank you, I need this! I have the jig that you run through the thickness sander, the fingerboard is the part that moves about a radius, provided by a radius caul. It works extremely well (I’ll be selling it for half price on EBay soon) but with oily woods (most guitar wood, right?), the belt gets clogged with burned oils and is only good for maybe 3 or 4 boards before you have to change the drum wrap. Excellent video, well produced and very helpful.
Thanks so much for taking the time to say that :)
You can use ice to cool the fretboard if it gets hot while sanding. Ice is cold.
I prefer permafrost
@@BeauHannamGuitarsI cryogenically treat all my finger boards. Changes the atomic lattice into a super tone conductor! Or I could be completely full of s**t.
Beau, great info. When you say the standard thickness for a fretboard is that in the centre at highest point, or on side edges after radiusing? Many thanks. Greg
In the center. 1/4” is standard steel string.
I ended up building my own jig taken inspiration from String Pluckery. Except mine doesnt need a specific height for the base and fretboard. Mine is height adjustable. I also made a bit depth gauge to work with it so you just set your bit depth and then adjust the height of the carriage assembly so that the bit touches the fretboard and youre good to go. It works with fretboards on the neck as well. Just set the height with nuts on a threaded rods. Easy peasy. Saved me $110 bucks.
Sounds good
Tim Sway makes a center finding scissor thing. New perspective music
At 15:03 was I the only one who saw the curvature between the table and the wooden board that serves as the base of the support for laminating the fretboard? Won't this generate "extra" fret cutting?
That’s the 16mm wide angle lens distorting the image. I put a straight edge on the base and talk about the importance of having it flat.
As you know, I’m an old dog…..my (old) dog and I watched this video! We now know a new trick! Scuse me while I whip out my debit card!
I’m a 12 and 16” kinda guy too!
@@hoytbasses Hahahha- at 49 I’m an old dog too! Woof!
I’m planning on getting one of these. I had been using LMI to slot and radius my fretboards, but back in the 90s I used the sanding blocks. What a tedious messy process! Especially with phenolic fretboards.
The thing you have to watch for with those sanding blocks is not keeping them straight. If you angle them slightly you change the radius. I had made like a miter box looking jig with walls set apart the same width as the block, and put a handle on the top. That helped, but this is better.
How sturdy is this being it’s 3D printed? I was looking at another brand that’s made from aluminum, but it’s a lot more expensive.
The router jig is sturdy for sure/ the arches are strong. I’m sure if you wanted to get some flex, but it’s just not an issue.
@ thanks!
The router sled method has been around for some time.
Yep- Its a great design :)
I noticed you never checked your base for flatness along its length, especially after clamping the ends to your bench. Is this because the final sanding will account for any minute variations in flatness? Or is it because it doesn't matter with the neck relief on a finished guitar? Superb video...thank you!
Thanks- I do all that and talk about it at 10:50
@@BeauHannamGuitars Thank you. How on earth did I miss that?!
Maybe some extra notches (not just a centre notch) in the radius inserts would help with the positioning of the router on passes as you work to the outside. Thank you for the video, i think i might just get one.
Thanks- It's pretty easy as is to see and keep track of where you are routing and keep it steady. If you make fingerboards for new builds (or replacement), its a great thing to have i think.
Since the fretboard is narrower at the nut end, a constant radius will result in the edges getting thinner towards the soundhole side, right? Does this not give you any problems? I've seen jigs to make a slightly cone shaped top to the fingerboard, which preserves the thickness at the edges. What are your thought on that?
The edge of the FB IS thinner at the soundhole end, but its not enough to worry about...considering 99.99% of guitars have this and no one has ever complained.
Trying to wrap my head around how electric manufacturers pull off compound radii. I have a Suhr that has a compound fretboard. I don't know how much of a difference it really makes, but I love the neck on that guitar. Somewhere between that, glassy ss frets, and the Plek job made me part with an uncomfortable chunk of change for a bolt on T style guitar.
Factories would just have them CNC’ed then cleaned up with various radiused blocks or just a flat block (if the machines cnc finish was nice)
Try this. Mark each end of the fretboard blank with the radii you want to blend. So the smaller radius at the nut end and vice-versa. Then, using a true flat sand beam, sand until the material removed from each end of the blank matches the radii marked on them. Check frequently as you work.
Keeping the beam flat and not pushing down on the beam are both key to doing this precisely. Also, precut the fretboard to it's finished lateral and length dimension.
A compound radius is just a section of a cone. Keeping this visual idea in mind is also helpful.
Using the lowest grit paper you can find will help speed through the work. Get about 90% of the way there and then begin stepping up through the grits.
@@peachmelba1000 Oh I know how to do it- its just a subject for a totally separate video. Also, you could radius the entire FB with the flattest radius and so there would be less work at the tighter nut end .
@@BeauHannamGuitars Very true.
11:16 if you want a very similar tool check out tim sway he has a TH-cam channel and a website square tools i think it called with other luthery tools he's developed
Thanks
This looks great! You sound Australian and you gave the price in dollars. Unfortunately I can't see any information at the String Pluckery website about what currency they're using or where they are located. Is this price in Australian dollars? (I'm hoping it's not in US dollars!)
Thanks. I’m from Oz (Sydney). Prices are in US dollars. There might be someone making these in Oz
What about Festool router?
i've never used one (to expensive) but im sure they are the best, but should be for $650!
@ lol….ya, for the price I paid, it should have wheels and be able to drive! Hahahahaha
Do you recommend steel or nickel fingers on your fingerboard?
I like nickel over stainless steel
What is suggested when doing one-piece Maple strat and tele necks, with this type of jig system?
You could radius the fretboards before glueing it to the neck.
if the radius is 18" at the bearings, what is it at the cutter?
The radius of the insert will be what you route into the fingerboard - Thats why its important to make the base according to the dimensions I/string pluckery give (3/4" + 1/2" to be used with an industry standard 1/4" fingerboard)
use aleveling beam that has been made perfectly flat. stew mac leveling beam i bot was 8 thousadnths scoop. after board glued on, thenmake the final radius. compound radius, etc. nice playing with 7.5 radius at edge, 9 inch center of first fret; 9 inch radius at edge, 16 in center 12 fret. or variation of this.
@@raffyzoo2130 is epoxy to glue the FB to the neck helps with keeping things flat
I can’t quite figure out if this is useful for compound radius fretboards. My favorite radius is 12”-16” and that is what I’d like to make
It doesn’t do compound radius (only a CNC or by hand does that) but it would be good to radius the flatter of the two (16” in your case) then hand sand the 12” into the nut end and fair it in.
@ thank you for that
I still use my radius swing jig, just because compound radiuses have become the hype and I can lower/shorten one side and make any perfect compound radius a breathe ... I mean, any radius actually. Maximum length of the swing mounts is a little over 30", but I never ever went further than 20" (which is close to getting absurdly flat).
Nice!
You're doing a fantastic job! Could you help me with something unrelated: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). Could you explain how to move them to Binance?
Rub acetone into your non binaries and spin 4 times clockwise
Thinking on getting it, but there is something I dont understand, the 3" for an 8/7 string guitar would it be too short? the wider part of an 8 string fretboard is 3". Is there a margin to consider, meaning it doesnt do 3" passes?
.
If the end of your board is 3" I think the smaller one (the one I have) would work cuz the jig has a 4.5" span. I think the wider one is more for those crazy wide fingerboards some people do (like 10 string). You could always ask them too but this will do a 3" wide board. Hope that helps!
@@BeauHannamGuitars Thank you very much! that helps a lot.
@@ecorona21 my pleasure
Sooo…any reason why this tool couldn’t also be used to cut the fret slots, or am I under-thinking how this works?
It wouldn’t be accurate enough. A proper fretting saw blade with stiffeners is best for frets.
Tim Sway makes a center-finding tool.
Nice thanks :)
Where can I see an ookalalie?
In Hawaii :) hahahha
@@BeauHannamGuitars It'll be worth the trip...
@@dongee1664 yes! hahaha
This is an awesome device and I want one. but I am not understanding how using 2 different radius inserts wound give you a compound radius fretboard. I don't think this device is capable of making a compound radius fretboard - a CNC may be the only way. for this tool, both inserts should be the same and you just get that radius over the length of your fretboard.
@@cowcat7436 it can’t do compound radiuses. The two inserts are for radiusing two different fingerboard (my guitars are 16”, and my ukes are 12”).
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
😊
Why the fretboard need to have a radius? Why not a flat fretboard?
Traditionally, classical guitars and ukes have flat fingerboards while steel string guitars and electrics have a radius as its easier on the hand- its a personal choice and there is no right or wrong.
@@BeauHannamGuitars thanks
Are you sure you want to publicly admit to being my friend?
Hahahha- yes! I’m pro Danny west
I'll tell 'em "Beau sent me." (anyway) 😀
Hahahah
No holes for the Triton then.
None listed
Wow $109 that’s a good price for this
@@apr6337 I think so
So about a £100 ... For a frame of plastic, churned-out on a 3D printer ....? I'll stick with the sanding caul.... It makes a lot less noise and dust and doesn't cost as much as an average top-end humbucker.
The dust routers kick out are more heavy so you breath em in less then sanding
Why did you delete my comment😅
which one?
@BeauHannamGuitars I just mentioned that you could start with the tool tip touching. Nothing controversial.
I might have mistyped something, and YT's AI nuked my comment. Who knows what we can say at this point?
I now imagine you didn't delete my comment.
@@peachmelba1000 I very, very rarely delete a comment (its usually some racist fool saying something totally dumb and irrelevant). - so it was probably YT playing PC word god......
Ahhhh I saw Medusa and now I’m petrified ;(
Hahahha- I wanted it to be a suprise! ❤️
@ I take no responsibility for loss of subscribers
@ hahahahhaha
And English speakers call the tool a ROOTER (as in root canal) - Only Yanks call it a ROWTER.
HahahhH