Measuring and marking fretboard for slot cutting.

[Kim Strode]

I'm working on a couple of projects (Weissenborn and Ukulele) and am looking for some advice on measuring and marking up the freeboards to cut slots for frets. In previous projects I've had access to a luthiers saw and templates. As specific fretboard rulers can be expensive, and or used only once, I'm wanting to use a ruler of some type to mark the slot positions on the fretboard before cutting in a mitre box. But as most plans specify the fret positions using fractions of an inch, I'm not familiar with a method or ruler that achieves this outcome accurately. While for most this must be rather straight forward, the method is alluding me. Thanks

[liam_fnq]

multiply by 25.4 then mark out in millimetres.

I mark out with a mechanical pencil with a 0.5mm lead so there's not much point going more accurate than one decimal place.

[J.F. Custom]

Hi Kim.

Firstly, I'd be using a fret calculator like the free one on stewmac, to convert your fret distances to metric. There are some things I will use imperial for and in this game, you really do need to be fairly fluent in both. However fret plotting I find easier to do in metric for accuracy.

After which, it is a matter of a good quality ruler. Incra do some that are particularly nice and accurate, but in reality any quality metric rule should do. Remember to mark your centre-line on the fingerboard and mark your fret placements along this - do not measure and mark down the side of the fretboard. Also when doing your placements, measure from the nut down to each fret, not fret to fret which could compound any errors. Keep a sharpener handy and use it frequently so you scribe accurately. Alternatively use a scribe to scratch a line, or a fine mechanical pencil. Then, just double or triple check everything.

There are also some online fret plotters and/or software programs that you could use to draw up a template as say a PDF. You could then print this and stick it to your board to cut but there are risks involved. You are likely to need to scale your print to make the measurements correct, as well as the extreme care required when attaching to your board as paper can stretch...

Hope I understood your question correctly

Jeremy.

[Allen]

For ones that I don't have a template for I use StewMacs fret calculator as Jeremy said. I have mine calculated in mm.

Many scale lengths can be worked out by using an existing fretting template if you have one on hand though. Just by starting at say the 3rd fret instead of the 1st you can get a shorter scale length. Have to make sure that the saddle goes in the right position for that scale length plus any compensation though.

I know Chuck Moore uses a Gibsons guitar template for all of his ukulele scale lengths. And for my Weissenborn style guitars I used Martins short scale length of 24.9 in.

[jeffhigh]

wfret is a good calculator which will print you a template.
I print the tamplate, then stick it lightly to the centre of the board then prick through it with an awl.
I then cut in a mitre box with the saw covering the awl mark
Saves measuring and marking errors
BUT
you must check your printer's accuracy by comparing the template measurement (12th fret) with the calculated measurement and adjust if necessary.
And use it straight away or recheck it because paper does move with RH

[sebastiaan56]

I use Fretfind http://www.ekips.org/tools/guitar/fretfind2d/

Paper will also move with liquid glues so I star at one end and dab a bit of stick on, a couple of frets at a time. A spray adhesive would work well.

[kiwigeo]

I calculate nut to fret slot positions using a spreadsheet (allows me to use varying scale lengths). Fret slot position is measured from the nut using a steel ruler and a Japanese knife immediately prior to cutting the frets with a fret saw. To make the knife marks more visible on an ebony fretboard I rub chalk into the cuts.

Most importantly...measure twice and cut once!!

[WaddyT]

I also print with wfret, check it carefully for accuracy (it gives the measurements from previous fret and nut), and double stick tape it to the board, and cut it on my RA saw, aligning the edge of the blade to the line (not trying to center it).

[Kim Strode]

Thanks Jeremy for reminding me of those important basics in measuring and marking fretboards. Unfortunately Jeff & Waddy, I run Mac so cannot use wfret. Thanks to you all for your advice, I now have a few alternatives to look at further and work with.

[kiwigeo]

I run Mac so cannot use wfret. Thanks to you all for your advice, I now have a few alternatives to look at further and work with.

Fret position can easily be calculated using a spreadsheet and the Rule of 18. PM me your email address and I'll send you my spreadsheet (Mac version). Better also tell me what version of Office for Mac youre running.

Cheers Martin

[Taffy Evans]

I transfer my fret positions to a length of aluminium strip, about 20mm wide and long enough for the whole scale length. I scribe the positions of nut, frets and saddle. Then with a fine saw make a shallow saw cut possibly 1mm, with a fine saw, in one edge.

This is now my template, I have many of these at different scales, hanging ready for use.

I then clamp the aluminium template to the fingerboard and with a sharp fine knife that fits the slots in the template [with no sloppiness] push down in the little slots and into the fingerboard, leaving a little nick in the surface of the board. Remove the template.

I then rub some white chalk into the nicks so they stand out, I place a knife back into the nick on the board, slide a small engineers try square up to the knife blade and score across the fingerboard. The board is of course not shaped at this point. I then rub chalk into all the slots and its ready for your chosen slotting method.

I don't use a hand slotting method anymore as I use my table saw, the templates for which I made using the above method.

[DarwinStrings]

I wonder if is is worth me adding here as there has been much said but before I started using templates I measured and marked my fret positions with vernier callipers, starting from the nut, then when the callipers reached their limit I clamped a stop at the last mark then measured from there.

Jim

[Steve]

Fret position can easily be calculated using a spreadsheet and the Rule of 18. PM me your email address and I'll send you my spreadsheet (Mac version). Better also tell me what version of Office for Mac youre running.Cheers Martin

You're right Martin, it works a treat. I used the Stewmac calculator to work out the magic number & plugged it into excel. If anyone wants to have a go, just type the formulae from Column C into Column B and you're away...

FretCalc.JPG (21.82 KiB) Viewed 19419 times

...no need to type too much - once you've typed the formula for Fret 2, you can just fill-down.
I keep thinking that it's redundant to duplicate what you can get elsewhere, but I've been burnt by this forum going down.
Steve

[Taffy Evans]

Got me beat?? whats 34.47... and 68.95223 look like on my ruler. Never could find those sorts of numbers. I'm a bit of a dummy when it comes to figures tho. I suppose my dial caliper would work, but it ain't big enough.

[kiwigeo]

Spreadsheets can give you the position to 15 decimal places if you like. I set up the formating to give figure to nearest whole millimetre

[Puff]

I used the ekips FretFind 2D.
A one metre length of 5mmx50mmx40mm ali angle marked out in Jim's method and drilled gives me nine very accurate 24 fret jigs per length that I can prick through. By using frets one through .... as the "nut" the jig is incredibly versatile for multiple scale lengths.
A bonus with the FretFind 2D is its giving an accurate nut to saddle length per string per tuning that gets you right in the ball park for initial compensation setup.
Extrapolating further (asking for 72 frets) will give precise pickup placement.

[Alan Stassforth]

If you're making a weiss style, with fret markers, not frets,
here's how I do it....
I really think the fret ruler is a time saver, and hackurate,
as long as you like the scale lengths.