Stick Dulcimer Making part 8.5: gluing the fingerboard

[thetootsietim]

This is about the stage I'm at now with my recycled guitar dulcimer. I think I may have made a bit of an error in already shaping the neck. I wanted to make sure the scrap timber I'm using would cut Okay (which it did) and then I carried on shaping it whilst I waited for the fretwire to arrive in the post. Now I'm wondering how to clamp the fretboard to a curved neck??

[michaeljking]

It is best to shape the neck after the fingerboard but no matter, you just need to make some semi-circular cauls, bits of the wood with the neck profile sawn into it, pad it with cloth, cork, or whatever you have and use the with the clamps. If the clamps are metal make sure you cover the ends with wood.....

[thetootsietim]

Thanks Michael, I'll do that. Tonight I was filing the fret ends smooth. Knowing that my freehand filing is a bit suspect, I planed a flat bevel onto my wooden file handle, following the same plane as the file blade. Then, by running the bevel on the worksurface with the blade resting on the fret end (held vertically), I could file the ends without risking damage to the fingerboard.

[MrRandomWritings]

I noticed you got an indent from the clamp on the neck - not so serious when you are adding a fingerboard (I didn't of course!) - when I clamped anything I put a strip of wood between the clamp and the surface to avoid marks - jus thought it might be a useful hint for some of your viewers

[michaeljking]

oops, Yes, thats a useful tip, always use a scrap wood between the clap and the work!! When I did my furniture making training 10 years ago now, we used to tape slips of wood all over our clamps in readiness (Hope my old teachers are not watching my backsliding... )

I am two days ahead of the videos in real time right now...very exiting to complete this particular stick dulcimer

[MrRandomWritings]

Looking forward to seeing it and hearing it of course

[MrRandomWritings]

I assume you will be showing the setting up too as I know from experience that can take some doing - I am on my third bridge on one of them and still not totally happy!

[michaeljking]

Yes, "Setting up" is the final episode although I plan to film the very first episode after to introduce the series and throI will be using the magic of Youtube to sort out the whole thing into a consecutive order in a playlist. I really appreciate all my subscribers patience!!!