Fingerboard sanding mistake.

[alembic1989]

Hi,
just refretting my first guitar, and I think I've messed up. I needed to sand away some high spots on the f'board...measured its radius at using a radius gauge..got out the radius sanding block, and sanded away. THEN I find out that the f'boards on steel string acoustics, have a compund radius...trouble is now the finger board has a new compound radius that doesn't correspond to any radius on any of my gauges ! ?...the one consolation is I did get rid of the high spot...have I messed up good and proper?
any and all help gratefully received.

[Ben-Had]

Not all FB have a compound radius. You can radius the board to the radius of your sanding block and you should be OK. You may want to check the top radius of your saddle to match so you don't have high spots over some frets.

[jeff crisp]

What Tim said. In fact Id go as far to say that the majority of fretboards are not compound radiused even on electrics and if your saddle does not match,reprofile it with your radius block. Im not saying the gauges are worthless, just that you can get by without it on an acoustic.

Jeff.

[ZekeM]

You don't have to have a compound radius, like Ben-han said you can sand the entire fretboard to the radius of your liking and then make the saddle match. Problem solved! Just be sure if you sand a lot that your fret slots are deep enough before you start putting the new frets in.

[charles Tauber]

For whatever it is worth, I've never used a fingerboard radius gage or radiused fingerboard sanding block. For radiusing a new fingerboard, I use a hand plane, scrapers a long spirit level, to which 80 grit sandpaper is glued and, for final sanding, a flat sanding block. For most refretting work, just the level and sanding blocks. I've seen some use a stationary belt sander, turning the guitar upside down to sand the fingerboard on the guitar. Lots of ways to accomplish the task.

Just be sure if you sand a lot that your fret slots are deep enough before you start putting the new frets in.

I make a simple fret gage to check fret slot depths to ensure the slots are deep enough for the frets I'm about to install. A fret has three parts: the crown, the tang and the bead. To make the gage, cut off a 3" piece of the fret wire you are going to install. Using cutters, cut the tang, only, about 3/8" or so from one end of the piece of fret wire. Then bend the wire at the cut until it forms a 90 degree leg or "L" shape - the uncut crown forms the "hinge".

Using a file, file off the beads on the short leg (3/8" portion) of the fret wire. You now have an "L" shaped gage where you can hold the long portion and use the short portion to slide back and forth in each fret slot. By ensuring that the bottom of the crown seats continuously as the fret is slid back and forth in each fret slot, you have ensured the slot is deep enough. It also is useful in removing sanding dust from the slots.

Then there is the simple method for creating compound radii...

[alembic1989]

Phew!
thats great news, thank you all for the help , and advice..I'm learning all the time.
thanks again.

[Tom West]

Concur with the others. No problem as long as it's your guitar...............!!!
Tom