Fretboard radius cutter

Great product. However I disagree with the safety assurance - in the hands of an amateur (and most who post here are) not used to router technology these are potentially dangerous. Note on the video the vibration through your table - with a cutter like this and a good 1/2" router there should be no vibration so I can only assume it is your table setup. It is more than just putting a cutter in a router: because power tools are easily accessible it doesn't mean they are safe! Using it as you do in the demo the large block of wood gives plenty of surface on which to stabilise it during infeed. Something you have now, thankfully clarified. On the matter of the video - tripod and edit... two essential considerations. I was getting seasick with the wobbly camera work :)

Slotted blanks? There would be little or no tearout. Tearout occurs with highly figured woods that have severe runout. Most fingerboard blanks are quartersawn and dense - ideal machining material. You are also removing small amounts.

All the best with sales. I'm only looking out for the uninformed enthusiasts who visit here... I don't want to dampen your parade and thoroughly endorse this product with the above caveats.

Drift: I've always thought the best and safest power tool solution to this is too use a hand power planer with ground irons. If you have access to tool making technology I would seriously consider this safer and more logical method...
 
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Pete Howlett said:
Great product. However I disagree with the safety assurance - in the hands of an amateur (and most who post here are) not used to router technology these are potentially dangerous. Note on the video the vibration through your table - with a cutter like this and a good 1/2" router there should be no vibration so I can only assume it is your table setup. It is more than just putting a cutter in a router: because power tools are easily accessible it doesn't mean they are safe! Using it as you do in the demo the large block of wood gives plenty of surface on which to stabilise it during infeed. Something you have now, thankfully clarified. On the matter of the video - tripod and edit... two essential considerations. I was getting seasick with the wobbly camera work :)

Slotted blanks? There would be little or no tearout. Tearout occurs with highly figured woods that have severe runout. Most fingerboard blanks are quartersawn and dense - ideal machining material. You are also removing small amounts.

All the best with sales. I'm only looking out for the uninformed enthusiasts who visit here... I don't want to dampen your parade and thoroughly endorse this product with the above caveats.

Drift: I've always thought the best and safest power tool solution to this is too use a hand power planer with ground irons. If you have access to tool making technology I would seriously consider this safer and more logical method...
Click to expand...

Hey no worries - fully understand.

That vibration is was because I randomly automatically locked the router plunge height adjuster (probably because I was previously using my handheld plunge router) which isn't actually isn't needed on my router (Triton TRA001) when in a table as it not in plunge mode as the height plunge spring is removed and it uses it's built in height adjustment when mounted in the table.

Yeah I need to improve the videos - given I've done a whole load of photography through my life I do cringe somewhat when I see them (but limited time and all that!)

It's safe to say in any circumstances that routers are one of the most dangerous power tools in the shop and whatever work is being done with them needs to be thoroughly planned out before diving into it! :)
 
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I once had an accident with a Router, through my own complete ignorance it must be said. Scary. Things can go wrong very fast. I've pretty much avoided power tools ever since. Hand tools can be very dangerous too but after 35 years of working wood I only have one little scar on my finger to prove it. That was done right at the end of a 14 hour shift, midnight. There's a lesson there too.
 
Welcome to UU, Steve. Always good to have another specialist aboard. :)
 
Ok so for your viewing pleasure!



Not only a real fretboard blank - but also a HD video without any camera shake! :)
 
So here are few high quality pics so you can see the outcome clearer after I had removed the ends:

An nice accurate radius going on:


A nice smooth finish which probably needs attacking with around 400/600 grit to remove the minor machining marks:


Cheers all
 
Well . . . hey . . it's been a while!!!

Far, Far too long!

But the good news is that the bits are FINALLY en-route from the factory and I should have them around Tues/Wed next week.

Hell if I'd of known they were going to take as long this I would of ordered more of the 12", 9.5" radius bits! So I've already placed a new order and I haven't even received this order!! Word spread to Facebook and I've been inundated from an electric guitar builder group . . .

Anyway I did thankfully order sufficient 16" radius bits to cover all the initial queries and more . . . if you want to place your order now - you can via the website! :)

To those guys who have already placed their orders - a big thanks for your patience - and as soon as they are in my hands I'll check the bits over and get them straight into the mail! :)

Cheers

Steve
 
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I got my 16" bit a few weeks ago and used it to make a guitar fretboard. Worked like a charm. Much faster and more precise than sanding with a radius block.
 
mzuch said:
I got my 16" bit a few weeks ago and used it to make a guitar fretboard. Worked like a charm. Much faster and more precise than sanding with a radius block.
Click to expand...

Hey Mike - thanks for that - always nice to hear they work for other people and not just me!! :cool:
 
It doesn't look to me that you can do a compound radius with this setup, which I think is the proper way to do it. I have done a few radius fret boards as customer requests and start by making three facets on an already tapered board (equally divided on the wide end, and on the narrow end). Then use a scraper with an aggressive edge to form the radius, checking progress with templates for both ends and mid point. A belt sander with a compound radius attachment is the only way I have ever seen a compound radius made on a machine. Flat is fine with me and I hope radius fret boards don't catch on as the norm and force me to buy a new sander or modify my existing one.
 
Study this machine....... we have one and it works very well......compound radius are easy..... the idea could be adapted to a self built setup/unit for an existing sander...... ( we tried radius-ing fret boards with our CNC's and found it took a minimum of 8-10 minutes for a uke........ more like 20 minutes for a guitar if we wanted to do minimal sanding ..... decided there had to be something faster and we found this machine..... 3-4 minutes even for guitar........ for an example...... )

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Guitar-Fretboard-Radiusing-Sander/G0574

Blessings,

Kevin
 
Just as a reply - of course a single router bit cannot do a compound radius - no one has ever suggested they do.

But anyway for those waiting:
11115768_1381559942168545_2038462087304261271_o.jpg

10857105_1381560162168523_1010231467118326497_o.jpg
 
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Morning all - just thought I'd let you guys know that I will soon have a few 18" radius bits in stock. I had a request from a guitar builder for one so I ordered a few extra.

Also I am now stocking thicknesser/jointer carbide inserts for Shelix cutter heads and the Hammer Slient-Power - which may interest some folks on here.

Cheers
Steve

www.sje-tools.com

:)
 
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