Fan Fretted template

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Andrew McSpadden
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Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:28 pm
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Fan Fretted template

Post by Andrew McSpadden »

I remember someone here made a printout of a fan fret fretboard and extended out the the fret lines past the fretboard edges. they then drilled holes on these lines to line it up with a sled for a table saw or a miter box type jig to cut the fret slots.

I would like to know what program they used or if they could print one for me so I could make a prototype.

Thanks a Million
Jason Rodgers
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Fan Fretted template

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Fretfind2d.
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
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Eric Knapp
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Re: Fan Fretted template

Post by Eric Knapp »

FretFind2D is here.

http://www.ekips.org/tools/guitar/fretfind2d/

It requires Flash which is a dying technology. It should still work in the Chrome browser for a long time. You can generate a file and take it to a service that can print to large paper or print at home and cut-and-tape.

-Eric
Andrew McSpadden
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Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:28 pm
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Re: Fan Fretted template

Post by Andrew McSpadden »

Found FretFind ! Pretty easy to use if you can figure out the tuning section. I am going to cut a board using Frat Find this weekend!

Thanks a million
David King
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Re: Fan Fretted template

Post by David King »

Andrew, I just made my fingerboard overhang on the treble side an extra 8" wide (instead of the usual 1/8") (in FretFind2D) and had the one-page PDF printed at Kinkos on one of their B&W 12 x 48" printer/plotters. I used a *mirror image* of the final fingerboard which I stuck to the back of the board which was obviously face down on the table saw. I used an 8" wide strip of 1/8" luan plywood to support the wider paper and extended fret lines. The extended lines made it much easier to line up the angle and fret locations. I think I drew the blade line right on top of the tablesaw using a sharpie. The odd thing about this set up is that my actual fret kerfs in the board all ended up offset to the side of the printed lines by about 1/16". Luckily that error was precisely the same at every fret position but I never did figure out what was going on with the offset.
Re-reading this I see that it is totally obscure what I'm trying to say. Oh well, Monday morning...
Mattia Valente
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Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:36 am

Re: Fan Fretted template

Post by Mattia Valente »

1. Take 2 aluminum L angles. Slot each to the appropriate scale, I used my stew mac slotting jig and templates
2. Taper your fretboard
3. Stick the two guides on as desired
4. Cut using handsaw.

Mike Doolin used to have this on his website with pictures, but it's pretty low-tech and works well.
Bob Hammond
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 4:13 pm

Re: Fan Fretted template

Post by Bob Hammond »

Hi Andrew. This might be of interest to you. It's about a jig for hand sawing fanned-fret slots, and in there is a link to an older posting about taping the template together.

Topic line: a 'universal' fret slotting jig for the one-handed luthier"

http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php ... e+jig+slot
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