MAKING THE FINGERBOARD:
Making the fingerboard is one of the more critical aspects of building a mandolin or any other fretted instrument. If the frets aren't in exactly the right place, the instrument will never sound in tune.

The first step in making the Fingerboard is to prepare an ebony blank with one straight edge and plane it to the desired thickness. I use a thickness sander for this operation rather than a thickness planer. The sander allows you to slowly and accurately approach the final thickness with none of the risk of tearout that can be associated with a standard thickness planer.
     
     
Fretting Sled
In this photo I'm using double sided tape to adhere the ebony blank to my fretting template. It has precisely cut notches for each fret position .I'll be using the special cross-cutting sled you see on the tablesaw to make the cuts.

 
     
     

Slotting Blade:
This is the tablesaw blade that will be doing the actual cutting of the fret slots. It is precisely ground to achieve the exact kerf I need to match the fretwire I'll be using.

Because the blade is so thin and flexible , blade stabilizers are neccesary to eliminate any wandering of the blade while slotting the fingerboard.

 
     
     
Cutting the Fret Slots
By inserting that steel pin you see next to my left hand into each notch, and then passing the sled over the sawblade, it's easy to cut the fret slots for an entire fingerboard in just a few minutes.

 
     

 

 
     
     

Trimming the Fingerboard:
After slotting operation,   I trace the desired fingerboard profile onto the fingerboard and rough-cut it on the bandsaw.   Next I will adhere the fingerboard to a plywood template using double-sided tape. I'm now able to cut the fingerboard to it's final profile using a router table chucked with a miniature spiral flush trim bit.

 
     

 

 
     
     

Drilling for Position Markers:
After marking out the locations, I drill the holes that will accept the Mother of Pearl position markers. I spend some time trying to get the dots turned the just the right way so that each will appear "lit up" when viewed from the same angle.

     

 

 
     
     

Mixing Black Epoxy & Inlaying Dots:
Once I'm satisfied with the layout,   I inlay the dots using a slow curing black epoxy mixture.

 
     

 

     
     

Inlaying Silver Wire & Fingerboards Inlaid:
Since these fingerboards will have scooped extensions , I'm using some pure silver flatwire that I will inlay into the upper fret slots. When the extension is finally scooped down these will appear as normal frets, but are actually flush with the fingerboard surface.   The fingerboards are now completely inlayed. Once the epoxy cures I will sand off the excess epoxy asnd prepare to install the frets.

     

 

 
     
     

Installing the Frets:
 With the fingerboard fine-sanded and fret-slots chamfered, I begin installing frets by running a bead of white glue along each one and seating them in the slots, I do several at a time. I use a special fretting caul in an arbor press to seat them.

 
     


 
     
     

The Fretted Fingerboard & Binding Preparations:
 With the fingerboard now completely fretted, I file the fret ends flush with the fingerboard edge and prepare to apply the ivoroid binding which I've already laminated with a w/b trim, and bent to shape using the heat gun. A sheet of wax paper will ensure that the work doesn't get glued down to the work table.

     

 

 
     
     

Applying the Fingerboard Binding:
 Clamping the fingerboard tightly aginst the work table is critical to ensure the binding goes on straight and flush with the bottom surface of teh fingerboard. Using a medium viscosity cyanoacrylate glue I apply the binding and clamp it in place. I continually rub the binding with my hand or piece of wood till the glue cures to ensure it goes on straight and without any gaps.

     


 
     
     

Batch of Bound Fingerboards:
 A batch of freshly bound fingerboards including an H-5 mandola and P-5 piccolo, ready for final trimming and side dots.

 
     
     

Drilling for Side Dots:
 After plotting out their locations, I use a small drill bit mounted in a pin vice to carefully drill each side dot hole by hand till it's just through the binding.

 
     
     

Installing Tortoise Side Dots:
 An interesting detail found on Loar era mandolins were tortoise celluloid side dots. I recreate this detail by using a small plug cutter to cut dots out of sheet tortoise celluloid that I've painted white on one side. The dots are now glued in white side first so that the white backing will help "light up" the tortoise figure. This way they don't just end up looking like black dots.  

     

 

 
     
     

Tortoise Dot Close-up:
 Here you can really see the random tortoise figure of the dots in a batch of fingerboards.

 
     
     

Scooped Fingerboard Extension & Finished Fingerboard:
 A quick visit to the spindle sander results in the scooped extension. Now the inlayed silver wire that was inlayed earlier is revealed and appears as faux frets. The scooped extension eliminates the "pick click" phenonmenon that some players find annoying, while retaining a tradtional 29 fret appearance.   The fingerboard is now ready to be installed on the mandolin.