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I need some advice here. Everybody knows that finish hates a sharp edge. Worse, one that transitions to unfinished wood. Like the fingerboard. How do you deal with this?

Mike

I bevel my fret edges after finishing and let the file just kiss the top edge of the fingerboard. This blends the finish into the fingerboard nicely and the final buffing finishes it off. Hope that helps.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Yes, that helps. I tape the fretboard, with frets, before applying finish. I find I always end up with edge issues. This can evolve into a discussion of fretting before/after etc. currently, I fret, then glue FB to neck. Then fully tape FB surface. Then spray. Just not happy with the end result.

Mike

I run sandpaper over the outer edges of the tape where the lacquer builds up before removing the tape, removing the build up before removing the tape.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I always had problems with unbound fretboards, as I always fretted after the instrument was finished. At the end I just bound "unbound" fretboards with ebony.
I taped the fingerboard about 1/32" shy of the edges and let the finish stick to the fretboard. I used to clean that up after the board was fretted and the edges filed.

Ok, good ideas. Thanks. I'm gonna finish the neck with no frets. It is a bound fretboard. I'm going for the cleanest look I can get.

Same here and of course fretting comes after the guitar has been finished so does leveling and shaping the board.

I learned this from Dave Collins and that is to make the file pictured below. It started life as an OO file, nice and flat, was shortened to the size pictured and the edges were safed. I also spent some time intentionally dulling it until it was nicely broken in.

When you have it just right the file will skate on finish and still cleanly cut the fret ends. Holding it at an angle this thing makes quick work of proud fret ends (new or dry guitar) and very nicely imparts a slight bevel to the edge of the finish helping to avoid any chipping in the future.

It's not intended to be used for the radical bevel that we see on f*ctory instruments as a cheap, quick way to do the ends not requiring any skilled labor. The radical bevels also eliminate valuable fret top real estate that better players often desire or wish that they had.

And yes I made mine with a nice piece of very old BRW.

Just occurred to me I'll need a special built caul for installing the frets

Bound fretboards - finish before fretting.

Unbound fretboards - finish after fretting.

That's what works for me.