Fretting off neck?

[dryseptember]

In books and on some web sites i have read about the fretboard bowing after frets are installed when done off neck. so why not just fret while on the neck? also if you fret while the fretboard is off and it does warp how can you fix it?
I am just about to the fretting stage of my StewMac kit.
Thanks dryseptember

[sunburst]

It's not easy to install frets over the fingerboard extender. I think that's the main reason for fretting the board before it goes on the mandolin. Putting frets in a board that's not glued on yet is about as easy as installing frets gets.
If I do it that way, the board does bow some, but it's no match for the clamps that I use to put the board on the mandolin. In other words, when the board is glued on and clamped, it straightens out from being clamped to the straight neck. The resulting compression is about the same as if the frets were installed with the board glued on.

[dryseptember]

thank you sunburst
thats great to hear.
dryseptember

[whistler]

If your fret slots are the right width for your fret wire, warping should not be a problem. Whatever forces cause it to warp are there, whether you fret on or off the neck. If you fret on the neck, then the stiffness of the neck counteracts the forces and prevents warping. If you fret off the neck, and the fingerboard warps slightly, then when it is clamped flat to the neck, the neck will take up the forces and keep it flat.

If the fingerboard bows outwards (i.e. middle up, ends down), it could be that your fret slots are too tight. If there is serious warping (I.e. enough to pull the neck out of shape) then your fingerboard was probably no good to start with.

[Bluemando]

I had the same problem with the bowing fretboard. I did as Don McRostie shows in his video. After the fretboard is fretted, place a shim under each end of the fretboard, and clamp it down in the middle thus putting back bow in the fretboard. Then wet the fretboard down with water, and put a heat source on it (you dont need much, he used a couple 100 watt bulbs). Let it sit for a day that way and wet it lightly every so often.
It got most of the bow out it when i tried it,but not all of it. As Sunburst said it will straighten out completely when glued and clamped to the neck, i just wanted it to be as straight as i could get it before glueing.