attaching the fret board and wedge on a flat top

[thistle3585]

I am building a flatop OM, actually it has a slight radius to the top, but I am at the point to glue the fretboard on and I will need to install a "wedge" where the fretboard extends over the top. The neck has a one degree angle. Should I glue this on before I glue on the fretboard or after? Is there a preferred material to use? I was thinking a piece of spruce or maybe rosewood to match the fretboard. Maybe I'm making this too complicated but I have fears that if I do it wrong I'll end up with the board flared up at the end or the top compressed. Anything to watch out for or is this pretty straight forward?

On my electrics, I normally fret the board after it is glued on but I am guessing that I need to fret it before gluing it? Or at least the portion overhanging the top?

[TDMpicker]

Andrew,

I have been building some flat top and my neck angle (to the top is about 4 deg). I fit/glue a wedge under the fretboard using the same material as the fretboard. First I do a preliminary fit of the neck to the body (without the fretboard glued on). Then I glue the fretboard to the neck. Lastly, shape a wedge and then glue it to the fretboard. The wedge is sanded flush with the edge of the fretboard and since it is the same material it all blend in. Then when the neck is finally glued to the body the bottom of the wedge is also glued to the body top.

http://www.tdmsoftware.com/tdmmodels/mando/images/mandobodydetail1.jpg

Bigger photo :
http://www.tdmsoftware.com/tdmmodels/mando/images/mandobodydetail2B.jpg

For the fretboard, cut the fretboard to size, hammer in the frets, trim the frets to the edge of the fretboard, dress then ends etc. All before gluing the fretboard to the shaped neck.

Photos of building my mandos in the signature below.
Hope this helps.

[thistle3585]

Thanks. That's what I was thinking, but the only difference is that I've already glued the neck to the body.

Nice instruments Terry. I hope I can be at that level one day. This is the first scratch built acoustic, other than some ukes, that I've built so its been a learning experience.

Andrew