Re-do mandolin fretboard, or continue on?

**belbein** · Jul-18-2012, 5:24pm

I'm buildling a Kawalek Octave. I've just finished putting the fretboard on, and discovered that it's a couple of degrees off of the centerline. At the neck, this means probably off by 0.01" or so, but by the tail, it's off by 0.15 or more. I haven't measured it, but at the tail, it's noticeable. Now, I know I could always just move my tailpiece over a bit. But the question is: should I remove the fretboard and straighten it?

If it matters, this build wouldn't get an A+. Maybe a B+. It's not ugly, but it was my first attempt at binding and purfling, among other things. So the next one will clearly be better. Maybe I should just leave it as is and move on?

**Dale Ludewig** · Jul-18-2012, 6:12pm

Pictures? I'm not familiar with the Kawalek kit, but I don't see how removing the fretboard would correct the problem you describe unless the neck is sticking out on both sides of the fingerboard. Why don't you snap a couple pics and ask Don what he thinks is best?

**the padma** · Jul-18-2012, 6:13pm

1/8 of an inch eh...your call...I've seen worst.

**Marty Jacobson** · Jul-18-2012, 6:32pm

Originally Posted by the padma

1/8 of an inch eh...your call...I've seen worst.

I've made worse! But not in the last ten years...

You can move the tailpiece over and chances are, nobody but you will notice it. Or you can learn some instrument repair skills and remove the fretboard and re-align it. It'll be a few hours of work, for sure. Up to you. Shouldn't impact the sound significantly.

**pickngrin** · Jul-18-2012, 6:49pm

I say put the hour or two of effort in and fix it as Mr. Jacobsen recommends. If you're like me, it's the only darned thing you'll see every time you take it out of the case, at which point the couple hours of effort won't seem so bad.

**belbein** · Jul-18-2012, 6:50pm

<Removed by Moderator. Creative spelling to defeat the profanity filter is frowned upon> I was hoping a whole bunch of people would all say, "Neah, even Loar's fretboards never lined up." Unfortunately, I knew the answer was "learn some instrument repair skills ..." I just didn't want to recognize it.

(By the way, Dale, the body of the neck IS sticking out on both sides of the fretboard. I haven't finished shaping it.)

**Dale Ludewig** · Jul-18-2012, 7:04pm

Hey, we learn by correcting our mistakes! Stay at this long enough and you'll think you've made all that are possible only to find out the next day that you can be quite creative in finding new ways to screw something up. It's only another learning experience.

To quote Mr. Hamlett (I think), "centerline, centerline, centerline". All throughout the whole building process. Perhaps you didn't use some little anchoring brads or something on the neck top and the bottom of the board. Maybe you didn't have a line right down the middle of every part, from end to end.

If this all was easy, everybody could do it.

**belbein** · Jul-18-2012, 8:38pm

The damn thing is, I DID use anchoring brads and a long precise straight edge, all the way from the headstock to the butt. I obviously wasn't precise enough.

Oh well. I was planning on learning how to take a fretboard off. I just was not planning on learning on this instrument. Now where did I put that iron I bought at Goodwill?

**Pribar** · Jul-18-2012, 9:21pm

Originally Posted by belbein

Now where did I put that iron I bought at Goodwill?

4 iron or 6 iron? I have found drivers and sand wedges also are good for correcting some of my mistakes

**sunburst** · Jul-18-2012, 11:57pm

Originally Posted by Dale Ludewig

To quote Mr. Hamlett (I think), "centerline, centerline, centerline".

I'm just doing this to quote Dale quoting me quoting Jim Hilburn.

(BTW, I have a 7 iron that works pretty well for correcting mistakes...)

**Ivan Kelsall** · Jul-19-2012, 3:03am

I agree with pickngrin - We all have a nasty habit of zooming in on faults we know are there but try to ignore.Take the time to remove the fingerboard & re-set it correctly. Not only will you have done the job correctly,opening the case won't be as traumatic !,
Ivan

**belbein** · Jul-19-2012, 8:48am

Originally Posted by belbein

Well, *@&! How do you like that $#!%? Censored right here on my own +#&@(*#!

Seriously, Mike--I appreciate your time moderating. I knew I was kind of pushing the envelope. I can only plead insanity because of the clip my son showed me last night of Louis CK going on about "the n-word." At least you thought I was "creative."

**otterly2k** · Jul-19-2012, 8:58am

It's my observation and experience that all builders and repairfolk make mistakes and/or accidentally mess things up. It seems to me that the good ones a)know they've messed up -- and b)know they can fix it -- and c)do.

now you know your a-b-c's.

probably time to take that fretboard off...

**JEStanek** · Jul-19-2012, 9:00am

belbien, It is a family forum, and we keep it cleaner than most of the web, for good reason. I like Louis CK and Dave Chappel too but, not here!

Jamie

**Marty Jacobson** · Jul-19-2012, 10:15am

Belbein, come by my shop when you have it finished up! I'm in Smyrna at 285 and Atlanta Rd. Would like to see your work with Don's kit and you might be interested to see some of the things I've been cooking up on the bench....

**belbein** · Jul-19-2012, 9:04pm

Martin: Thanks for the invite. I'd love to do it. I'm doing a [don't tell anyone] guitar class next week, but the week after I will contact you and try to come up. Can you contact me privately and we can exchange info?

**belbein** · Jul-19-2012, 9:10pm

OK, friends and neighbors and of course you family members ... I sucked it up and took the fretboard off. I guess it was the right thing to do. I'll realign it and reglue it tomorrow or Sunday. Thanks for pushing me to do the right thing. It's true, I would have grumbled about it every time I looked at the completed instrument if it had been left 3/16 off.

One question. When I set the fretboard down on the workbench, which is more or less flat, I noticed that the fretboard is bowed up in the direction of the frets. I'm assuming that this is because, first of all, the fret channels reduce length, and the short side swelled less than the long side in the heat. The question is: do I make an effort to straighten it (uncurve it) before gluing it back on, or shall I assume that the glue will hold it down flat?

**Tommando** · Jul-20-2012, 1:27pm

Can you post a picture showing the bow and one showing the cross section at the end of the board? I would place the fretboard on a flat surface and stack some heavier flat boards on top until time to glue it back on.