It' here - Fingerboard Radius Bit

[Tim Benware]

I found out (and it should have been obvious) that it is OK to use the bearing on the first pass but once it is flipped there is no flat surface to guide it and it forms a deeper ridge on the second pass. I will use it without the bearing.

Here's the demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7iyOj_zY-k

[peter havriluk]

The more detail about setup with this tool, the happier I'm going to be. I've had a 16" radius version for some weeks, and I have a 1/2" router and a router table, but details about successfully getting all the bits into the right place at the right time will be gratefully received. I suspect making a few pine fretboards is in order before committing instrument wood to the tool.

[ken cierp]

I am of the opinion that bit should be used in one of these --- so much easier!

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/60631

[peter havriluk]

About a horizontal router table...I can't figure how I'd keep the fingerboard square to the table on the second pass late in the pass. Not much level area to keep the fingerboard from rocking toward the rounded side. Everything that's gone through the router bit is now curved. I could be missing a basic idea, seeing as it's my mind that's processing the idea. First pass, I can see it's easy enough to keep the fretboard square to the table, there's the half that isn't being shaped. But the second pass?

[ken cierp]

Mount it to a sled

[Jim Bean]

do the bits hold up and are they angled to prevent chip out.

[Tim Benware]

OK, I slot my boards after I radius them that way there is (IMHO) less chance of chip out. I thickness my boards to .250" then radius them, the cut is very smooth and needs only minor sanding to get them completely smooth. It does take some familiarity with getting the bit just right. I cut two test boards too thin before I got my adjustment down, I would imagine everyone's table may be a little different. I have found the closer the board is to perfect rectangle the easier it is to set things up, some of my boards came slightly tapered and I couldn't get them perfect because the 14-20 fret area would be too narrow.

I radiused 4 boards today in an hour. That included thicknessing them, cutting as close to rectangle as I could get and doing the radius.