Maple fingerboard sanding

[fender3x]

I'm about to start sanding between the frets on a maple fingerboard. Any special tricks for doing this?

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[Simon Barden]

None that I know of. I just sand the board, then mask off the board and sand and polish the frets (or level and re-profile and polish).

[ThatCluelessGerman]

I use a few rubbers (erasers for the Americans) in varying sizes as sanding blocks. Worked so far.

[fender3x]

I use a few rubbers (erasers for the Americans) in varying sizes as sanding blocks. Worked so far.

Thanks for the clarification. You should never let sandpaper anywhere near what we Americans refer to as a "rubber." I have experimented with that a bit after seeing the guy on Highline guitars do it (the eraser trick, not the other one). Thanks!

[fender3x]

Having already gone from the sublime to the ridiculous... I have another related question.

I have one maple neck ready to sand, and one that it still to be finished...leading to a second question. Both necks are F style. The first did not have a nut. I did not want to fill the slot with finish, so i filled it with a wad of tape. The problem with that was that finish built up along the edge of the tape, creating a ridge at both edges of the slot. I was able to get it more or less level, but it took some doing, and I would like to avoid the problem on the next neck.

The next neck has a plastic nut in place, but I plan to swap it for a bone nut. What would the best way to finish near the nut be? Should I remove the nut and try to do a better job of taping off the slot? Should I leave the plastic nut in place, and remove it once the finish has hardened? Should I put in the bone nut (which I have not yet cut). What is the preferred method?

[Simon Barden]

I'd leave the plastic nut in whilst adding the finish, remove to sand, then fit the new nut.

[fender3x]

Thanks, Simon

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[fender3x]

I just sanded down to 220, and thinking about the next steps. I did a little work on the frets...just taking the sharpness off the ends of the frets...and then took forever getting rid of the grey dust that was produced from the bare maple. I am guessing this is *not* the way to do it. Would I be right to think that any further work on the frets (leveling, dressing, crowning) that might produce dust, should be done after doing some, at least initial, finishing?

I am thinking that I'll put some coats of 1lb shellac on the neck. I did a little experimenting with a small chunk trimmed from the headstock, and it took about 6 coats before I could buff enough to put the decal on, then another 10 to build up enough to sand flat over the decal. I liked the light color that the (blonde) shellac added, but found it odd that it did not get perceptibly darker with more than about 6 coats.

I am thinking that the shellac might be good in case I left any metal dust that could rust under water based filler or top coat. But I have never used it before.

So I am thinking I'll do at least 6 coats of 1lb on the whole neck, and then do the fret work, then any shellac repairs with shellac...and then...

Aqua Coat filler? More Shellac? both?

.... and finally my water based top coat.

Trying to keep this as non-toxic as possible. I use mineral spirits to wet sand in final polishing, but I don't even like using that.

Also, I have shellac from flakes...is there any trick to applying it to a maple fingerboard without spray equipment?

As always, grateful for any advice!

[Simon Barden]

Have you run a magnet over he board? They are good at picking up metal fibres.

I've always one my frets after putting a finish on, so can't comment on doing them before.

Never used Shellac either, so can't really help much, except that the French Polishing application method of cotton wool wrapped up in a lint-free rag (IIRC) normally works well.

[JimC]

I use a few rubbers (erasers for the Americans) in varying sizes as sanding blocks.

That's a good thought. Thanks.