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Pinning the Fingerboard For Glue Up

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:11 pm
by Kbore
Hi friends,
I'm to the glue the finger board to the neck part. After many dry runs, I've decided to pin the neck with some 0.030" brass pins. I plan on waxing so they come out after glue. Is there any warnings or downside to this approach? I haven't hardly made a glue joint on the project yet that didn't creep, regardless of how I fixed it to not move.

Re: Pinning the Fingerboard For Glue Up

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:42 pm
by Danl8
Seems like a workable plan. You can also do this from the underside using small pins, positioning the board where you want it and pressing the board into to pins to make locations for drilling matching placement holes. The Martin method works well--no slippin' n slidin' at all (permanent inside pins).

Re: Pinning the Fingerboard For Glue Up

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:52 am
by Stray Feathers
I recently finished my first two builds, and when I was at the stage you're at, I used pins from a pin nailer. They are small, 23 gauge, and I found a very small drill bit to fit (came in a set of tiny drill bits), drilling through a fret slot. (I see you have fretted already though . . . ) They come in various lengths. I did not have a problem pulling them after gluing. I used two, one in first fret slot and one maybe about the neck joint. Worked fine.

Bruce

Re: Pinning the Fingerboard For Glue Up

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 7:07 am
by MaineGeezer
Yep -- I do it all the time. I glue on the fingerboard prior to fretting. Drill small holes in the 1st and 12th fret slots for 1/16" diameter pins. (Avoid the trues rod slot in the neck!). Once the fingerboard is glued on, pull the pins, put in the frets, and holes are covered

Re: Pinning the Fingerboard For Glue Up

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:00 pm
by Kbore
Stray Feathers wrote:I recently finished my first two builds, and when I was at the stage you're at, I used pins from a pin nailer. They are small, 23 gauge...
Bruce

My pin nailer brads are square, and .075 (Porter Cable). Wish I had a brad instead of safety pin.

Re: Pinning the Fingerboard For Glue Up

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2017 12:24 am
by Stray Feathers
My brad nailer uses nails that are square and .040. The pin nailer uses nails that are probably square (hard to see for sure) and .025. They are so small I think it is immaterial if they are round or square. I had the sense to make a note that the drill bit to fit the pin nails is about #71 or #72. You wouldn't need the pin nailer of course - just a few nails. You could also sacrifice some drill bits of that size to use as pins.

Re: Pinning the Fingerboard For Glue Up

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2017 9:21 am
by ruby@magpage.com
I do this: Position the slotted board on the neck right where you want it. Drill a 1/16" hole through 2 fret slots and into the neck - as far from each other as you can get, say #1 and #13 or 14. Remove the board. Tap 17 gauge brads into the holes so they seat well. Nip off the brads about 1/16" above the neck blank. File any distortion off the tip of the seated brads. Snap the board into position and off again as many times as you need to.

The idea is to nip off the brads so they don't interfere with the bottom of the fret tang, and leave them in place.

Ed

Re: Pinning the Fingerboard For Glue Up

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 8:48 am
by Kevin Sjostrand
I also use 4 pins through the feet slots for positioning. Be aware though that some creeping can still occur, though it will be minimal, but still take care when gluing and clamping. Light even clamping at first, then increase pressure after a few, like 5 to 7 minutes once the glue is grabbing well.

Re: Pinning the Fingerboard For Glue Up

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 8:58 am
by Kbore
Hey thanks for all the helpful information.

Re: Pinning the Fingerboard For Glue Up

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:23 am
by ruby@magpage.com
KBore

This is an interesting sign of the times. I built houses from 1969 to 1981 and the nail gun was not yet popular. At the time, a brad was nothing more than a thin, small nail with tiny head, like a finish nail, but little. Then came the brad nailer that shot small, almost headless nails that shared the name.

Go to any hardware store at all and you can buy a small box/tube of brads - I use 17 gauge by 1 inch and a 1/16" drill bit. You could go smaller, but the drill bits are not locally available.

Ed