CNC Fretboard

[mac007]

Apologies if this isn't the correct forum.

Is anyone out there using CNC machines to cut fret slots?

Sacrilege to some- but the ability to quickly adapt any scale to very precise tolerances is a plus.

Also 'blind' fret slots are easy and deliver a nice aesthetic.

However, I have found that even with really slow feed rates and pass depths, the .6mm bits (Temu!) tend to snap in the harder timbers like Gidgee / Blackwood.

Anyone have a similar experience or suggestions?

cheers

Mak

[56nortondomy]

Having bought a couple of things from Temu I've come to the conclusion that the quality of their items is pretty ordinary. I don't know anything about CNC but I'd try good quality bits. You get what you pay for.
Wayne

[kiwigeo]

Ive tried a few of the cheaper cutters but these days Carbitool is my main go to supplier.

[peter.coombe]

I have a CNC, but have never used it to cut fret slots. The reason why is that it is very slow and as you already said the small bits you need to use tend to break. It makes much more sense to cut a template on the CNC and use the template on the table saw to cut the slots. I can cut slots on a fretboard using a template on the table saw in about 3 minutes. The CNC would take much longer. A 0.6mm bit can only cut around 0.3mm max at a time so you will need multiple passes per fret. As already mentioned, Temu is not a good source for quality bits. Get the Kyocera bits, they make the best very small bits on the market. More expensive, but they will last a lot longer.

[Mark McLean]

If you want the appearance of “blind fret slots” (I.e. ends of the frets not showing on the edges) you can just bind the fretboard in the same material. Thickness the blank, then rip two binding strips 3mm wide off the edges and put them aside. Then cut the fret slots with a saw, old school. Then cut the slotted board to width and taper - 6mm narrower than the desired final width. Then glue the bindings back on and you have a board with blind slots. Using a really dark wood like ebony or rosewood you can’t see the join. It can also look good to glue it with a thin accent color purfling strip.

[simso]

I have cut hundreds of fretboards with cnc, the trick is to not do back and forth passes on a line, instead do pockets, eg draw a fret slot .6mm wide as a box and then use a 0.5mm cutter to profile pass on the inside, this reduces the friction

[mac007]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I'll try the .5mm pocket cut idea this week.

Cheers

MK

[Allen]

I've been doing my complete fret board on my CNC for 10 years.

I use Fusion360 for my CAD/CAM and made up a Master Model to create any scale as well as nut and saddle width, fret board thickness, radius etc. Building everything from a narrow Soprano scale to a Guitar and everything in between.

Blind fret slots at a constant depth from the radius on the playing surface is a no brainier. Purfling lines to give the illusion of a bound fret board again just something that is so easy that I include it on all my instruments.

0.6mm spiral cutters out of China via Ebay are cheap and last for dozens and dozens of fret boards. I haven't broken one in at least a couple of years. It all comes down to dialing in your feeds and speeds.

[GuitarMaker78]

I use the CNC and it's awesome. It took a while to program, but now I put a blank on the CNC bed, hit start, and come back a couple hours later to a ready to use fretboard. All inlays done, frets cut, radius shaped, perimeter cut, etc.

[GuitarMaker78]

I have a CNC, but have never used it to cut fret slots. The reason why is that it is very slow and as you already said the small bits you need to use tend to break. It makes much more sense to cut a template on the CNC and use the template on the table saw to cut the slots. I can cut slots on a fretboard using a template on the table saw in about 3 minutes. The CNC would take much longer. A 0.6mm bit can only cut around 0.3mm max at a time so you will need multiple passes per fret. As already mentioned, Temu is not a good source for quality bits. Get the Kyocera bits, they make the best very small bits on the market. More expensive, but they will last a lot longer.

I've cut 6 fretboards and never broken a bit. I just programmed it to the manufacturers recommended speeds/feeds. It takes probably an hour to cut the frets, but it's not like it costs me an hour. I just work on something else while it's running.