Fingerboard Smoothing ??

[nonoxxx]

Hello,

I have just puchased an old 87 Charvel Ch6, and I Actually restore it

The fingerboard was really dirty so I have used some lemon oil and Extra fine steel Wool.
Now it s clean but I think the board can be smoother.

I have read on the net a method using fine sand paper ( 1000 or 1200 )
to do the job.

Have you experienced this method?

Thanks

[Postal]

If it was just dirty.... lemon oil and 0000 steel wool should fix it just fine. Just rub all the lemon oil out with a cloth to clean it up after that and apply some fretboard treatment- whatever brand you like.....

It should look nice and smooth, and shine really well.

Sanding the fretboard with the frets still on it, is not such a good idea..... If you *must*.... then very carefully use a razorblade and lightly scrape from fret to fret, lengthwise on the fretboard to remove any stubborn gunk, and further smooth the board.....

Do this REALLY carefully, if you decide you *must* do it... I think it's more than most people need and recommend most people pass on this.

However, if you do it..... you hold the razor near vertical.... the blade is parallel to the frets.... and gently scrape starting right niext to one fret, and drag the blade all the way up to the next fret..... back and forth, slightly changing the angle of the blade often to go accross the entire width of the fretboard.

After this, steel wool 0000 the entire board, then apply the fretboard treatment oil. Not lemon oil.... the fretboard treatment.

[MountainDog]

I've sanded quite a few rosewood fingerboards to make them smoother. As Postal mentions above, you have to protect the frets.

I work on one section at a time. use masking tape to completely tape over the frets, leaving only the wood between two frets exposed. I started with 320 grit, cut into pieces about 2-1/2" by 3/4". I make a few passes keeping the paper on the wood, not touching the tape on the frets, then switch to small cut pieces of 400 grit, make a few passes with that, then go to 600 grit (and maybe even 1000 grit), then 0000 steel wool. When that one area between frets is done, I remove masking tape from frets, then put new tape over the next two frets, then repeat. It can take like 5 minutes to tape and sand each between fret section, so a 22 fret guitar can take almost 2 hours to do this to (and since you are using only the tips of two fingers to put the sanding pressure down, your fingers get worn out too!).

[nonoxxx]

Thanks for your reply

I have sanded the fingerboard with 1000 grit sand paper and its amazing, the fingerboard il like new, very smooth. I think I will try to find 1200 and 1500 sand paper to see if it can be smoother after.

But If you try this yourselves you must be careful with the frets, I have not masked them , but i have cut narrow tape of sand paper and I have sand very carefully.

@Postal : I would like to know which fingerboard treatment you advise me??
There is a lot of brand and I am a little lost

Thanks

[Bengal65]

I have had great success with Stew Mac Fret board conditioner. Other products such as Dunlop 65 conditioner, Lizard Spit (orange oil base) and Gibson Luthiers Choice conditioners seem to work fine. I just finished a Rosewood board on a Fender Strat with the Gibson stuff.

[Postal]

I'm not picky about brands, which is kinda why I stated whatever brand you want.

Currently I'm using Dean Markley "love potion"

Just read the label and look for something that says "conditioner" or something like that, and not something thats just a cleaner. The orange and lemon oils are for cleanings, not so much wood conditioning- normally anyway, but I'm sure theres some exceptions out there.