So as you can see there is some fingerboard missing. It broke off while I was trimming the heel on my router. Any suggestion on fixing this. I have over come a lot with this neck already and don't think this is the end of the road. I'm sure there's a way. I had a few thoughts. The first was to bind it then fill the gap with glue and ebony dust. I could always rout a deeper channel and put thicker binding but that's a last resort. Because I really hate the way recording king banjos look. My last thought would be sell it to a luthier and start over. Any one else have some help they can offer boy I would love it! Thanks.

Eddie

P.S. if that last resort comes to play, it's a curly maple neck with ebony overlay and cap, double cut peghead. Flat heel cut. If I get it fixed it will turn into a 2 piece heel cut. Thanks.

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  07:52:36            

can you cut a new piece of ebony to take up that last fretboard block that is broken? The side binding will hide the glue line and the fret itself will separate it from the rest of the board. if the grain don't match or it's overly visible, perhaps you could us a "mastertone style" inlay block on that last fret space to cover the majority of the fretboard space. Just an ideal :) Good luck amigo

HIKE FASTER I hear a banjo...

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  08:05:52    

Is it going on an open back or resonator Banjo? If it is an open back, just scoop it. If it is a resonator, I'd go with 5string's idea.

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I came into this world with nothing... and still have most of it left.

Life is like a Purple Antelope standing in a field of Tuna Fish.

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  08:06:02  

Is it possible to cut that section off where the last fret lays? Then you could put the new fret over th spot where it is joined. Binding will hide the seams on the side. By the way I never made a banjo part in my life so I may be way off.

Lonesome will

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  08:29:44          

quote:

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Originally posted by jmack1745

Is it going on an open back or resonator Banjo? If it is an open back, just scoop it. If it is a resonator, I'd go with 5string's idea.

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I came into this world with nothing... and still have most of it left.

Life is like a Purple Antelope standing in a field of Tuna Fish.

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Posted - 11/03/2009 :  09:32:50        

Any chance you can find the chip(s) that the router bit tore off? I would expect it flew off and landed somewhere. If so glue it back to the side of the fingerboard where it came from. Carefully sand it true with the edge of the board where the binding will go. Put on the binding and finally fill any slight imperfections in the surface of the fingerboard with fine ebony dust and super glue. Sand flat and you should be good to go.

Otherwise you could carefully sand the chipped edge flat and glue on a sliver of ebony and then do the above as if you were able to find the missing chip.

edit - When stuff like this happens, and it does to everyone, try and look at it this way.

“What makes a great craftsman or woodworker is the ability to make mistakes invisible – what makes a great craftsman or woodworker an artist is the ability to make a mistake look like an intentional part of design.”

Brian

"The choice between the banjo shop and a firearm is largely dependent on the season and the weather."

Edited by - RBuddy on 11/03/2009 10:22:00

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  10:24:44    

I have sucessfully repaired things like this before by filing down the chipped out area
on an angle getting it very flat then gluing on a pc of like wood (ebony in your case) that has the same flat surface that will mate so you won't have any visible gap where the glue joint is.
After it sets, carefully shape back the wood to the fingerboard profile and clean up the edge re-setablishing the binding slot.
You will be amazed how hard it will be to detect when sanded back smooth.
Don Bryant in NC

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  10:46:06      

I'm with Bryantde. You could cut a small rectangle out of the fretboard that encompasses the defect (down to the binding seat w/dremel?) and then cut a matching piece of ebony to glue into the rectangular shaped notch you have cut to remove the defect. Then file and fill gently, as needed. Should be very close to being unnoticeable. You could also do the angle patch idea above with a dremel diamond rasp bit, and slow deliberate movements.

"Blue Skies and Smooth Sailin"

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  12:51:55    

Bryantde is right... that will work and will be hardly noticeable. I just recently did the same process on some veneer that chipped away from a work edge, while using a router. After the repair, I even had a hard time finding the spot, and I knew exactly where it was!

"Those who never... try never will!"

BNJOMAKR

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  17:22:27    

New guy, but I vote cutback to fret slot, or a hair past. Replace with block of ebony. Fret hides joint on top. Binding or very careful shaping and the lesser polishing of the edges will make it invisible-an inlay will further distract-a block with your name, or engraving. o'l

"Don't pick it; it'll never heal"--with apologies, that always makes me grin.......... "I'm not crazy, I'm colorful." Struther Martin, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  17:28:00              

I'm with Lefty, cut out that whole last frets worth of fingerboard and put on a new piece of ebony, stain the whole thing black, and nobody will ever know.

P.S. Have a Nice Day!
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Posted - 11/03/2009 :  19:52:47        

Eddie

Excuse me for being blunt but cutting off the last half inch of the fingerboard is doable but way more work than necessary and you'd have to re-establish the last fret slot in the process. If you can't find the chip that the router tore off. Then just make the chipped area flat with a sharp chisel, file or sanding block. Whittle a little ebony wedge to fit, glue it in place and sand it back to existing surfaces. If it isn't perfect fill any imperfections with ebony dust and a drop of superglue and sand again. The repair is simple and easy. No need to start sawing away at the 99% of what is already perfect.

Just keep the grain direction as close to what is there as possible and the repair will be next to if not invisible.

Brian

"The choice between the banjo shop and a firearm is largely dependent on the season and the weather."

Edited by - RBuddy on 11/03/2009 19:55:16

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  23:27:01      

Eddie:

I'd look at this as an opportunity. How about some nice abalony binding set between the white binding and the fingerboard on both sides? I wouldn't loose any sleep over it as it should be a real easy repair job.

Bill Rickard

www.banjo-workshop.com

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs every day.

And there's also a bad side."
-- Hunter S. Thompson

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  03:27:59          

Thanks for all the replies. I wish I had read the post about finding the piece that broke off before I started working to fit a new piece in. No worries though. I started straightening up that angle with a sharp chisel and I'll work a new piece into it. Should I just use wood glue to glue it in? Thanks for all the help.

Eddie

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  03:35:43    

Or cut a scoop in the neck and lose the whole thing.

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Have you hugged your Banjo today ?

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  04:17:32    

Yes Eddie
Use Titebond wood glue to glue it in...
Take pains to file (sand) the chipped out place flat and on an angle placing the 2 pcs together and until the seam on top is totally a closed up line and you should not need any filler as the seam line will mate up fine and tight if both surfaces are flat where they are glued.
This repair will be easier than you think....and nobody will never notice it unless you point it out to them.
I had a mahogany stage 4 neck blank from FQMS that had a chipped out place on side of neck at top where it mated with the fingertboard and I patched a small pc of like mahogany with same grain orientation and it was invisible when done.
I have done the same thing to chiped off edges of ebony overlays as well.
Don Bryant in NC

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  04:54:52          

Thanks Bryan. I already angled it up...I need to find some ebony scrap now. I think it should be pretty simple to do. Thanks again every one.

Eddie

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  05:35:56        

Eddie

With such a small piece you could even use superglue to glue the chip back. And fill any gaps with ebony powder and follow with a drop of superglue.

And Bill had a great idea! Just what I was getting at with the quote at the bottom of my first post. If your repair doesn't come out perfect a strip of abalone on both sides just inside the binding would add a nice bit of glitter at the end of the board. Now your minor error looks intentional. Good one Bill!

I don't know how many times I've chased chips of wood around the shop, I speak from experience.

Brian

"The choice between the banjo shop and a firearm is largely dependent on the season and the weather."

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  08:06:03    

Maybe put in a brass or abalone nameplate that says something other than "Mastertone."

I got some tunes up on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/flatfoot50

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  08:29:59    

eddie,

I would give this a try:

with a sharp chisel try to remove the wood toward the fret slot and carefully following the grain. when you have a flat surface to work on, try to shape a piece of ebony to glue on so that the grain pattern of both the fretboard and the piece you're gluing on are precisely matched.
Of course the piece have to be cutted so that you have extra material on every side of the fretboard. When the glue has cured you can then file and sand the corner back to his original shape. You should also refurbuish the fret slot.

ebony has a great capacity of hide repairs, if you're precise in shaping the patches with the same running grain of the surrounding area. Sawdust mixed with glue also helps filling the voids, if any.
It looks to be a StewMac fretboard, you should have scrap wood from the round cutting at the heel.

This is what I would try, but if you don't feel confident with chisels and files and generic woodworking, you'd better find a different way...

Cheers
Fabio

Fabio
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Posted - 11/04/2009 :  09:28:31    

I might be tempted to build a dam around the chip, fill the resulting cavern with ebony dust and then flood it with CA then sand smooth. If the rest of the fingerboard is stained black it would hardly be noticable

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  09:31:39    

I might be tempted to build a dam around the chip, fill the resulting cavern with ebony dust and then flood it with CA then sand smooth. If the rest of the fingerboard is stained black it would hardly be noticable

Posted - 11/08/2009 :  07:31:11          

All fixed. Once I bind it you'll never know! Thanks to every one that helped. Don thanks for the phone call to make sure I got it! That helped.

Eddie

Posted - 11/08/2009 :  09:31:19    

Good job Eddie!
Don