New fret file for stainless job easy

[Ed_Chambley]

Hey anyone interested in doing their own fret work, I just tried a couple of new tools and installed Stainles Steel Jesscar frets, leveled, crown and polish. These 2 tools cut my time in more than half.

[Ed_Chambley]

The first a fret file. Best one I have ever used. Crowns stainless like nickel silver it doesn't wear out like others. Warning, it is not cheap, but it is worth it.


This next photo is simply side cutters that have been ground flat and  a hole ground to allow the fret inside the jaws, but there is absolutely no wood tearout.

[Ed_Chambley]

This completed in just over 2 hours. New As frets and restrung, even set the neck angle.

[Ed_Chambley]

Careful removal with no tear out of the wood from the tangs makes installing the new frets a breeze.

[dude]

This completed in just over 2 hours. New As frets and restrung, even set the neck angle.

Hey Ed, that's a clean fret end, nice job. I have had my hand in a few re-frets but the only way to get those fret end slightly rounded on the edges, for me, is using a small three sided file with one edge ground flat as not to mark the board while rolling over the ends, time consuming for me. Complete fret job in two hours, I need to pick your brain.


When I use the nippers to cut the new fret ends even with bd, I always seem to distort the ends (twisted them sometimes). I cut them perpendicular to the bd. with nippers. How do you handle the overhang. Or do you cut them to exact width first before installing? Use a press, fret hammer, slide method. Fill me in if you have the time. I really like the finished slight bevel on the ends and a narrow bevel at that, gives more fret length, nice. That neck is exactly how I like my frets. I like Dunlop 6100 or (Stew-Mac's match), big and fat, great for bending. Never used stainless, wonder if the tone is different...?


al 

[Ed_Chambley]

No, I do not cut to size. I like to make sure the new tangs do not align where the old ones were.  I use a fiberglass cut wheel and if binding I will trim and overhang the binding. Then round over the ends. Helical I believe they call it.


Bolt on is where it is fast. Remove and if you have no tear out, which I do not. I mark the fingerboard with light white grease pencil in a zig zag. In this case I was installing a 9.5 radius neck on a Thin line. I use 320 wet sand on  12 in lon 9.5 radius standing block. When the white is gone, board is flat. Luckily, this one was. Sometimes you have To refinish. I do on mine and this one is mine. The new neck and a Nice amber  color. So ready for install.


I use a press and one drop of CA glue at the center of the fret. I always coil the frets with a little more radius. The old radius blocks are cut and used to press the fret. By the time you areready for fret 2, one is séated. And so on until will are there in place. To avoid pop ups the glue works well.


To cut to size on the ends, I put a Thin strip of metal like a feeler gauge. I cut them from .005 metal sheets. These get put under the overhanging frets. Again, the cutting wheel. The metal strip protects as you cut from the bottom up and now you have a very slight overhang. Big file, now this thing is covered in Kraft tape, which I prefer as it is much tougher than blue tape. Take them to the tape with a file.


I have a round over block cut with a 30 degree I sand the edge. Mark the frets with a sharpie. Sand flat 320, till almost all gone and switch to 800 so when gone I have an easier polish coming.


The file for crowning will get the ends fine. Mark and crown. Buffing wheel, remove tape and install.


The 2 tools work very well, and actually will more than cut my time in half.

[jjasilli]

I too use a triangular file, and a flat file to crown frets - both with safe edges. 


This is my season for guitar maintenance. I'm looking to upgrade. Just got a heavy duty 24" level.  I'm in the process of truing the flat edges (and maybe shortening it to 18") to use as a fret leveling tool with stick on sandpaper.


1.  Am curious about the benefits of making a Dan Erlewine style neck jig, like the one Doug has posted on the Library Pages.  Is this really worth it?  Overkill?


2.  To make a notched straight edge I have some long, 1/4" thick aluminum bar lying around.  The notched straight edge's I see are only 1/8" thick.  Is 1/4" too thick?

[Ed_Chambley]

A straight edge is a strait edge.  Slot it and use it.


I made a couple of more tools.  I use a 'V" block for the neck and have leather installed in it.  I have different height boards for under it to raise it up for acoustics.  I even made some wedges for those funky guitars.  On a set neck guitar, I cover the whole body and actually strap it down.  Then I raise the neck v block to hold it steady.  This is just for either fretbaord leveling or fret leveling.  For fret leveling I have 1/4 inch aluminum, 2" wide with a T welded to the top.  I made 4 different lengths so each I could cover all the frets on different instruments.


I start with 500, 320 leaves too many scratches for me.  Black marks and then none.  On some guitars that I do play often above fret 14, I add .002 thick stick back before the sandpaper so fret 14 to 21,22 or 24 get a little more off the top.


For bolt necks, I just have a plate that screws on them.  C clamp to a table and put the neck V under it.  Mainly, letting the tools do the work and making sure you are level to start.


I did the D-45 this weekend.  Just a setup, compensated bridge and polish frets.  The frets were level once I got the truss rod freed up.  That took a few days.  The trick is to take the bolt out and put penetrating oil on it if it has been sitting without turning for 20 years.  The 3 of the frets had a little ding in it, they no longer do.  The ebony board looks new and smooth.  Set the nut the same height of the first fret and put the bottom of the strings at fret 14, just under 3/32", almost 1/8.


Now let us see if I can keep from dinging it badly.  I am hard on guitars, but I no longer use expensive ones to play away from home.


Thing now plays as good if not better than Tony Rice's Martin.

[jjasilli]

 

[dude]

Hey Ed, thanks for giving a the details on your fret job. I'm late with the thanks, got the flu. I can tell ya, wash your hands, it's killer, still barking...  


al (aka, the dude) ha... My kids gave me that name when I went to a halloween party as the dude many years ago,   

[Ed_Chambley]

Hey Ed, thanks for giving a the details on your fret job. I'm late with the thanks, got the flu. I can tell ya, wash your hands, it's killer, still barking...  


al (aka, the dude) ha... My kids gave me that name when I went to a halloween party as the dude many years ago, 

Sure, lots of folks seem to be suffering with the same.


White Russian anyone.