Finished my first batch of fretboards rather than purchase elsewhere. Overall good except for some high frets after checking with fret rocker tool.
What is most efficient way to correct? Saw video using a crown file with fret protectors, and also just tape with flat file and sandpaper.
Replies
It's a good idea to chamfer the top of each fret slot with a few strokes of a three square needle file to help the frets seat properly
I'm glad I read this thread. What are you using for a rocker? I have an old tri-square with a broken head and thinking about cutting the ruler into various lengths to accommodate different spaced frets. Thanks for the tips. This answered the question I posted at an earlier date about fretting before or after gluing on the board. I guess I wasn't specific enough with the question. Thank you once again for your expertise. This site is a treasure trove for information!
I have been buying my fret wire in a 6' roll to save on waste. I was thinking about making a jig to precut to length and dressing the ends to deburr, because all my fretboards are the same, good or bad idea? Cutting individual frets off the roll is a PITA to start with and goes downhill from there!
Hi Will, re your rocker question. I use something with a hard flat surface so that when I rock I can hear any slight click, click sounds, either side of the high fret. Here its a 12'' steel rule cut up to suit different instruments scale lengths.
Here's a photo of my rockers. made before the one piece rocker was available from Stewmac.
Sorry for the delay answering.
Taff
Congrats on your first fret job. It gets easier the more you do it.
As a point of procedure, I recommend that the fret board be mounted on the neck before any leveling. This is for obvious reasons.
Before grabbing a file, check the following:
1. Are all frets fully seated in their slot? If you can slip a fingernail under the "T" section of the fret, it is not really seated. This could be due to a slot that was not deep enough or it may just need to be pressed down to full seat. I usually clamp a piece of hardwood over the fretted fret board and clamp down fairly tightly with as many camps as I can fit on the press board. This should ensure that every fret is equally bedded in.Let things stay clamped for about a half hour before re-checking with your rocker tool.
2. take a broad tipped sharpie and draw a line across every fret. This will act like machinist dye so you can easily see high spots.
3. Glue some 400 grit sandpaper to a straight piece of hardwood. Very lightly sand over the frets so you can see the high and low spots. Do not try to remove a bunch of fret material (it's very easy to do). You just want to see which frets need work (i.e. shiny).
4. You can use the same 400 grit sandpaper glued to a narrow edge of hardwood (3/4" or so) and carefully dress the high areas. Use your rocker tool often and when you think you have it. apply the sharpie again and make a final light pass over the frets to ensure they are all level.
5. If you want to crown the frets to get rid of any wide flat spots, I suggest that you use masking tape to cover the fret board. It takes a few minutes to apply but is worth the time so you don't end up with gouges.
There are some good crowning files as well as edge files for frets. Use them very lightly. Frets are not very hard and you can go overboard in an instant. Slow and gentle with get ti done.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, but explaining it takes more time than just doing it.
Good advice
I made a tape mark showing the frets that rocked, about four, then for the first board used a triangle file back and forth checking frequently with rocker.
They all appear level but will add 400 sandpaper procedure and check the results.
One thing I discovered is the first trial order of fretwire was arched which makes leveling more difficult since my board is flat, the batch of bulk wire was flat and doesn't appear to have as many high spots.
Hi, Brent, curved frets are not a bad thing. Normally a fret is radiused differently to the radius of a fretboard, it would be slightly higher. They do nead more attention when being fitted.
The idea is to tap the outside of the fret down, then as the centre of the fret is seated the ends move outwards, embedding the barbs on the tang of the fret. I don't go to this trouble on CBG necks though.
Tims suggestion of having the fingerboard glued to the neck prior to fretwork is important, especially if the board bowed while tapping in frets.
Taff