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Frets fitting loosely into slots

Posted by Michael Zack on March 30, 2017 at 1:27am in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Aloha all. Haven't posted in awhile, which means things have been going smoothly, until now.

Using a new C.B. Gitty fret saw, I cut my slots as always, excepting I have a new fret wood, sapele, that I am trying out. As I started laying in the fret wire, it almost press fit into the slot, without hammering. Every slot, not like I just made a sloppy cut on one or two slots.

I had only one choice, gluing in the fret wire, something I never do. In the past I have been using mostly koa or mango for the fretboards, without encountering this problem.

I measured the thickness of the fret saw blade compared to my old, dull one, and they were basically the same.

Has anyone else had a situation like this occur? At this point I am assuming that the sapele has more of a tendency to tear out, but I'm just guessing. It's a very nice wood and I would like to use it if I can figure out the solution to this problem.

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Replies

  • JL March 30, 2017 at 7:21am

    troubleshooting basics, change 1 thing at a time till it works

    101: try a scrap of a different type of wood, cut a slot exactly the same way and install a fret from the exact same batch of fret wire.  If its tight, its the wood, it its loose its the slot or the fret's tang

    102: the same cutting technique, and a fret wire from a different batch.  it its tight now, it was the old fret wire tang, if its still loose its likely the slot

    103: try to improve your slot cutting technique to not wander/waver/see-saw using a better rig.  If its tight now you're golden, if its still loose your saw might be the culprit.

    • Michael Zack > JL March 30, 2017 at 1:41pm

      Thanks, JL. You are right about the troubleshooting basics. After "fretting" about it all yesterday, I am doing exactly that this morning.

  • darryl kernaghan March 30, 2017 at 1:45am

    Don't get Sapele here Michael, but i can say some woods definitely grip frets better than others, tear out on such a fine tooth blade would be a bit odd, all i can suggest is make sure your saw is not rocking side to side as you cut, opening the kerf etc, also , maybe a bit of beeswax or olive oil on your blade might help, but check to make sure it's compatible with whatever finish you intend to use first, i do know others have used sapele for fretboards, and don't recall hearing of this issue with sapele particularly. Pretty sure when everyone wakes up, someone will give you a better answer.

    • Michael Zack > darryl kernaghan March 30, 2017 at 2:10am

      Thank you Darryl. I think you are probably right that the saw may be rocking side to side. I am using a Gitty fret mitre box, and the saw sits somewhat loosely in the slot of the box. I am thinking I might be needing a more sophisticated fret mitre box to hold the saw more tightly. The saw buzzed through the sapele very quickly and I may have just gotten a little cocky at how easily it was going through the wood and was careless.

      • Ron "Oily" Sprague > Michael Zack March 30, 2017 at 5:16am
        All cheap, even aluminum or steel, miter boxes have a little play in them; otherwise, they'd bind the saw. Try using a try square instead of the miter box. Clamp the square down, along with your fretboard,keep the saw blade in contact with the square, and don't force the saw in your rush to complete the task, but let the saw do the work. If you're worried about tear out, use blue painter's tape on your fretboard, and mark your fret locations on that, then cut right down through it. Your fretsaw should have a kerf no more than .023"; anything larger, and the fret tang won't bite. You can use any of the good wood glues or a couple drops of PVA if your frets are still wobbly due to not keeping the saw blade straight and true. I doubt it's the wood.
        • Michael Zack > Ron "Oily" Sprague March 30, 2017 at 1:39pm

          Thanks, I always appreciate your thoughtful comments. I'm going to try the square.

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