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  • Very cool ideas - thank you! This has been very helpful indeed.

    Dave V said:
    Usually doing the frets first has a tendency for the fretboard to "back bend" from the stress of the frets being wedged into the wood. I would think this would make it difficult to glue properly. I've always seen the fretboard glued first, then the frets are installed (not exactly "hammered" that implies something like a carpenter's hammer and a lot of banging)

    Resting the neck on a beanbag (lead shot bags work great) prevents damage as the frets are "tapped" or "pressed" into place with either a soft face hammer or press.
  • Dave,

    Interesting theory.... I've done it both ways and never had any trouble gluing up the fretboard after fretting. I've settled on fretting first so that if I screw up a cut or something, I've only messed up the board, not the whole project....

    the best,

    Wichita Sam

    Dave V said:
    Usually doing the frets first has a tendency for the fretboard to "back bend" from the stress of the frets being wedged into the wood. I would think this would make it difficult to glue properly. I've always seen the fretboard glued first, then the frets are installed (not exactly "hammered" that implies something like a carpenter's hammer and a lot of banging)

    Resting the neck on a beanbag (lead shot bags work great) prevents damage as the frets are "tapped" or "pressed" into place with either a soft face hammer or press.
  • Usually doing the frets first has a tendency for the fretboard to "back bend" from the stress of the frets being wedged into the wood. I would think this would make it difficult to glue properly. I've always seen the fretboard glued first, then the frets are installed (not exactly "hammered" that implies something like a carpenter's hammer and a lot of banging)

    Resting the neck on a beanbag (lead shot bags work great) prevents damage as the frets are "tapped" or "pressed" into place with either a soft face hammer or press.
  • thx - duhhhh. Much appreciated.
  • That was CGN :-) nation
  • I would install frets before gluing for two reasons:
    • Hammering the frets in can mar finish on your neck: you don't care about the backside of the fretboard.
    • If you screw up the fretting, its way easier to fix (or start over) if you haven't glued it down.
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