I’m shaping the banjo neck I just fretted. I love these Stew Mack files. They cut fast and true. One is curved and one flat. I use my belt sander to take off the edge of the neck then start filing. It only takes about 5 minutes to round things nicely.
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I just used my new fret end file from Stewart-MacDonald. It’s a tiny thing but potent. It rounds the beveled end of the fret taking off burs and sharp angles without harming the fretboard edge. It has two sharp files on each side with two smooth sides to ride the board edge without damage. I love it. Now i’ve Got about 100 guitars to fix the fret ends. :D)
good comments Brian. Thanks. I have a very nice fret template from Gitty. It’s plastic but very well designed. The aluminum Stew Mac sound great.
Check out their fret files too Dave, they’re equally awesome? People always complain about the price of stewmac, but they don’t sell cheap tools, they sell tools for guitar professionals who care about their craft, another gem their is the aluminum fret templates? Looking good Dave!
That dragon file is awesome Beetle. I drool over it. I just need Money. So I just drag on...
AGP. I don’t have a spoke shave. I’d like that too. My shop is so tiny, I’d need more room to have a bench and wood stay to hold the neck. I used to do all the shaping with my belt sander. Too much dust in the eyes. These little files just make shavings and I can hand hold the neck.
Router and Spoke Shave Man myself Dave, a bit less work than straight filing on the mainly Hardwood Necks I use, but as we say each builder has their own preferences and ways of doing things, and there in lies the beauty of what we do, each to their own :-)
I have those exact start mac files...they are great...you should buy the big "Dragon file" they sell...you feel like you can carve a house from a tree trunk in 30 minutes..its great!
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I just used my new fret end file from Stewart-MacDonald. It’s a tiny thing but potent. It rounds the beveled end of the fret taking off burs and sharp angles without harming the fretboard edge. It has two sharp files on each side with two smooth sides to ride the board edge without damage. I love it. Now i’ve Got about 100 guitars to fix the fret ends. :D)
good comments Brian. Thanks. I have a very nice fret template from Gitty. It’s plastic but very well designed. The aluminum Stew Mac sound great.
Check out their fret files too Dave, they’re equally awesome? People always complain about the price of stewmac, but they don’t sell cheap tools, they sell tools for guitar professionals who care about their craft, another gem their is the aluminum fret templates? Looking good Dave!
Hi Dave - I’m challenged with files alone - nice work! I start with a spoke shave then tidy up with files.
Wow. I need to get some of those.
That dragon file is awesome Beetle. I drool over it. I just need Money. So I just drag on...
AGP. I don’t have a spoke shave. I’d like that too. My shop is so tiny, I’d need more room to have a bench and wood stay to hold the neck. I used to do all the shaping with my belt sander. Too much dust in the eyes. These little files just make shavings and I can hand hold the neck.
Router and Spoke Shave Man myself Dave, a bit less work than straight filing on the mainly Hardwood Necks I use, but as we say each builder has their own preferences and ways of doing things, and there in lies the beauty of what we do, each to their own :-)
I have those exact start mac files...they are great...you should buy the big "Dragon file" they sell...you feel like you can carve a house from a tree trunk in 30 minutes..its great!