Tips for beveling fret ends on bound necks?

[Steve A.]

I just replaced the frets on two guitars with bound necks but I thought I better check with the experts here on beveling the fret ends.

It takes longer to prepare the frets as I cut and file the tangs fret by fret but I think it will be worth it. BTW these import guitars don't have binding per se- it's more like there is a solid plastic box that surrounds the sides and bottom of the fretboard.

Steve Ahola

P.S. These are two brand new guitars that I screwed up in June learning how NOT to do leveling and recrowning.

[Paleo Pete]

I didn't read the whole page, but this guy is pretty good and he should have some good tips.

Refret Technique

Here's the main page, long list of links to very good info, one of my favorite guitar sites

FRETS.COM

[Steve A.]

Frank Ford is great but that link doesn't address fret ends on bound guitars so I've been winging it. (I couldn't connect here earlier today but the problem could have been on my end because there were other sites I could not connect to as well- strange!)

I found some good advice on this site ("don't screw up the binding!" )

Installing the Frets in a Fretted Stringed Musical Instrument

Mr. Mottola goes through all of the steps of building a guitar.

Thanks!

Steve A.

[Paleo Pete]

Gotta dispute that, check link # 25, "Finish Fret Corners", top of the page. If that's not what you're asking, I misunderstood you.

Looks like a pretty good link you posted too, I'll have to bookmark that one...

[guitician]

I think stew-mac has a foil thing with a slot that you expose the fret end through that allows you to dress the ends of the frets without damaging the binding. Never used one myself, I just tape the hole neck up with masking tape and work carefully. I've started really rounding the piss out my fret ends like old fenders. Makes them feel much nicer.

[Steve A.]

Gotta dispute that, check link # 25, "Finish Fret Corners", top of the page...

You are absolutely correct- I was looking at a different section. Fret corners? I was scanning the page for "fret ends"...

I like #28...
>>> 28. Buff frets by hand, using Micro Mesh. Starting with 1500 grit, working up to 12,000 grit, I can polish the frets quickly and easily, sanding at about 45° across the fingerboard. With each successive grit, I reverse the angle so the sanding scratches cross each other. It takes only about ten seconds per grit to do the full sequence. For years I was too cheap to buy the Micro Mesh kit. I know better now. The small 3” x 3“ pieces I use for buffing frets will last me about 6 months. <<<

I was just now going to recommend MicroMesh on my Krazy Tips thread as a great replacement for steel wool (which is really nasty shit!) The sheets I have are 3" x 6" and cost about $4 each. I use the 1500, 1800, 2400, 3200 & 3600 grit which is as smooth as I need for my own guitars. To protect my $20 investment I paid 75¢ for a 3 1/16" x 1 3/4" diameter plastic jar to store them in. Or you might have a pill bottle around that size...

Steve A.

[Steve A.]

Never used one myself, I just tape the hole neck up with masking tape and work carefully.

Just a heads up that LMI sells masking tape that is cut to 3/4", 3/8" & 1/4"- $10 for the 3 rolls or an extra $10 for some sort of dispenser(s). Unless you are already ordering something from them it is cheaper to get just the rolls from their eBay store. The tape is not as sticky as 3M but it us much less tedious than screwing around with 1" tape. (I run a strip of 3M over the tape ends to hold them in place.)

Steve A.

P.S. To answer my original question I used the fret end bevel block from Greece that cost $48, but less aggressively than I would use it on an unbound neck. It has two files, one at right angles and one at a 35 degree angle. I just now figured out that the two files have a coarser side and a finer side. D'oh!

I also learned that you don't have to hold it flat against the fretboard- you can hold up the end a bit to get whatever angle you want. (I screwed up a few fret jobs by using the 35 degree bevel when a less sharp angle was called for.)

[Paleo Pete]

I didn't read down to #28, I read the whole thing long ago but couldn't remember all the details.

For polish, I use either Cratex or the foam board fingernail files. Both work well, fingernail files come in some pretty fine grits, and the extra fine cratex is good for other things as well, I keep it in my gear bag mainly for buffing burrs out of bridge saddles. I do the same as above, masking tape and work carefully. I haven't had to do a complete refret job, but I usually dress the ends after leveling and crowning. Same foam boards and cratex work for polishing then too. I found out about the fingernail files from a good friend and guitar tech in north Louisiana when I lived there. That's what he used, and when I first saw it, he was finishing up a fret job doing exactly what this thread is about, dressing the ends... I had a source at a resale shop to get them 20 for a buck, new, bought him a couple of bucks worth in every grit I could find. Been using them ever since.

Almost posted then realized, I used the fingernail files on my Takamine when I replaced the nut too. I was not happy to discover they used a plastic nut on my $800 guitar, (I got it used for $350) and when it broke I replaced it with bone, the finest fingernail files I have did a nice job of buffing it smooth once I had it shaped. Same process, start with coarse, work up to fine grit, alternate directions.

One thing though, when sanding wood, always follow the grain, never go across. With metal, plastic or bone no problem though.

[Steve A.]

I found out about the fingernail files from a good friend and guitar tech in north Louisiana when I lived there. That's what he used, and when I first saw it, he was finishing up a fret job doing exactly what this thread is about, dressing the ends...

I've used the foam backed emery boards but made up my own gluing various grits of sandpaper to tongue depressors with rubber cement. For dressing the ends of frets I really like the special tool from StewMac. It is $13.44 and very small (I thought that they left it out of the shipment because I didn't realize it was so small.) It has very fine double-cut teeth so it cuts in both directions. You could use it for shaping and crowning frets as I saw in a YouTube videos.



STEWMAC.COM - Fret End Dressing File

They also have a fancier version for $44.78 each for wide or normal frets(ouch!).




STEWMAC.COM - Concave Fret End Files

Steve A.

P.S. I keep hearing how you should use a file card to clean files but that only applies to the ones with coarser teeth. I read that a brass brush works better for the fine files used on frets and it works for me. I haven't tried using chalk yet which is supposed to help keep the teeth from getting clogged up. In reading about diamond grit file they say that they work better when lubricated but I had to dig around a bit to figure out what to lubricate them with... diluted dish soap.

[Paleo Pete]

I've used file cards for years, and when I don't have one handy a wire brush will do, and a finer wire brass one does work pretty well for smaller or finer tooth files. Many people don't know that except with double directional files you should never drag them back across the workpiece, forward only. That dulls the file dragging backward... when the guy in our machinist class said "there's a right way and a wrong way to use a file" I thought he was crazy...Oh come on...but he was right...

Good to know about the soap thing, I never knew a diamond grit hone could be lubricated that way, always wondered. I always use oil on Arkansas stones but didn't know if or what to use for a diamond one. I don't have a file type but do have a diamond sharpening hone, works great. Just used it to take out a small nick in a knife blade a day or two ago...indispensable little critter...

Strange...I'm on a guitar/electronics forum learning about tools...