Great thread spacey.

How did you cut off the ends of the frets after they were installed ?

I've never done this but I would have thought you'd cut them close before installing.


EDIT : I just found out about fret cutters. Makes sense.

Thanks Paul.
I rest the fret cutters squarely up against the neck. It cuts them
close enough so it doesn't take a lot of filing to get flush.
I say "squarely" because I try not to bend the tang or twist it when cutting.
If they're going to show I sure want them to be straight as they can.

One wants to clean that wire too. I use Naphtha but anything to get any oil
or junk off of it.

 
 

Spacey,
That sure looks pretty.  Thanks for sharing.  Love the photos of your progress.

 Nice looking work Spacey. Would an ebony or rosewood capped neck pose more of a problem? I'm guessing this is hard rock Maple. 

 

Thank you Richard. Sure glad it's being enjoyed.

Thanks Star. That is a good question and yes this one is Maple.
I haven't refretted Rosewood or Ebony but I'll try to give an answer...
With the wire having barbs, directional barbs, designed to bite into the wood
and help prevent it from raising out it's probably safe to say that there is going
to be "damage" to any wood.

The techniques one uses to remove them could make all the difference in the world.
Just as I heated the first fret I pulled to soften any glue- and found out that it was a
step I didn't have to do.
The right tool, the fret puller and using it ...etc.

So if one does the "normal" steps and we know there will be damage it's knowing how
to deal with it.
I was told when I started that half of being a luthier is knowing how to work your way out
of problems. With that thought it's simply a matter of being able to recover from any damage done.

I had two major points in my favor- one, the frets weren't glued. The other is that I was going to be changing the radius. Even though I would be sanding I wanted to make sure
that any chips were dealt with. I didn't want any small pieces that were outside of the fret crown area to get away.
There were two and I immediately CA glued them back into place before continueing.

With Ebony one can use fine sawdust and make pretty nice repairs. It is also so hard that
it chips easily. It doesn't really show grain unless you really look close...unlike the other two woods.

I guess I can't say one would pose more of a problem Star. I think the deal is to be able to
address whatever may be needed with whatever wood it is.

 I like your approach Spacey. Anything that isn't right the first time has a solution and the solution is usually straightforward. This one idea is what makes any attempt worth it and no need to fear it . In this case there aren't huge sums of money involved and even if it was a total disaster you could chaulk it up to a learning experience. Doing is often the best teacher. 

Rosewood can be pretty chippy as I found out working on my daugher's Strat.
Thank god for super glue.

I'm sure there are different kinds of rosewood which probably plays a role as well.

The 'real' rosewood on my old wordworking tools is pretty resistant.

Have you sprayed it yet Spacey?

Haven't got the materials yet Mike.

I've been talking with some luthiers about it. Surprised by their suggestions too.
They all suggested different material and doing it before fretting.

I'm sticking to my guns. I know the original finish wasn't done before the frets.

With luck I'll have the stuff by this weekend. If so I'll start Sat. morn. and hit the sealing
clear coats and let them set-up. Monday eve. it should be good to attempt the tinting coat(s)
and more clear.
I'll try to get pics of the steps...or my stumbling lol.

I received one can of Reranch clear nitrocellulose and one can of tint.

A "coat" is 3 light passes.

I sprayed one coat of clear-waited half hour and sprayed one more coat. ( Friday eve.)
I sprayed 4 passes of the tint and let it set for an hour and then sprayed 1 coat of clear. (Sat. morn.)
I'll wait 3-4 hours and spray another coat of clear - I'm pleased with the tint- If I wasn't I'd apply a few more passes.
I plan on getting two coats today and one tomorrow. Then it'll set for weeks before I buff it.
A clean environment is a plus-one does not want to touch the clear coats.

This is nasty stuff. I used a filter mask.




I don't have experience with spraying but I know that many rattle cans spit and drip- this
performed fantastic and I didn't have to heat them.

So far...no regrets.
With the remaining coats I'll be aiming to hit the edge more trying to finish areas aroung the tangs.
Some/most have been covered- still some areas around the heel.

The nitro will shrink and be easy to remove from the frets so after it cures I'll clean the frets then
buff the finish/frets and make a new nut. I put the old one in to keep the slot clean.

About $45.00 for finish and $10.00 for fretwire...priceless fun and experience. Hope the trip has been good for you all too.
Oh yeah...about 5 for a nut....sheesh...always something.