Fret installation issues

[archaic]

Well I'm close to finishing my guitar, yet I've hit a problem. So far I've been trying to install the frets into my guitar using a warrington hammer and a radiused-block, but none of the frets seem to want to install properly, either sitting loosely, or not at all. The fretboard I have is a rosewood 25.34" scale bought from Luthier Supplies, with the fretwire from Stewmac.

One of the teachers at my school, who has built a guitar before recommended to widen the slots slightly. If anyone can help me with this issue I'd appreciate it greatly, or even showing me a store that could do just the installation for me, as I've gotten a little tired of looking at the fretwire for so long.

[jeffhigh]

I dont know what a Warrington hammer is, but are you trying to seat the fret by hitting a radius block placed on top of it? Normally you would directly hit the fret, preferably with a plastic headed hammer.
I prefer to press frets in now.
No comment on widening the groove without seeing it.
Where abouts are you?

[kiwigeo]

Run a micrometer over tang of fret and then check width of fret slots on fret board. Alternately file the barbs of the tang of a piece of fret wire and then run the barbless tang along the slot..it should slip into the slot without too much resistance. If it wont go into the slot then again the slot is undersize. This is the method I use to check depth and width of my slots after Ive sawn them.

If frets aren't seating properly and you're using a radiused block then I'd suspect the radiused block isnt a perfect match for radius of fretboard. The fretboard may have a compound radius in which case the radius will change along its length. Ive never seen frets knocked in using a radiused block.....some people use a radiused caul or like me just hammer them in with a dead blow hammer.

Ditch the block and knock a fret or two in with a fret hammer and see what happens. If fret wont seat then you know the slot is the problem.

[kiwigeo]

I dont know what a Warrington hammer is,

I think its the same as a cross pein hammer. NOT the best hammer for knocking in frets. Ditch it and get a dead blow fretting hammer.

[Allen]

Have you eased the tops of the fret slots to aid in getting the frets in? You can use a small needle type file to just put the slightest chamfer on the top of each side of the slot.

As for widening slots, no idea without a good look and some measurements.

[nnickusa]

I use a 28oz estwing framing hammer, with a dead-blow technique....ie: let the hammer "fall" onto the frets, don't smash 'em. Works for me, but then I use the estwing for everything, and always have, so I know it very well.....

I'd gues the radius block, maple most like, will still be too soft to get enough pressure on the frets. Does it have a series of parrallel grooves in it now?

[archaic]

I'm on the Northern beaches, I've been trying to find a dead-blow hammer locally, I'll have to check again on the weekend.
Yes, the block does have some grooves in it now, I also tried a clamping method without much luck. The fret-wire doesn't slip nicely into the slots, but once I widened them 0.023" fret slotting saw they seated well into the slot. The main problem was that they didn't stay in position.
I'll look into purchasing a dead-blow hammer sometime later this week, and see how it goes.

[archaic]

Actually, are there any hammers you would particularly suggest for this, or will most dead-blow hammers be fine?

[simso]

I actually use a rawhide hammer, they are hard as and really do not mark the surface of the frets.

It definetly sounds like the fretslot was not wide enough to accept the frets you had chosen.

The frets should be a good press fit, any tighter and you risk introducing some back bow into your neck, any looser and they will fall out, add a touch of superglue to the tang prior to fitment or your choice of glue.

That being said you can also widen the slot so the frets sit in loosely and glue the frets in (float on a bed of glue), not my preferred method but there are those that swear by it, and Ive had guitars come in that had the frets fitted this way and trust me, they were in good and tight.

[Kamusur]

I use a 28oz estwing framing hammer, with a dead-blow technique....ie: let the hammer "fall" onto the frets, don't smash 'em. Works for me, but then I use the estwing for everything, and always have, so I know it very well.....

I'd gues the radius block, maple most like, will still be too soft to get enough pressure on the frets. Does it have a series of parrallel grooves in it now?

"Noow that's what ye call a hammer" Used to tire me using a 24oz, pass me a toffee breaker now.

Steve

[peter.coombe]

Mmm. I gave up on Stew Mac fretwire many years ago. Even with Stew Mac supplied slotted fretboards the fretwire is a cow to get seated. Switched to Jim Dunlop fretwire and fretting went from being a nightmare to a pleasure. Ditch the Stew Mac fretwire, get some Jim Dunlop wire, and get yourself a dead blow hammer. You will notiuce a massive difference.

[MBP]

When fretting I use two radius blocks. The first is a smaller radius and hits the outside in. Then the second is slightly bigger than the fretboard radius. Then I just tap the frets with the hammer to make sure they are down.
I use a copper hammer. I imagine you can get them at a lot of places.

If you hit it first with the same radius block as the fretboard they wont go in as well as with both blocks.

I just use fretboard offcuts for the radius blocks.