Dressing Fret Ends

[Bob Connor]

Craig asked my how I did the frets on our last guitar so here it is.

I've always found it difficult if not impossible to get the fret ends dressed consistently when they are attached to the fingerboard.

So for this last guitar I bought a fret vice from Luthiers Cool Tools and dressed them all before installing.

The vice cost $15 but you could easily make one in about 15 minutes.




Firstly measure and cut all of the frets and nip out the tangs the required distance.

Turn the fret vice upside down so that the tang is facing up.

Round the end of the fret with a wide file.

Turn the fret back over and round the top of the fret ends to your desired shape.

Polish with sandpaper starting at 600. I finished them up to 12000 micromesh.

Measure your fret and repeat at the other end.

If you make one too short, set it aside and use it on a narrower part of the neck.

And it should turn out something like this.



If anyone would like some more detailed pics of the fret vice I'll post them up next week.

Cheers

Bob

[Serge]

Neat job Bob, yes i would like to see pics of the vise next week please, seems to work nicely. Thanks!

[Rod True]

Those fret ends look great Bob. So you pre-shape each fret in the fret vise, pull them out and install in the fb. Do you install after attaching the neck and leveling the board, that way you shouldn't need to level the frets at all. Is this the procedure?

The other thing I really want to know is how you keep the white in your purfling lines white when sanding?

[Rod True]

Those fret ends look great Bob. So you pre-shape each fret in the fret vise, pull them out and install in the fb. Do you install after attaching the neck to the body after finishing is done, than level the board, than install the frets? That way you shouldn't need to level the frets at all. Is this the procedure?

The other thing I really want to know is how you keep the white in your purfling lines white when sanding?

[Rod True]

Hey, I thought I was editing the post not quoting.

Were did my edit button go???

That's it, I'm outa here

[Bob Connor]

Whoops. That was me Rod.

Edit button has resumed normal operations.

We press the frets in before the fingerboard get glued.

I didn't have too much trouble with sanding the purfling. The finer the grit the cleaner it got.

They have a very light spray of shellac

Cheers

Bob

[BillyT]

Very, very clean looking! Thanks Bob! I've seen that kind of treatment before and wondered how it was done!

[Hesh1956]

Very nice Bob! I really like the clean look that you have achieved here.

[Kim]

Me too, seem it would be a lot easier than trying to futz around with them when already fitted to the fretboard.

Thanks Bob, a follow up with detail of the vice would be good value for all and assist anyone doing an archival search down the track.

Cheers

Kim

[Craig]

Yeah ,they look so nice . I don't think you can get them that tidy looking , doing them on the board . Good job Bob !

[BillyT]

If anyone would like some more detailed pics of the fret vice I'll post them up next week.

Yeah! That's me!

[Alain]

Bob, that is very cool! I will give that a try for sure. I too am never totally satisfied with the results, plus that 'bullet' shape is out of sight!

Thanks M8!

[Dave Anderson]

Very Impressive Bob! I would like to see more pics of the fret vice and this procedure.
I am going to give this a shot on my next! Thanks.

[Arnt]

I like that, very neat. I guess you could also puposely cut the frets a hair short of the fretboard edge, so they won't stick out if the fretboard shrinks with humidity. Up here it is usually not 'if' but 'when', the 'when' being during winter when every room in the house gets heated and humidity drops close to single figures... I have seen this technique described elsewhere, but I haven't gotten around to trying it myself yet. Thanks for the reminder, I'll do it on my next!