Edited ,First time fret job

[auscab]

The edited version

I have just installed my first twenty frets into my ebony fret board,

slots were initially cut with the Stewmac blade on my table saw,fretboard then glued to neck, hammered in with some hide glue,

I have a slight bow back ,

I notched an oak straight edge and measured with a feeler gauge, the high point is at the 9th fret, at the 1st fret and the 14th it has a gap .18 mm so I guess its called a .36mm bow ?

What would be the best solution to this, and is it a normal thing to see happen ?


cheers Rob

[jeffhigh]

Yes this can happen
There are a number of fixes
Firstly, what sort of truss rod do you have, single or double action?
If double action all you may need is to adjust
If single action, is it fully released?

Sometimes just clamping the fretboard onto the bench with a shim under the high area so it bends forward will be enough to get the fret tangs to seat more fully.
Sometimes you will need heat.
Has the fretboard dried out fully from the glue application and cleanup?

[auscab]

The truss rod is single action, it is fully released,
and the glue is dry,it was glued last Saturday.

[jeffhigh]

I meant the hide glue you used in fretting and the wiping with a damp rag to clean up squeezout.
Is the fretboard back to normal humidity from that.
Try the clamping technique I suggested above.
A notched straightedge should not be necessary, measuring the tops of the frets is fine.

[auscab]

Thanks Jeff,
not sure about humidity level of the fretboard,it
probably is still up a bit, I just went and did what you said with
a little heat, I will leave a while and then have a look.

If it does not come out,do you think it will be fine to some how jig
the fret board straight then crown the frets, it would then go back
when taken out of the jig, but when strings go on would the .18 at
each end be over come enough by string tension enough to get good neck relief ?

[jeffhigh]

No, you will want to get it straight before you level and crown the frets
Hoping that string tension will pull out a backbow is wishful thinking.

[Allen]

I've had this happen to a repair job and my solution was to shim in the appropriate places, taking care to add soft padding so as not to mar any finish or wood if necessary, then clamp down with just enough force to start to move things. Then use heat via a hot air gun or what have you. Just enough heat to make it uncomfortable to touch for more than a few seconds. You need to go gently on this as the surface can get hot, but it won't penetrate. You want it to penetrate.

Then I let it cool and set overnight. Worked a treat for me.

[Puff]

A thought.
Using HHG in the slots - into end grain - has perhaps swelled and lengthened the grain fibres and then 'reset' them at this new length.
Bow the fretboard into a more pronounced back bow. Ease the frets out ( a hot needle eased through the bottom of the slot) and resaw the slots. Pop the frets back in using CA.
Hide glue is very powerful stuff in terms of what it can do to wood. Take a thin veneer and size just one face for proof. Tubular bells

[auscab]

Thanks for the suggestions gent's,
I gave it a go with the heat gun this morning after Jeff's advice, a shim under the third fret at the back of the neck,heat with the heat gun down across the frets ,then a soft piece of cypress pine on top of the ninth and clamped it down , pulled it out after half an hour , it came out with a slight change for the better,

Second go I gave it a bit more heat, the frets were hot, then clamped it down with a little more shim, left it for 15 minutes ,took it out and it was dead straight , this is with the notched straight edge resting on ebony, put it back in its case for about 7 hours checked again at 5. 30 , perfect. thanks again for the good tips

cheers Rob

[jeffhigh]

Glad it worked out