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| Tutorial for fretting bound f/b? http://www-.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=4527 |
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| Author: | L. Presnall [ Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:33 pm ] |
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Hey guys, anyone out there know of a good tutorial (video or on-line) for fretting a bound f/b? I'm going to be doing my first shortly and just need a confidence booster...TIA. |
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| Author: | Andy Zimmerman [ Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:42 pm ] |
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I don't know of one, but it isn't that difficult. I bind all of my fretboards. BUT the tool from Stew mac to cut the tangs off is priceless for this job. Actually around $40 http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/ Pullers,_nippers,_sizing/Fret_Tang_Nipper.html I just measure each fret out and cut the tangs off . You want the tang that is left, to fill the length of the slot. I leave it a bit short so that when the fret expands out to fill the slot, there is enough room. Personally, I press mine in with an attachment for my drill press. Snip off the ends and round off. (FB is not on the neck) |
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| Author: | LanceK [ Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:44 pm ] |
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Larry, Check out Tim McKnights fretting technique in the jigs tools and techs section. The only thing different is the need to under cut the tang with the nippers I was telling you about. Its really pretty stright forward. |
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| Author: | tippie53 [ Sat Jan 14, 2006 3:01 pm ] |
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There is a better way . First the tang nippers are a great tool for this job , the 2nd thing is a jig to hold the bound board. A plywood board 4 by 24 with a rail that will wedge the board. I use this to bind the board , true the binding and then fret so I don't knock the binding loose as I fret. May be a marketable jig . If you need more info email me and I will see what I can do to help yours john hall tippie@epix.net |
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| Author: | L. Presnall [ Sat Jan 14, 2006 3:56 pm ] |
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Thanks guys...I actually bought the nippers a while back...seemed like a must have for the coming days...do you measure the fret to fit exactly as in Sylvan's hemi technique? Or just overhang and cut flush afterwards as in an unbound f/b? My real worry is messing up the finish on the f/b edge with my 30 degree bevel file...I'm probably missing something due to my Alabama public education! 
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| Author: | Bobc [ Sat Jan 14, 2006 5:10 pm ] |
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Larry why are you fretting after the finish is on? |
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| Author: | Colby Horton [ Sun Jan 15, 2006 3:47 am ] |
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If you fret after the neck is attached and the finish is on, you can get the fingerboard dead level by sanding with sandpaper taped to a level. I do it this way and my fret jobs are much better. |
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| Author: | David Collins [ Sun Jan 15, 2006 4:15 am ] |
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I strongly agree with Colby here. If a larger shop is using well established, tested and jigged to the gills techniques, they can get away with fretting the instrument before it is finished and fully assembled. I just really don't think that this is a realistic goal for most smaller builders who do not have the perfectly consistant procedures locked in. The best way to ensure a perfect fret job is by leveling the board after full assembly. This way most of the little things that could cause minor inconsistancies are already past, and you can level the board with much less risk of things changing. The hump at the body joint is one of the most common major problems I see from small builders, and the easiest way to remedy this is to wait to level the board and fret until near the very end. Larry, I always recommend using a very fine file for the fret ends. This way it will stop cutting when all the high points are gone. A good clean fine cut file should simply glide over the finish with barely a scuff once everything is level. I've never heard of Sylvan's technique, but cutting the length perfectly before installation sounds quite unrealistic to me. |
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| Author: | Brock Poling [ Sun Jan 15, 2006 4:24 am ] |
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Or you could finish with the neck already attached.  
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| Author: | L. Presnall [ Sun Jan 15, 2006 6:13 am ] |
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Bob, what Colby and David said...  Plus, I learned quite recently that I need to pay more attention to leveling the f/b after fitting to the guitar and before fretting...the OM with the broken truss rod nut ended up being a full refret...I think the neck was mistreated in the repair shop's attempt to get the rod out...it plays better now than when I delivered it to the owner the first time! And, as David said, I don't even wanna think about cutting frets exactly to length before installation! The question arose because I sent this guitar to Tony to finish and it was unfretted so I could level the f/b and fret when everything was all done...now, I gotta stay off the f/b edges when I flush/bevel the fret ends... 
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| Author: | Bobc [ Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:06 pm ] |
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It seems to me that the problem getting a flat fingerboard is the hump at the 14th fret. Tackling that problem seems to be a better solution than intalling with the hump and sanding the top of the fb flat. Doesn't the bottom of the fb still have a hump? what does that do to the bottom edge of the fb binding? Maybe I'm all wet here. 
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| Author: | Kevin Gallagher [ Mon Jan 16, 2006 11:16 am ] |
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Fretting is one of the last steps I perform on any guitar. I always set the neck and then allow it to completely dry and settle on the body before fretting. This allows the whole neck joint area to stabilize and any small hump that may show itself to be taken care of at that point. The glue being introduced to the neck joint area presents all of its water content to be absorbed and can cause a small amount of swelling. I then level the entire length of the fingerboard to provide a straight approch to the bridge prior to fretting. I also over bend my fret wire for bound boards slightly more than may be typical to give a good radius for forcing and keeping the ends that are over the binding and not anchored in a fret slot down. I'm assuming that you'll be gluing your frets into their slots. If you're not planning to, you really need to reconsider and glue them in. It makes for a much better fret job and longer life for the fret job as well. The glue never presents a problem in the event of a refret in the future since a few seconds of contact with a soldering iron will soften it and allow easy removal of the frets again. A hump is not an uncommon thing in guitars from some of the rpoduction houses. Taylor never has a problem anymore since their latest neck joint provides a consistent approach surface from the nut to the end of the fingerboard over the body...or better yet, in the body. Other large builders till fret the fingerboard before it is even on the neck and a hump at the 14th fret is a high percentage occurance and is dressed out of the fret height itself. When you nip the tangs to clear the binding, be sure that you have as much of the tang in the slot while still leaving enough room for expansion and contraction of the board to avoid having the frets push the binding off. I've seen lots of guitars that were fretted with too little room and their binding was being pushed off over the entire length of the fingerboard because of humidity being lower than in the build environment. Regards and have fun, Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars |
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| Author: | Laurent Brondel [ Mon Jan 16, 2006 12:01 pm ] |
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[QUOTE=Kevin Gallagher] I'm assuming that you'll be gluing your frets into their slots. If you're not planning to, you really need to reconsider and glue them in. It makes for a much better fret job and longer life for the fret job as well. [/QUOTE] Do you use CA or white glue in the fret slots? |
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