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fretting
http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=14969		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  jonhfry [ Sat Dec 15, 2007 3:34 am ]
Post subject: 

I have one fret slot in a zircote fretboard that I don't want to discard that is slightly wide.


It is just wide enough to make it annoying, the fret sits well except at one end.


What kind of glue would work well to glue the fret in?


I know some have said they use glue and others don't,
I am trying not to use it at all, but I think in this one slot, without it the fret will just not sit right.
Author:  DP LaPlante [ Sat Dec 15, 2007 5:11 am ]
Post subject: 
5-minute epoxy plus clamping is fine. A little heat from a solder iron will also aid in removing. 
Author:  TommyC [ Sat Dec 15, 2007 5:12 am ]
Post subject: 
John, I think people use several types of glue. If I remember right,
Cumpiano smears a dab of aliphatic on the tang. Don Teeter uses epoxy,
and Dan Erlewine uses epoxy and CA. If it is only "slightly" wide I think that
thick CA would work fine. I alway wick a bit of the thin stuff into the fret
ends.
Author:  jonhfry [ Sat Dec 15, 2007 5:45 am ]
Post subject: 

Thanks,


I am still wet behind the ears, but have a couple boxes done.
I feel confident with all aspects of building the body and carving the neck, but man, fretting is really humbling me.


When you say wick a bit of thin stuff in the ends, I am assuming you mean in a not-binded fret board? and are you doing this smooth the transition that is then apparent, or doing so for anchoring purposes?
Author:  TommyC [ Sat Dec 15, 2007 6:08 am ]
Post subject: 
John, yes an unbound fretboard. I press my frets and they seat really nicely,
but I wick a little of the thin stuff using a pipette for anchoring insurance. It
only takes a drop and a couple of seconds. Don't use too much or it will run
out the other side and create a big mess (learned the hard way). I learned
the trick from Erlewine.
Author:  TommyC [ Sat Dec 15, 2007 6:13 am ]
Post subject: 
Should of asked before I posted the last. What part of fretting are you
having trouble with? I used to fight with a backsaw and a stewmac box but a
couple of fretboards ago I got a stewmac circular blade for my table saw. I
built a little sled and now I can slot a fretboard in about 15 minutes.
Definately the way to go. I have never hammered so I don't know much
about it. Intuitively I don't like the idea of it but many fine guitars have been
made using hammered in frets.
Author:  JohnAbercrombie [ Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:39 am ]
Post subject: 
Jon-
Fretting is tricky, and you're not alone in having some little problems like this.
That's why we're all supposed to spend a few dozen years doing repairs and refrets before we are allowed to build guitars, I guess.

Don't hesitate to use some CA to anchor that fret end down. It helps if you can arrange some way to hold the fret down, then run the CA in, assuming you are not going to remove the fret.
If you've been messing with the fret, it might be better to pull it and put a fresh piece of wire in there- you can also 'ding' the tang (a little bit) to make the end grab a bit better. If you have some spare wire and some scrap hardwood, a bit of practice will help. You can use a little bit of epoxy in the slot if you are putting fresh wire in. Using Titebond in the slot is more in the area of lubrication than really holding the fretwire in place, in my opinion- that's what I do.

Some of these 'fret end' problems are caused by rounding over the fingerboard edge, but that doesn't sound like the problem you have.

You can clean up any excess glue with a single-edge razor blade (scraping) if you have squeezeout. Sometimes this is easier than trying to wipe away the squeezeout, which can leave a 'smear'.

Cheers
John
Author:  Jim Kirby [ Sat Dec 15, 2007 2:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
John - I believe (someone will certainly correct me if I'm wrong) that Don Teeter was an early proponent of cutting wider slots and gluing in the frets with epoxy as standard procedure. This obviously hasn't taken hold the standard method, but it's clear that if a fret or two need the treatment, that's not a problem.
Author:  Rick Turner [ Sat Dec 15, 2007 2:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
You can also toughen the end grain in a fret slot with thin superglue, and it may hold a hammered fret better. You can also wick superglue in next to frets with a bound 'board, and then just clean up any excess with superglue solvent. And yes, John, this is a perfect example of why I advocate for repair experience, though you obviously disrespect my position on that. As a repair tech, you run into every problem there is in fretting, refretting, and fingerboard fixing. Someone who is starting out building may get to fret three or four fingerboards in a year. That's not enough to learn to do the task under real world conditions.
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