Official Luthiers Forum!

What's your favorite fret file to use on classical frets. I've been using the Stew Mac offset diamond fret file and I feel like it does not have a tight enough radius.
I used to use the Gurian 3 in 1 file from LMI, but I dont seem to be able to use it without getting chatter marks.

Another question. With the writing upright on the Stew Mac offset file....is the narrower radius on the top or the bottom. I can look at it until my eyes are crossed and both sides look the same to me.

I thought they were the same. I use that file as well, and it's definitely too flat for filing the tops of the frets, but it works ok if you file each side separately like you would with a triangle file.

EDIT: Just checked the StewMac page, and it really does say the two sides of the file are different. Lemme go take a look at mine...
EDIT2: Still looks the same to me.

It's hard to tell, but one of them is definitely narrower. I made markings on it with a sharpie so that I wouldn't have to look each time.

It is a bit wide profile. Does anyone treat Frets on a classical differently?

New username, same Pat Mac

_________________
Pat

I've been using a couple of flat mill files and rounding the tops with various grits of sandpaper for over fifty years and uniformly had compliments on my fret work. Used to do the same with the occasional steel string refret. Customers always seemed satisfied. Nowadays we don't do repairs except for our guitar customers and never work on steel strings.

You can work the crown with cantsaw files with the edges made safe on the grinder, as we do for very narrow wires. Stewmac sells these already safed, but a few minutes on a belt sander will handle the job for nice Nicholson U.S. made cantsaw files as linked below, and a Skroozon handle will be a lot more comfortable than the built-in SM item (although clearance over the body is a bit less). Either 6" or 8" cant files work well, and like a mill file, are single cut. The shoulders of the fret can be worked with the angled faces and the top of the crown with the flat. For really narrow stainless wire, like the 0.040" stuff from Jescar, this file works quickly and provides a clean cut.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nicholson-6-Cantsaw-File-Cant-Files-New-in-original-box-6-Pcs/123526289176?hash=item1cc2bd9718:g:AecAAOSwE~1cBsxD:rk:2:pf:0

A faster, more consistent solution for us when the wire is between about .060" and .095" wide is the StewMac dual grit medium width or narrow width diamond files...the cranked blade puts the handle in the palm of the hand and is more comfortable than the offset diamond file or the new Z files, especially for those with smaller hands. If worked to 300 grit (each file has 150 and 300 grit sides), the usual P400/P800/1200 wet/dry papers and a good power buff with an 8" low speed grinder running sewn muslin cloth wheels and medium buffing compound finishes the job.

Safety and comfort-wise, gel-padded fingerless bicycling gloves are hand-savers for fretworkers, although there seems to be nothing that protects nails other than full gloves.

_________________
A constellation only takes shape when one maps the whole.
- Beth Brower

I've got the Gurian and rub a piece of chalk in the teeth before using. Stops the chatter-marks for me.

Woodie, I'm looking at the Stew Mac dual grit diamond files. If my fret is .080" wide and crown height is .043" which file do you think I should get...#4454 narrow or #4455 medium. The Stew Mac website says simply medium and narrow with nothing about what size frets they would be good for. Thanks.
Wendy

We use the medium on most classical fretwork, but the narrow sees use with some of the narrower wires (< 0.080" width) that come in on a few older instruments. I would say the medium file should work, and the angled blade and palm-style grip makes rolling the file a bit to tweak crown shoulders possible, just as with straight file styles.

Of the sizes of dual grit diamond files in this shop, the fine and medium seem worth owning for a committed hobby builder or part-time repair person, while the wide differs from the medium primarily due to having a little deeper channel, so used much less frequently. If I were on a moderate budget, I'd buy the medium size and a cantsaw file, relying on the cantsaw file to handle everything too narrow or too wide for the medium dual grit tool. As Mr. Shelton mentioned, abrasives handle some of the shaping - mostly softening the crown shoulders a bit - and as much of the polishing as appropriate, given the shop's other equipment.

_________________
A constellation only takes shape when one maps the whole.
- Beth Brower