Refret Question
- Thread starter davegardner0
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davegardner0
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Oh sorry I wasn't clear. I meant for grinding down the sides of a triangular file, sort of like TonyFlyingSquirrel described. I actually bought a set of triangle files from the hardware store a little while back for this exact purpose. When I tried this method a long time ago I removed 1 sharp edge from the file with sandpaper but it wasn't enough and didn't come out looking very good. I'm thinking the belt sander will help me do a much better job...
Yes I could buy the stew-mac version, but, I kind of want to at least try the technique first and I already have these other files on hand.
Yes I could buy the stew-mac version, but, I kind of want to at least try the technique first and I already have these other files on hand.
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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I don't trust the belt sander not to grab the file & send it through the air as a high speed projectile, so I "crown" the corners like I would a fret, with the flat side of the file laying down on the bench, & the corner topside.
It's a lesson in patience, but I get the precise results that I like because I feel that the Stew Mac ones don't have enough smooth surface to them. Just my personal preference is all.
It's a lesson in patience, but I get the precise results that I like because I feel that the Stew Mac ones don't have enough smooth surface to them. Just my personal preference is all.
S
swarfrat
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Relax folks - I bet you were thinking:
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davegardner0
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Well I got to work with my belt sander and successfully made a rounded edge triangular file. It worked great on those fret shoulders! It took me a few frets to really figure out the technique, but I can definitely see why some people like them for crowning instead of the concave files.
So after giving the frets the correct profile, I sanded and polished them from 220-2000grit and then with my dremel and some simichrome polish. To be honest, I think I did a functionally good but not cosmetically good job... I don't think I spent enough time with the 220grit removing the file marks from the sides of the frets. The tops of the frets where the strings contact are super smooth and polished, but the sides look kind of weird and rough.
Also (related), that part of the fret job sucked! It took forever and wore out my fingers, and I didn't even spend enough time to do it right. I'd love to hear the method you guys use to take the frets from crowned to playable, especially if it avoids tons of sanding with a little piece of sandpaper across the frets.
So after giving the frets the correct profile, I sanded and polished them from 220-2000grit and then with my dremel and some simichrome polish. To be honest, I think I did a functionally good but not cosmetically good job... I don't think I spent enough time with the 220grit removing the file marks from the sides of the frets. The tops of the frets where the strings contact are super smooth and polished, but the sides look kind of weird and rough.
Also (related), that part of the fret job sucked! It took forever and wore out my fingers, and I didn't even spend enough time to do it right. I'd love to hear the method you guys use to take the frets from crowned to playable, especially if it avoids tons of sanding with a little piece of sandpaper across the frets.
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Cagey
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Wrapping polishing papers around a concave crowning file allows you to pretty much clean up the whole fret at once with just a few swipes. I go through the green, gray and blue and things look about as good as a set of nickel/silver frets, then I get into the micromesh to really shine 'em up.
davegardner0
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That's a great idea!
I'm guessing you need a flexible sandpaper to conform to the concave surface of the crowning file though? What kind do you use? Also what grit do you start with to remove the file marks?
I'm guessing you need a flexible sandpaper to conform to the concave surface of the crowning file though? What kind do you use? Also what grit do you start with to remove the file marks?
Cagey
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I don't use "paper" as much as it is a cloth - it's these polishing papers from 3M...
The green is the coarsest, and is similar to a 400 grit, the grey 600, the blue 1200, on up to 8000 grit. They don't cut the same way sandpaper does of the same grit, and they don't work on materials the same way. For example, these won't do hardly anything to wood, but they'll make metal shine like glass.
Anyway, you cut some 1" strips, wrap one around the file, and use it to progressively bring the frets to where you want 'em to be.
The green is the coarsest, and is similar to a 400 grit, the grey 600, the blue 1200, on up to 8000 grit. They don't cut the same way sandpaper does of the same grit, and they don't work on materials the same way. For example, these won't do hardly anything to wood, but they'll make metal shine like glass.
Anyway, you cut some 1" strips, wrap one around the file, and use it to progressively bring the frets to where you want 'em to be.
davegardner0
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Gotcha! Luckily I actually have some of those papers already, I've used them up to the finest grit to rub out gloss finishes. They're great for that application, and I'm sure they'll be good here too.
Once I muster up the patience again I'll re-do the polishing on these frets... For now though I've strung up the guitar and it plays really well. I have some spots on the neck's finish that need to be polished out to a gloss again, and the nut slots are too high still, but things are coming together. there are no buzzing frets so I think everything is level, I'm really happy about that.
Once I muster up the patience again I'll re-do the polishing on these frets... For now though I've strung up the guitar and it plays really well. I have some spots on the neck's finish that need to be polished out to a gloss again, and the nut slots are too high still, but things are coming together. there are no buzzing frets so I think everything is level, I'm really happy about that.
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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I uses the same type of papers, works wonders on frets.
davegardner0
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Well I tried the crowning file + 3M paper method and WOW! Life changing. (well, almost...) It turned my least favorite part of the process into a quick and enjoyable job. Thank you Cagey for that tip!
Here's how they looked after going through the polishing paper grits, and then hitting them with some Simichrome polish and dremel. Oh and I cleaned up some glue spots and other weirdness on the fretboard with a cabinet scraper.
Like I was asking about earlier, I filed the ends of the frets until the file just started to dig into the finish. So I was left with some non so glossy spots on the sides of the neck. So I used the same 3M polishing papers and then some Novus #2 polish to bring the sides of the neck back to a gloss finish. That wasn't too hard to fix!
So now things are looking really good, I'm calling this refret a success. The guitar plays really, really good with no detectable fret issues with the fret rocker and no buzzing strings. I'm thrilled! It really brought life back into this guitar.
Thank you all for the help!!!!!!!!!! It was a really fun project.
Here's how they looked after going through the polishing paper grits, and then hitting them with some Simichrome polish and dremel. Oh and I cleaned up some glue spots and other weirdness on the fretboard with a cabinet scraper.
Like I was asking about earlier, I filed the ends of the frets until the file just started to dig into the finish. So I was left with some non so glossy spots on the sides of the neck. So I used the same 3M polishing papers and then some Novus #2 polish to bring the sides of the neck back to a gloss finish. That wasn't too hard to fix!
So now things are looking really good, I'm calling this refret a success. The guitar plays really, really good with no detectable fret issues with the fret rocker and no buzzing strings. I'm thrilled! It really brought life back into this guitar.
Thank you all for the help!!!!!!!!!! It was a really fun project.
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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It's the difference between them feeling like small pieces of metal, or feeling like glass!
davegardner0
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TonyFlyingSquirrel said:
Absolutely! I really, really love that about SS frets. Bending is just a feeling like nothing else. Especially with these jumbo frets (about 0.055" tall), my fingers don't drag too much on the fretboard either. the tallness probably wouldn't appeal to a player with a heavy fretting hand, but for me I love it.
I'm not sure if I'll do it next or practice again first, but, I really want to upgrade the frets on my G&L Comanche to stainless. They're pretty worn, and I chose nickel when I bought the guitar only because stainless was a $400 upgrade (1/3rd the cost of the guitar!). The guitar originally had the same size frets as I used here (Jescar 57110), but I had to get it leveled and crowned twice right when I got it because of some issues from the factory, so I've never really been able to play it in its originally form like I'm feeling on my Strat now.
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