Rolling fret board edges............how to....

[Superbeast520]

This is in response to WarmothRules, question in the hardware section of another thread,

here's what I did, Im sure there may be other ways so maybe others can shed some light on their methods, but what I did was go to home depot and buy one of those very,very fine sanding sponges, I used the one with the angled edges,(I also sanded some other stuff prior to using the sponge to take off some of the sand and bite so it wasn't too agressive against the neck) and some blue painters tape.

first I taped the top of the frets and neck leaving barely a 16th of an inch uncovered along the fret edges then I sat down indian style and held the neck straight up and down with the but end on the floor, and in a sawing motion (perpendicular or in the same direction as the frets) I sawed back and fourth very lightly but very quickly and gradually worked my way up and down the neck edges, from top to bottom and bottom to top.

(whats nice about using the edge of the angled sanding sponge is it wraps itself around the neck edge just a tad so you get the desired roll with out having to try and create it yourself.)

Checking frequently, to make sure I wasn't taking too much off, or getting too wild against the fret edges, as it dosn't take alot to get that worn feeling to the neck, as a matter of fact visually it will be very slight, remember its about the feel not the look.

after I was done and it felt where I wanted it I rubbed some nice wood oil into the whole neck to remove any slight abrasion marks and walla, rolled neck edges.

sorry but these are the only upclose neck pics I have where you can see the end result after rolling the edges.

 

[RLW]

Thanks for the pics and explanation. This seems to be one of those jobs where patience is the most important factor.

 

[Superbeast520]

...Yes RLW, patience is definantly a Key ingredient in the entire build process, there have been alot of,(oops moments I've read about on here where a little more patience would have saved some heartache) ie: broken screws,bad finishes, using alternate methods to a problem instead of taking the time to get the right parts or buying the best right out.

and most importantly, what has saved me alot, was taking the time to do my homework and asking others on here and other places and using the net to inform me of things I previously had very little knowledge. This site is a godsend to us less than pro builders :icon_thumright:

 

[SkuttleFunk]

this is how most builders apply the rounded edge after fretting - but I don't like the uneven feel this method produces.

on my custom builds, I use a sanding block and 150 then 200 grit sand paper to round the fretboard edges prior to fretting then neck. I find it rather easy to dress the frets so that they don't feel so lumpy like they do when rounding the fretboard after the neck has been fretted.

of course if you're purchasing a fretted neck from Warmoth you won't be able to do this

all the best,

R

 

[WarmothRules]

cool I just saw this now. Thanks for the info buddy.  :guitarplayer2:

 

[WarmothRules]

This is in response to WarmothRules, question in the hardware section of another thread,


first I taped the top of the frets and neck leaving barely a 16th of an inch uncovered along the fret edges then I sat down indian style and held the neck straight up and down with the but end on the floor, and in a sawing motion (perpendicular or in the same direction as the frets) I sawed back and fourth very lightly but very quickly and gradually worked my way up and down the neck edges, from top to bottom and bottom to top.

(perpendicular or in the same direction as the frets) So a right and left motion or up and down? Is the fretboard facing you or away? The neck is strait up and down with the heel on the floor? Does rolling the frets really make a big difference?

 

[Superbeast520]

In the same direction as the frets,so right and left motion, with the neck pointed skyward, so the neck is placed but down, straight up and down facing away, I also flipped it over and placed the headstock on the floor for the other end of the neck, again this is what I did, wether there are better ways ?  maybe, but I found this yields excellent results.

  I bought stainless frets, and was careful to make sure I went slow and easy, so I didn't have to take too much off, so as to keep the bumpy feeling to a minimum, .....keep in mind you can use a file to dress the fret ends should you feel a few sticking out more than you want, I think I may have done this in a few places, its been a while so I don't remember all the tweaking I did.

Most importantly, keep in mind it dosn't all have to be done in one sitting, I would play on it for a while and come back to it when I felt there were spots I wanted to feel a bit smoother.....and again, rolled edges are about comfort not a certain look, it shouldn't take much to round or roll the edges.

I can't imagine playing on a neck that dosn't have rolled edges now that I have, and again, dress the frets accordingly, there should be no sharp edges or frets tearing at your hand or fingers.    :icon_thumright:

 

[jumpinjackf1ash]

hey superbeast 520, do you have any pics of that guitar completed? it is beautiful. what kind of woods were used?

 

[guitlouie]

Hey jumpinjack,  Beast hasn't posted here in a while, but he had the whole saga of his masterpiece laid out here:

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=50.0