Sharp Fret Ends. What Tool?

[JaySwear]

So I recently got a new electric in the mail. I had a $50 gift certificate and ordered a Sterling Silhouette Sub3. Really cool guitar! Amazed at the quality for a $200 cheap-o throw around guitar. Also, I've avoided tremolo systems like they're the plague, but the cheap 2 point trem on this guitar seems to work great! Probably the most pleasant surprise about it.

My only issue: the fret ends are sharp! I've seen much much worse. But after acclimating after shipping they're still a little pointy. Can somebody link me to some files I can use to cut down on this? :icon_biggrin: Thank you!

 

[Patriot54]

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Fretting.html

 

[JaySwear]

I saw that page but there are multiple files that look like they may work. I guess if one works they all could potentially.

 

[bagman67]

This one, I think?


http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Fretting/Fret_End_Dressing_File.html




There's an accompanying how-to video starring everyone's favorite big-name guitar repairman, Dan Erlewine.

 

[Hbom]

You could probably get most of them to work but I would go with
1st item #1175
2nd #1704 or 05 depending on size.
The three corner Fret Dressing Files #1601,02, 03 are great and more versatile around the shop but would take more care in shaping.

My 2 cents. (currently worth about $.013 in 2012 USD)
:rock-on:

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I don't think I've touched one EB/MM guitar under $1500 that didn't have the same problem.

 

[Cagey]

My only issue: the fret ends are sharp! I've seen much much worse. But after acclimating after shipping they're still a little pointy. Can somebody link me to some files I can use to cut down on this? :icon_biggrin: Thank you!

It depends on why they're sharp.

If they've never been dressed, then the Fret End Dressing File is the thing to use. That, in combination with some gradually increasing grit stropping using these 3M Polishing Papers cut into 1" wide strips will fix 'em up nice. Be a good idea to tape the neck off to protect the fretboard. It's slow, tedious work, but the results are worth it.

The other reason they can be sharp (even if they've been dressed) is if the neck has suffered the Dreaded Fret Sprout.

What happens is after the neck is in a low-humidity environment (at least, lower than where it was built) for a while, the neck wood shrinks. The metal of the frets does not, so they end up wider than the neck, giving the impression they've grown or "sprouted". It can be pretty uncomfortable.

If you have a humidifier on your furnace and the house is up around 40%-50%, you may be able to just wait and the thing will smooth up on its own. If not, you need to take a flat file after the fret tangs on the side of the neck. Once you've got 'em knocked back, you gradually sand the thing smooth again using some gradually increasing grit papers.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

You'll find the "neck sprout" a lot on maple fingerboarded EB/MM's.

 

[Cagey]

Yeah, Maple's funny stuff. For as hard as it is, it can pretty squirrelly.

 

[pabloman]

Happens all the time here in Colorado.

 

[Updown]

Same Q I asked a while ago, and here's Cageys great advice about it.  :icon_thumright:
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=20080.0

 

[stubhead]

Are you coordinated around tools and intelligent? I mean, you are on this forum, so it almost goes without saying.... For most of a decade now, I've been doing that sort of work with varying grits of wet/dry abrasive paper. No "file chatter", no file lines... a few whiles back, I did score an amazing assortment of gunsmith files off the bay -
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-F-L-Grobet-SWISS-PATTERN-FILES-2-Nicholson-1-AM-Swiss-in-Heller-Tool-Case-/110975838656?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&nma=true&si=Svl1Rnx3KWRVRuZzOE5%2BjhljM18%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

But I'd still end up with the paper. The coordinated & intelligent part has to do with A: being able to see what you are doing, which may take varying degrees of lighting and magnification; B: Dealing with the shrapnel, which in this case will be little tiny pieces of highly scratchy aluminum oxide that do an even better job on paint and lacquer than they do on fret ends. And as always, having a clear picture of the end result works better than just whaling away on it for a while. I can't imaging a fret end job that would need any coarser than 320 grit to start with. And before you start, write down all of the fret ends that need work, and which ones need a lot, and pick out a few fret ends that DON'T need work - these are your exemplars, to try to duplicate - the idea is to bang through the whole thing from start to finish without changing grits over and over (& over) for each single fret end. Use the 320 to get them all even, the 400 to smooth them - I would skip the 600, in this case - then the 1500, then ask yourself if you really need them to gleam immaculately, which can be done is several different ways.

I personally would use a shield and not tape off the neck, but you really need to be tracking your shrapnel intently for that sort of daring-do. And if you can't SEE the stuff - 10X, like - no tool can DO the stuff well. It may take a few hours, because you don't want to go fast until you've gauged the effect of each step - you may be surprised at how soft frets really are, in the face of sandpaper. But then, you're not it a hurry. If you are, you shouldn't be doing it in the first place. You have the whole rest of your life to NOT say "ouch!" every time you play that guitar...