Warmoth's update fret work info and Power tools Fret dressing Tutorial

Hendrix

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When I finish my Power tools Fret dressing Tutorial video and check info on Warmoth's website, find that they have update fretwork info, maybe after some post talk about they change the back-bevels the fret edges to about 30° recently.

http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/Fretwork.aspx

My video in Power tools Fret dressing Tutorial
in 5 Easy Steps ( Warmoth Neck )

Tutorial in 5 Easy Steps

1 : Masking neck and made protective sheet metal

2 : Grinding fret end with abrasive mounted stone with Rotary Tool + Flex Shaft

2.5 : Removed finished on fret if it is Maple fretboard.

3 :Finial touch without protective sheet metal

4 : Smooth fret end by sandpaper

5 : Polishing with Buffing Pads

Please watch it on YouTube full screen, as it got some details close up footage.

https://youtu.be/a36SJ0vSjOY

Also thanks Cagey talk about heating up issues may happen when using Power tools on the fretboard, I put some warning and matter needs attention in the video.
 

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Just watched your vid and left a comment. YE GODS, MAN! Are you out of your mind? You are removing too much material. For the love of god, take down your video. I'm NOT kidding.
 
Everybody likes something different. I think what he was trying to illustrate there was a technique, not necessarily a recommendation for a particular dressing style.

The few times I've used power tools on frets, I've been disappointed. 99% of what I do is stainless, so the wire is more forgiving of an aggressive tool, but there's a limit. So, I prefer hand files. It might not be quite as fast, but the chances of the tool getting away from me and taking a bite out of the binding or fretboard are almost non-existent.
 
Everybody likes something different. I think what he was trying to illustrate there was a technique, not necessarily a recommendation for a particular dressing style.

He was doing it WRONG. I've had to refret too many necks of late because someone beveled the frets TOO FAR, and then both E strings would slide off the neck while playing.
 
People do unusual things. I knew a guy about 100 years ago who had a real Gibson Les Paul, which was a little unusual in the neighborhood I grew up in as we were all pretty poor.

Anyway, he decided the neck on the thing was too narrow for his style/comfort, so he went and bought one of those $.25 kites from the dime store just so he could scavenge the two relatively thin pieces of wood used for the cross-frame, He then glued 'em to either side of the neck and shaped 'em until he was happy. Looked and played like crap, but whaddaya gonna do? It's his guitar. He can set if fire if he wants to.

But, no. He then decided his frets weren't tall enough. So, he grabbed a coarse rattail file and removed a great deal of the fretboard between each fret. Today, we'd call that "scalloping"; not sure anyone had a term for it back then. I mean to tell ya, that neck was a wreck  :laughing7:

But, he was happy, and he could play the hell out of it. Was that wrong? Sure. Every which way but loose. But, not for him. It was right as rain.

I know working on guitars that have had some unusual attention paid to them can be frustrating, but you don't have to do the work. You can just say "I'm sorry, I'm too busy" or something like that and send them on their merry way. Somebody will do the work.
 
If you see something wrong, SAY SO. I did. You are now one of the people who turned your head, looked the other way, and said "whatever". And THAT'S why this country is in the mess it is. Hate me if you want.
 
Correcting his fret dressing technique is not the hill I want to die on.

duty_calls.png
 
All this hullabaloo made me watch the video. 

Interesting technique.  Having done this the 'old' way with mixed results, I think I will give this a try on one of my guitars.  Might skip the angle grinder polisher mind you.  But it's a good excuse to get a dremel with an extension.  :)

 
1 : with this closeup photo, compared to a factory made guitar ( PRS SE ) I sure not remove too much.

removehowmuch.jpg


2 : did you watch to the end of the video? I talked about Warmoth increasing the back-bevels the fret edges to about 30° recently. that leaves not much room for you to do If people need to round fret end dressing, if you want to do what I show in the video, need to ask Warmoth don’t bevel it and not buy showcases neck with frets installed already.

fretwork_angle.jpg



3 : I will be made a follow-up a video on what I have done for the 30° back-bevels the fret edges when I have time, it removes much less on frets end.

4 : what I trying to illustrate there was a technique I believe useful for other DIYer, how much to remove is a personal preference with his playing style.

5 : like all DIY project, I recommend people measure twice and cut once, make sure you know your personal preference, look the other guitar you comfortable with your playing style, how much roundness on that fret end .
 
Mayfly said:
All this hullabaloo made me watch the video. 

Interesting technique.  Having done this the 'old' way with mixed results, I think I will give this a try on one of my guitars.  Might skip the angle grinder polisher mind you.  But it's a good excuse to get a dremel with an extension.  :)

You can use SHANK WOOL POLISHING HEAD FOR DREMEL ROTARY TOOL on Polishing step if you find Angle Grinder not easy to control like I also show in the video, it surely is safer and easier, just take more time.

25pcs-felt-wool-polishing-burr-buffing-wheel-for-dremel-rotary-tool-3mm-shank
 
I've been doing guitar repair for 40 years. I was a Fender/Gibson authorized tech for many of those years. I've trained a couple apprentices. I've been published in luthiery magazines about 50 times. I know WTH I'm talking about.

If you choose to ignore me, fine - I've said my piece.
 
I saw this thread yesterday before anyone had commented. So I perhaps should add some comments to restore the balance to the force.

Use of a Dremel or rotary tool has its places. For fretwork, I have used them along with some chrome polish for final polishing, but equally, if I have already gone to 12000 micromesh manually the Dremel polish may not be needed at all. (Going to 12000 micromesh in a busy shop is too time-consuming that said) Summary, power tools can be used on fretwork mainly for polishing, but are not really a replacement for all manual tool work.

Per the PRS comparison photo. Note on the PRS the lie of the strings, there is still quite a bit of space between the E strings and the slope of the end dressing, meaning there is still enough playing surface. On a Strat or Tele, the playing surface would be too reduced.

@Hendrix, alas this is not one of the top ten inventions that changed the world.
Perhaps refine the technique to have less of a slope and leave a proper playing surface.

@Aircap, yes I agree he is removing too much material.

@PRS it's about time you offered Stainless Steel Frets  :icon_biggrin:

Fretwork to aspire to from Sensei Ruokangas. Done by hand.

Playability_main5.jpg


 
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