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Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=21944		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Chris Paulick [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
After reading Todd's wicking CA under frets discussion I was wondering that question.
I use to hammer because it was the least expensive way of doing it until I made a press and some cauls.
Author:  Alain Moisan [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
Hi Chris.

I used to hammer but now I press them. It's faster and it gives me much more consistent results, thus minimizing fret leveling and recrowning later on.
Author:  Dave_E [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
This is an easy one. ;) If you can afford a press, have one, if not, you do the hammer thing. I could afford a press setup, but there are more important building tools I think I need. Back to the hammer. The BIGGEST reason I found hammering frets not attractive in my early guitars was the fretboard slots were not wide enough. Silly newbe me, thought all fret tangs were the same size, so I was buying fret material from everywhere. Then I noticed this and bought a fret saw and now make sure the fret tangs are this size only. Everything works very nice when the slots are the correct size, no excessive hammering... let the tangs do their job, no leveling and filing to speak of.

Dave
Author:  jordan aceto [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
Usually i press them in with Jaws I or II, i like both of those about the same, II is nice for getting most of the frets above the body joint. Sometimes i hammer them in... just because.

If the frets are going in perfectly it is probably a tiny bit faster to hammer them, but if they are the least bit uncooperative pressing is nice and controlable.
Author:  Rvsgtr [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
I have done many, many fret jobs and the hammer is all I use. As Dave E said proper fret tang size, etc. makes it really easy. I can't imagine a press being any quicker for my purposes. I still have to cut, fit and undercut each fret and it takes about 5 seconds to hammer in. I tape off either side of the slot, after chamfering the slot edges, and drop one drop of medium CA under each end, pull the tape and hammer in. No glue cleanup or anything. Nice and neat no drops of CA running all around with trying to wick CA in which I have tried many years ago. Best of luck with whichever method you choose.

Steve R
Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
press: speed and consistency
Author:  Bill Hodge [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
Howdy Chris,

I posted this in Todd's thread too. I used to hammer but now I press. Why? I got tired of hammering I guess and wanted
to try something different. Now that I do press, I doubt that I'll ever switch back to hammering. I've found pressing to
be quicker (at least for me) and less problematic (ie a fret end popping up etc.) Used to have to tape the brass side of the
hammer to keep from mistakenly hitting the frets with that side. I started pressing with a home made fret press
I bought from someone in Canada, but I've found the StewMac Fret Pressing cauls to work great for me in my Drill Press and
they just seem to be easier to use (again, at least for me) :D
Author:  muthrs [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
Actually I started out pressing and now I hammer, ala Frank Ford. I put the frets in last after finishing and find hammering easy and convenient. After I install the frets, I put a coat of Butcher's Wax on the board and then run CA glue along the fret. A quick wipe with a rag damp with acetone and everything is clean. It's a bit more of a pain cleaning up the CA without the Butcher's Wax. By the way I level and file the fret ends with a coarse continuous diamond stone, crown if needed with a diamond crowning file, and finish by simply rubbing across the frets with 600 and 800 grit silicon carbide paper. Finish with 0000 steel wool unless the customer wants more of a polish. In that case it,s onto micromesh. It all happens very quickly.
Author:  Todd Rose [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
I'm set up for pressing, but so far I've found it quicker and easier to hammer.
Author:  Todd Rose [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
muthrs wrote:
Actually I started out pressing and now I hammer, ala Frank Ford. I put the frets in last after finishing and find hammering easy and convenient. After I install the frets, I put a coat of Butcher's Wax on the board and then run CA glue along the fret. A quick wipe with a rag damp with acetone and everything is clean. It's a bit more of a pain cleaning up the CA without the Butcher's Wax. By the way I level and file the fret ends with a coarse continuous diamond stone, crown if needed with a diamond crowning file, and finish by simply rubbing across the frets with 600 and 800 grit silicon carbide paper. Finish with 0000 steel wool unless the customer wants more of a polish. In that case it,s onto micromesh. It all happens very quickly.


Good to hear from you, Randy. Though I didn't start this thread, I really appreciate your input, which is very relevant to another thread I started about using CA in fretting. Thanks!

So, another recommendation for Butcher's Wax on FBs. The one time I tried using paste wax on a FB (for the same reason, making CA cleanup easier), I used Liberon Black Bison, neutral color, and it left white wax residue in the pores of the ebony, which looked awful and was a pain in the rump to clean out. I concluded that one should always use a colored wax that matches the FB wood. But you guys are all having success with Butcher's Wax, which is a whitish paste wax, if I'm not mistaken. Darnedest thing. Well, heck, I'll have to try it.
Author:  Rich Schnee [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
Sometimes I press, sometimes I hammer and sometimes I do both. It really depends on the situation. The cauls I use aka Stew-Mac may not match the fretboard radius well enough to seat the fret down evenly so a couple of taps with the hammer and I am done. In any event I make sure that any gaps between the fingerboard and the fret are in the middle of the fret and not at the ends. I don’t use CA but may use a little white glue if the frets are giving me trouble.
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
I usually use Jaws I from 1 to 10 and hammer the rest of the way. I can't seem to get along with Jaws II very well. After the ends are nipped and filed I clamp the neck sideways in the vise and drop medium CA into the slots without accelerator. It usually sinks in a little ways and anchors the end. Then sand Ebony/Rosewood dust into the slot and more CA to seal and fill it. So far so good, no ends popping up.
Terry
Author:  muthrs [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
Hi Todd.

Actually I use the Butcher's Boston Wax which is amber, although I'm not sure it matters. No problems with residue. This is the only time I use Butcher's though. After I level and polish the frets, I clean the fretboard with naptha, which probably removes most of the Butcher's. I then use Howard' Feed and Wax on the fretboard. It's thinner and perhaps a little more penetrating, but mostly it leaves a very thin film. I'm somewhat concerned that Butcher's might leave a thicker film that could collect grime. By the way, pretreating with Howard's before using CA definitely doesn't work as well as the Butchers.
Author:  MRS [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
I like to hammer them in. I had a stew mac jaws press that I picked up from someone on ebay cheap that didn't know what it was. It had only a 7 inch radius caul so i bought a few more from stew mac.. I didn't like it so i re-ebayed it.
Author:  bluescreek [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
I did both ways but went back to hammer . I use tite bond as a filler glue mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with water. If I use a pocket slot I don't do anything extra . If I have through slots I will use CA. I wick it through the ends. I spray accel. and then CA one side , then I can wick CA from the other.
I first sand with 320 to fill the slot end with black dust , hit it with accel then CA. After it cures I sand down with 320 and buff out.
john hall
Author:  YJ John [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
Encouraging. I have the fret Hammer! I saw and was going to make a Bar Clamp press. It seemed less stressful than pounding on my hundred year old guitar. But, hammering sounds like it won't be the beating I thought it would be. I will of course block brace the neck and the body
Author:  Todd Rose [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
YJ John wrote:
Encouraging. I have the fret Hammer! I saw and was going to make a Bar Clamp press. It seemed less stressful than pounding on my hundred year old guitar. But, hammering sounds like it won't be the beating I thought it would be. I will of course block brace the neck and the body


If you're doing it right, you definitely do not have to hammer hard. It's more like a firm tapping. I use a small dead blow with a nylon face (this hammer has changeable faces that screw on) and like it MUCH better than your typical "fretting hammer" like StewMac sells. Actually, they just came out with a new small dead blow hammer for fretting.
Author:  Jody [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
for the fret pressers. how do you press the frets over the body at the fingerboard extension?I use a hammer as that is how I was taught . Jody
Author:  jordan aceto [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
Jaws II! http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... Press.html

You can get almost all of the frets with it, i usually still need to hammer a few.
Author:  jfmckenna [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
I can't remember who it was on this forum now who gave this tip but I had been considering a press till I tried a dead blow hammer - works like a charm and is fun to use.
Author:  Mark Groza [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
I use both methods.I like to hammer over the body.I also fret after the board is glued on and neck carved which makes it hard to press but i get a flatter board to fret that way and less leveling of the frets.I also use titebond to glue them in.
Author:  Erik Hauri [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
I fret the board before gluing it to the neck - so its press for me, I lay the board down flat on a flat plank and press with an arbor press.
Author:  Bill Hodge [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
This thread and the one Todd started are great. I'm once again being inspired to incorporate new methods. I said above I may
never go back to hammering but after reading all the above I'm having to rethink that position. I can see clearly how both
have their advantages and disadvantages. A good mix of each looks to be in order depending upon the particular build and
situation at the time. I also like the idea of possibly being able to eliminate the razor blade scraping method. Thanks to all of
you who have input so far. This is what I love about OLF, ability to increase wisdom and knowledge based upon the experience
of others. :) And thanks Chris and Todd for the threads you both started on this subject. [:Y:] Got to get out into the shop
now but I'll be browsing from time to time. Eat Drink
Author:  LanceK [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
I started using a hammer and still do. Plastic head, and a 1 lb piece of solid steel that I hold inside under the fretboard overlay.
Author:  SniderMike [ Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Do You Hammer Or Press Your Frets And Why?
I've done both but just hammer now. It's more funner that way.
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