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When a fingerboard is bound the usual practice is to undercut the fret tang slightly. I read that most who do this use StewMac's fret tang nipper. How is it accomplished old school? I know that some filed the tangs. What vise or modification to a vise is necessary to do so without damaging the fret in the process? Thanks.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

I've got three different shop locations and am forever leaving behind some tool that I need. More than once that was the fret tang nippers. I figured out I could use a pair of end nippers by making two cuts. First I cut the tang from the crown and then remove the cut portion of tang. I now prefer doing it this way over using the nippers - especially for the really small fret wire.

For over 30 years I have just grabbed the tang with the end nipper and filed the tang off. My end nippers started out at about 3/4" wide and they must be around 5/8" by now...

Thanks, guys. Haans, I think I'll use your method for the win! Cool!

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Here's a little tip. I use a gap in my bench top (MDF center and maple edging) to hold the fret while I file. Just grab the fret with the end nipper right where you want the tang to start, jam it into the gap to hold it in place and file away. I have filed a dip into my edging over the years too!

I use a cut-off wheel in a dremel.

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Horton, MI

Thanks for the tip, Haans. I'll put it to good use.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

I clipped the tang with my flush ground end nippers (fret pullers), either at an angle (1 step), or by making two nips (one parallel and one perpendicular to the length of the fret). I then filed off the excess by placing the crown upside down in the slightly-opened vise jaws. It is not clamped in place, just held in the slot. A groove in a piece of hardwood serves the same purpose.
With practice, it is not that much slower than the Stew-Mac nippers....maybe 10 minutes more on a complete fret job. Even the Stew-Mac nippers sometimes leave some flash that must be filed off.

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John