Official Luthiers Forum!

What fret levelers does everyone have/prefer. Wood w/ stick it, the short or the long ones, the Al sanding beam, Ste macs new magnetic file holder thingy,or push some hardwood at an angle to the blade in the table saw to create the proper radi. Pro and newb opinions are equally important. I personally am price concious but other newbs may not be.

I prefer a long, heavy and perfectly flat steel sanding beam...like a #7 plane sole with 220 sandpaper glued on.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I use one of the diamond levellers (from SM) and follow that up with 400 grit sandpaper on a short radius block to ensure the radius on the frets stays the same as the board. I mark the tops of the frets with a marker before levelling and again before the 400 grit.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

I use a steel strip precision ground and glued to a piece of wood for a handle. I then attach a strip of sandpaper to the metal. Works much like the stew mac aluminum tube, but is much cheaper. I haven had any problems with it.
Something like this
http://www.mcmaster.com/#steel/=ai2n57

I haven't needed to level any frets yet, but if I do, I'll probably get one of the beams from this guy http://shop.ebay.com/md4stone/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

A 2' aluminum level works for me. Been using it for 30 years. Stick some 400 grit on it and you are good to go. Stick 80 grit on the other side and level the fretboard.

I bought one of these a while back but went with the premium reserve model which is flat within .0002" (two ten-thousandths). The standard models are "only" flat within .0015" (one and a half thousandths). I like the extra accuracy and also use it as a master straightedge in my shop. Even used it to flatten my 18" steel straighedge which was out about .0015". It's "deadnuts" now. Gotta love the quarts beam and it's reasonably priced for the precision.
Nelson

I use a piece of 3/4" aluminum angle, that I flat lapped on one side, with the stick on gold paper. It slides underneath the strings to level while the neck is under tension.

Same Nicholson 10" mill files that I've had for about 38 years.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I use a 1200 grit waterstone, first well soaked and trued on a granite slab.

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Build log

You beat me to it. My level is several generations old, but you can get one in a pawn shop for a couple bucks.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

2.5x8 inch piece of 3/8 glass ... with 600/1200 grit papers

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Todd, what would you consider flat when it comes to a file?
.001", .010".............? I would think that a file would change shape some during heat treating, but not sure of the process.
Thanks
Nelson

I'm with Howard, I use an old 12" mill file. I've also used it to hand flatten
V8 engine heads and block surfaces when rebuilding engines. Almost as
good as a surface grinder...

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

+1

Those 2 buck pawn shop levels are renowned the length and breadth of the nation for their straightness and flatness.

A 40 year old 14 inch mill file with the tang bent up so me can hold on to it.


blessings
Padma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


.

Have you thought about entering that file in the Guiness Book of World Records?
"Worlds Most Experienced Fret File"
Nelson

This is what I use, except I cut it down to about a foot to make it easier to handle for some situations(actually 13". Didn't measure, just cut at about what I thought was 1 ft.).
One note if you try this. Make certain the level you choose is actually flat on the edges. Many modern levels made now have sides that are cupped, supposedly so they'll stand up if you lay them on their sides.

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Mike

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

Another 10" Nicholson mill file user here.

I don't know about whether the file is "dead flat," but the kind of tolerances you guys are talking about are far more precise than what is meaningful given the margin of error that comes from the post-levelling polishing, at least in my shop. And the results seem to be just fine.