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Compound radius and fret prep.
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Author:  Dave Baley [ Wed Nov 04, 2015 12:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Compound radius and fret prep.
How are people bending their fret wire when fretting a compound radius. The standard roller benders will bend the entire length to one radius.
I am going either buy or make a roller bender but if it doesn't work for compound radius fretboards, I may consider other options that do.
Dave
Author:  Hesh [ Wed Nov 04, 2015 2:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Compound radius and fret prep.
A compound radius means that the radius of the board (and frets) changes as we move down the board from the nut eventually onto the body. It does not mean that each fret has multiple radius's within the very same fret. As such fretting a compound radius board is no different than fretting a constant radius with the exception that the radius of the board flattens out some over the body.

When we fret the wire is bent into a tighter radius than what it will need to be when fully seated in the board. As such a tighter radius than the board is used and it's used to help the ends, fret ends, stay down by the wire having a tighter radius than the board.

We buy our wire by the pound because we go through lots of it and it comes off spools and is sent to us in the shape and radius of the spool. This radius is tighter than any radius that we will need for a compound or constant radius fret job. As such we take it off the spool and install it in the instrument with no additional radius being imparted to the wire.

So for you, Dave all you need is a way to radius the wire if you are buying wire that is does not have a spool radius to begin with. You want a radius that is slightly tighter than the tightest fret that you will be installing on a compound radius board. What ever that radius is it will be even tighter for the frets toward the body and that should not be a problem or require individually radiusing the wire for specific positions on the board.

Make sense?

Lots of folks have made devices to radius fret wire and we have too. You can also buy one from Stew-Mac and we also have that one. Either making one or buying will impart a specific and constant radius to the wire and that's fine if my explanation of what a compound radius is makes sense to you.

Let me know, happy to help - always!
Author:  Dave Baley [ Wed Nov 04, 2015 3:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Compound radius and fret prep.
Hesh
Thank you. I do understand the compound radius and your explanation makes perfect sense. My question was asked under the assumption (from previous instruction and experience with single radius fretboards) that the radius of the wire needed to match the radius of the board which would require individually bending each fret. Now that I know I can use the tightest radius for all of them my life will be much easier.
Thanks
Dave
Author:  Hesh [ Wed Nov 04, 2015 3:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Compound radius and fret prep.
Dave Baley wrote:
Hesh
Thank you. I do understand the compound radius and your explanation makes perfect sense. My question was asked under the assumption (from previous instruction and experience with single radius fretboards) that the radius of the wire needed to match the radius of the board which would require individually bending each fret. Now that I know I can use the tightest radius for all of them my life will be much easier.
Thanks
Dave


No problem Dave and happy to help.

Just to close the loop on what you may have learned prior it's advantageous to bend the wire slightly tighter on even a constant radius board too for the very same reason, to keep the ends down.

Some folks hammer frets some press some do either and both. When hammering and especially with stainless wire it's possible to knock the pre-radius right out of the wire and then that fret will never stay down at the ends and needs to be pitched and replaced.

So the take-away from this discussion is that a slightly tighter radius on the wire than the tightest requirement anywhere on the board is easier and a more reliable way to go irregardless of compound boards or constant boards.

Good question by the way and it tells me that you are thinking out the processes and operations in advance of actually doing them!! Good going! [:Y:]
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