I round the fret ends before installing them, so I can make them slightly narrower than the board. Totally smooth feeling, no chance of fingernails snagging when plucking over the board, no chance of ends poking out in dry weather, and no danger of marring the board with files (which means you can work faster). The main disadvantage is that you're unlikely to get all the fret ends precisely the same distance from the edge of the board, so it looks a little squiggly if you pay close attention. Also is frustrating if you install a fret slightly offset to one side or the other and then damage it when pulling it out and have to make another.

Here is a method of dressing the fret ends before installation and also lining them up straight. A little jig making, but works well.
http://www.mimf.com/library/Randy_Rober ... -2012.html

Been using the Stew-Mac fret end file and the Stew-Mac (small) three corner and a nice, worn OO file safed with shop-made handle for fret ends. Frets are installed first, the ends and a "slight" bevel is done prior to dressing and then the ends are done with the two SM files.

Polish is done for us with The Collins Fret Buffer which removes scratches from the frets and leaves a super high polish in 5 minutes or less. Before the Fret Buffer I use 320 to address some of the scratches on the fret sides.

All fretting is done on a finished guitar with the neck installed and neck angle set.

No idea what the bevel angle is but it's far less of an angle than you will see on production instruments and most Luthier instruments as well.

Here's the old thread that David did.
viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=14758&hilit=wheel&start=0

I believe the wheels are here

Kevin Looker

Hesh, could you please spec the wheels on that buffer?

Danny here's what we use to remove scratches and buff the frets and ends to a mirror shine.

Dave Collins invented this fret buffer around 8 years ago now and we have since used it nearly daily for hundreds of refrets and new fret jobs.

Four abrasive wheels with each one being progressively finer in grit. The guitar/neck is moved back and forth at moderate speed over the wheel starting of course with the most abrasive wheel, upper left side. Then the neck or guitar is turned around to do the other side of the neck. One pass does one side of a neck/guitar. After the first wheel we move to the second and so on and so forth. Four to five passes on each wheel again at moderate speed is all that's needed. We wear dust masks while doing this since it does throw off some dust.

I believe that after we posted this on FRETS.net David Farmer made his own as well.

Some background this the Collins Fret Buffer is what resulted from a historical study that Dave was doing on how back in the day in Kalamazoo G*bson did their fret work. The belief is, the fact is actually.... they used a wire wheel to speed up production as evidenced by the scratch marks seen on the fret boards of Kalamazoo G*bsons.

Dave took the idea further, exploited the availability of modern (and expensive...) abrasive wheels and what has resulted saves us lots of time and for me this time of year split finger tips from using sandpaper instead.

The buffer works fantastic and is a joy to use and speeds our production without sacrificing quality.

I used to use sandpaper going all the way to 2,000 but the Collins Fret Buffer provides better result in 1/10th the time.

Great info.

I've been using a homemade version of the Stew Mac fret beveling file http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/To ... _File.html

At 35* I think this is still too much of a bevel and think I'll make a new holder for the file at somewhere around 15* which will keep more real estate for the string benders

Hmmm nice! guessing we will get to check this out in April?