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 Post subject: Cherry fretboard
PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:35 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:19 pm
Posts: 8
City: Baltimore
State: MD
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
American black cherry, not Brazillian. Frets are easy to pull after being driven into
the recommended 0.023" slots. Would an 0.020" slot hold better?


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 Post subject: Re: Cherry fretboard
PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:44 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 10:44 am
Posts: 6261
Location: Virginia
A wider slot with an appropriately bended fret glued in may be the answer too. Though it would help if you elaborate.


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 Post subject: Re: Cherry fretboard
PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:59 pm 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:40 pm
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First name: David
Last Name: Malicky
City: San Diego
State: CA
Zip/Postal Code: 92111
Country: USA
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Status: Amateur
I've done a number of cherry fretboards with StewMac 0.023" wire. An 0.023" blade has worked well for me if cut cleanly. I've also tried an 0.020" blade, which was tight but they went in.

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 Post subject: Re: Cherry fretboard
PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:42 am 
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Walnut
Walnut

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jfmckenna wrote:
A wider slot with an appropriately bended fret glued in may be the answer too. Though it would help if you elaborate.


Trying to learn traditional methods. Narrow slot, no glue. If nothing else works, I'll use a chisel and epoxy. Probably won't use cherry next time.

Setting up for fretting now. It's easy enough to hone back the saw's
teeth to narrow the kerf for tighter frets, not so easy to widen it --
18 tpi dovetail saw, dang near went blind trying to sharpen it with a
jeweler's file. Needs a delicate touch with a saw set.


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 Post subject: Re: Cherry fretboard
PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:44 am 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:19 pm
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Chuck Dubman wrote:
jfmckenna wrote:
18 tpi dovetail saw, dang near went blind trying to sharpen it with a
jeweler's file. Needs a delicate touch with a saw set.


I don't think I said "dang."


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 Post subject: Re: Cherry fretboard
PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:46 am 
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Walnut
Walnut

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State: MD
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david82282 wrote:
I've done a number of cherry fretboards with StewMac 0.023" wire. An 0.023" blade has worked well for me if cut cleanly. I've also tried an 0.020" blade, which was tight but they went in.


What type cherry?


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 Post subject: Re: Cherry fretboard
PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:38 am 
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Koa
Koa

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City: San Diego
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Chuck Dubman wrote:
What type cherry?

American Black.

Maybe the saw is cutting wider than 0.023? Could a tooth be askew, or have a burr?

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 Post subject: Re: Cherry fretboard
PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:32 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:27 pm
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First name: John
Last Name: Cox
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Cherry may not be the best wood from a Durability standpoint, but it shouldn't have any trouble with frets staying put if the Kerf is a little smaller than your fret tang notches.

It could just be a tolerance stackup problem -- meaning you got fretwire that is near "Minimum" spec and a saw blade that is running near "Maximum" spec -- so the fret tang is a bit looser than you would like..... We aren't talking about much -- They both probably have a normal spec range of +/- 0.005" -- but that is enough to make a tight fit into a loose fit and vice versa.

If your kerf is a bit too wide or the tang is a bit too small -- you can always ding the fret tang in a bunch of places to make it a bit wider.... A blunt, heavy knife edge tool like a cold chisel or cleaver would do the trick....

All you need to do is upset the tang a bit, not chop it in half -- so a light touch is your friend.

Glue works too.

Thanks

John


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 Post subject: Re: Cherry fretboard
PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:40 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:19 pm
Posts: 8
City: Baltimore
State: MD
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
david82282 wrote:
Chuck Dubman wrote:
What type cherry?

American Black.

Maybe the saw is cutting wider than 0.023? Could a tooth be askew, or have a burr?


Feeler gauge says 0.023. Vernier calipers say the feeler gauge is telling the
truth. Any burred or bent tooth would have been honed back by the
diamond plate I used after filing the teeth.


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 Post subject: Re: Cherry fretboard
PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:46 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:19 pm
Posts: 8
City: Baltimore
State: MD
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
truckjohn wrote:
Cherry may not be the best wood from a Durability standpoint, but it shouldn't have any trouble with frets staying put if the Kerf is a little smaller than your fret tang notches.

Irv Sloane said you need to test a fretting saw to ensure that frets
hold in a given species of fingerboard wood, that softer woods need a
narrower kerf. It's no big deal for me to lap off some of the set, but a
pain to rewiden it if I go too narrow.

It could just be a tolerance stackup problem -- meaning you got fretwire that is near "Minimum" spec and a saw blade that is running near "Maximum" spec -- so the fret tang is a bit looser than you would like..... We aren't talking about much -- They both probably have a normal spec range of +/- 0.005" -- but that is enough to make a tight fit into a loose fit and vice versa.

If your kerf is a bit too wide or the tang is a bit too small -- you can always ding the fret tang in a bunch of places to make it a bit wider.... A blunt, heavy knife edge tool like a cold chisel or cleaver would do the trick....

Maybe a scraper burnisher?

All you need to do is upset the tang a bit, not chop it in half -- so a light touch is your friend.

Glue works too.

Thanks

John


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