Official Luthiers Forum!

Owned and operated by Lance Kragenbrink
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 11:55 am


All times are UTC - 5 hours


Forum rules


Be Nice to our new friends! Remember, everybody starts somewhere!




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:19 pm 
Offline
Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:52 pm
Posts: 8
First name: Joshua
Last Name: Abbott
City: Salt Lake City
State: UT
Zip/Postal Code: 84105
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Hi again, everyone!

So on this guitar I'm building, I decided to bind the fingerboard and am at the point where I'm putting in the frets and wasn't sure what the best practice is with this. Just by looking at it I figured the best thing was to clip just enough of the bottom of the fret away so that it doesn't touch the binding. After putting in a few frets, it seemed that they were a little looser than I would like, so I pulled them out, and started again but using a touch of Titebond to hold the frets in place.

Is this right, or am I doing this all wrong? Any tips on the best way to install frets on a bound fingerboard would be super awesome!

BTW - I'm building an OOO acoustic and was just laying the frets over the top of the binding (not Les Paul style.)

Thanks everyone!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 2:29 am 
Offline
Koa
Koa

Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:08 pm
Posts: 1958
Location: Missouri
First name: Patrick
Last Name: Hanna
State: Missouri
Country: USA
On bound fingerboards, I nip the tang away under the overhang, and file the underside of the end until it is as perfectly flat as I can get it. I also lubricate the fret slot with tight bond before inserting the fret--wiping off squeeze-out as I tap the fret in. This doesn't actually glue the frets in, but after the glue dries it does give the tang something to "bite" within the slot. It is a fairly common practice, I believe. Benedetto demonstrates it in his instructional DVD. I take an added precaution BEFORE putting on the binding or inserting frets: I file a chamfer in the top of each fret slot--about three strokes with a triangle file across the full width of every slot. This helps the fret seat tighter to the fingerboard surface. If any fret ends pop back up (it's fairly common to have one or two of those) you can put a tiny drop of watery CA glue under the fret end and then hold the end down with a screwdriver for 30 seconds or so. That will usually keep them down. Of course, you need to be quick about pressing the end down!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:07 am 
Offline
Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:52 pm
Posts: 8
First name: Joshua
Last Name: Abbott
City: Salt Lake City
State: UT
Zip/Postal Code: 84105
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
cphanna wrote:
On bound fingerboards, I nip the tang away under the overhang, and file the underside of the end until it is as perfectly flat as I can get it. I also lubricate the fret slot with tight bond before inserting the fret--wiping off squeeze-out as I tap the fret in.


That's exactly what I did on the frets. Thank you for the reply! I'll have to find the DVD you're talking about. I've had a hard time finding any good instructional videos on the internet when it comes to some of the detail of building a guitar.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 8:06 pm 
Offline
Koa
Koa

Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:08 pm
Posts: 1958
Location: Missouri
First name: Patrick
Last Name: Hanna
State: Missouri
Country: USA
Hey, Joshua, you can get that DVD series (and a whole lot more good stuff) from this link:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Video,_DVD/ ... lding.html

Best luck and Happy New Year!
Patrick


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:11 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 3:31 pm
Posts: 1682
First name: Kevin
Last Name: Looker
City: Worthington
State: OH
Zip/Postal Code: 43085
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
You can also remove the fret tang with a Dremel - if you have one.

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:32 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:35 pm
Posts: 2658
Location: Austin, Texas
First name: Dan
Last Name: Smith
City: Round Rock
State: TX
Zip/Postal Code: 78681
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
cphanna wrote:
On bound fingerboards, I nip the tang away under the overhang, and file the underside of the end until it is as perfectly flat as I can get it. I also lubricate the fret slot with tight bond before inserting the fret--wiping off squeeze-out as I tap the fret in. This doesn't actually glue the frets in, but after the glue dries it does give the tang something to "bite" within the slot. It is a fairly common practice, I believe. Benedetto demonstrates it in his instructional DVD. I take an added precaution BEFORE putting on the binding or inserting frets: I file a chamfer in the top of each fret slot--about three strokes with a triangle file across the full width of every slot. This helps the fret seat tighter to the fingerboard surface. If any fret ends pop back up (it's fairly common to have one or two of those) you can put a tiny drop of watery CA glue under the fret end and then hold the end down with a screwdriver for 30 seconds or so. That will usually keep them down. Of course, you need to be quick about pressing the end down!

Thanks for the tip Cphanna.
Now I know why my frets don't appear to be pressed in all of the way.
I never considered the radius where the tang meets the fret.
I'll add the chamfers on the next one.

_________________
wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 10:42 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member

Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:10 pm
Posts: 2764
First name: Tom
Last Name: West
State: Nova Scotia
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Make a gauge to test the fret slot depth. Take a 3" piece of fret wire,at the 1" mark file a v notch into the tang to the full depth of tang. Bend the wire at the notch to look like a hockey stick. File the barbs off the 1" section so that tang goes into slot easily. You now have a depth guage to make sure your frets will not bottom out.
Tom

_________________
A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
phpBB customization services by 2by2host.com