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I have a guitar I built but I'm unhappy worry my fretwork and want to refret it. I have one of those fractal type presses which I've not used before. It's a bolt on neck with glued down fb extension. I've not fretted with the neck attached before but would prefer to try it that way. Planning on getting the fb perfectly level before fretting with a beam. I'm sure hesh or someone has posted a good tutorial but can't find exactly what I'm after of anyone can help thanks.

For your viewing pleasure, about 1/2 way down -
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=46954&hilit=+fret+pressing+jaws+2
I've just started using a fractal press, only done a refret to the 10th so far and a FB done off the guitar, but I've got to make one of these myself.
IIRC, the jig is used from the 10th to the end of the neck block, final ones through the soundhole.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Been using that jig for many years. Colin’s right, use the jig for the frets over the heel and neck block then get the rest through the sound hole.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Thanks I'll try to get my head round it
I'm using the press you put in the drill press not a jaw clamping type thing

That jig was designed for a clamp-type fixture. I’ve never tried to do a neck-on-body refret with a drill press.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Sorry, never seen or heard of anyone pressing frets with the neck on the box.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Right that's why I couldn't work out how it was done. Another moment to be glad I used a bolt on neck joint... thanks all.

If you can remove the neck and do your refret, that's fine and I hope it works out well for you. However, doing a refret with the neck on the guitar is not hard and the additional tools needed are pretty minimal. After years of doing repairs there is no way I would waste the time to pull the neck for a refret. In fact, before I used clamps to press frets in, I hammered them in. That works fine too (people have been doing it for many years), it just requires some skill and more leveling which takes extra effort and leaves the new frets a few thou lower - but overall not a real big deal. Something to consider.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

You hammer them in over the body? I've only hammered so far but fretting the FB before attaching to the neck.

Usually with a bag of shot or something similar as a backup when hammering frets on the extension. Stew Mac does sell an expensive tool for this. I've only ever pressed frets in with an arbor press or hammered them in before the neck was on the body so don't have any of those things.

The StewMac tool is a Fret Buck, originally a Taylor Guitars thingamabob:

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... k97DSVdC7C

I bought one as part of a "luthier getting out of the hobby" fire sale. It works pretty well! A bag of shot would work just as well, but that ties up one of your hands, whereas the Fret Buck doesn't require any hands to stay put. I'm not sure I would pay full price for one, but I am glad I have it.

I am a bit of a luddite/heretic (depending on how uptight you are about this issue) on the fret pressing thing. I still prefer hammering them in. All of the fret press tools I have tried just feel like I need five hands to operate them properly. It's probably pilot error, but since I'm the only pilot in the shop, I figure I can fly the darn plane how I like.

For hammering frets in over the body I use a shot bag that I made that I can hold in my hand. I start the fret in the slot, insert the hand with the shot bag into the soundhole and place it under the end of the fret board then slightly lift the guitar off the bench about an inch and tap the fret in. Admittedly not the easiest thing to do but it works for me.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

That’s exactly what I do. Works well.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Like a 2lb diving weight?

That might work if you put a piece of leather on it to protect the guitar. I like the shot bag better because it conforms somewhat to the structure in the box under the fretboard.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I do like my SM Fret Buck for hammering in over the body, even if I paid over tor odds at the full SM price.
I'll probably wait until I have some more experience with my fractal fret press before unloading the Fret Buck.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Fretted over 400 guitars that way...

I used to use a lead block held in my hand under the fretboard, now I use a fret buck.

That's exactly what I used before I got the fret buck-which I prefer.

Hammer and loose but tight bag of birdshot about 4x2x2”, don’t lift the guitar up but leave on the rest which is also birdshot, just a much bigger bag that runs from heel to shoulder…