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| Author: | dubell [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 3:01 am ] |
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I am fretting my second classical. I have the Stew-Mac circular fret saw and frets from the LMI classical kit. I just fretted the first fret and had to pull it out. Just like my first fret job, I am pounding the frets to get them in. It seems like too much effort to get them in. Also, when I hit one end, the ohter pops out. When I do get the fret in, I have areas where they do not contact the fretboard. Please help. Thanks |
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| Author: | Marc [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 4:15 am ] |
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25 lb bag of shot under the guitar neck will dampen the vibration making each hammer strike more effective. |
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| Author: | old man [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:28 am ] |
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Maybe your fret slot is too narrow. Ron |
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| Author: | Todd Rose [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:29 am ] |
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What kind of hammer are you using? In my experience, one like this works far better than others that are sold as fretting hammers. It's a 1 1/4" dead blow with interchangeable faces. For fret hammering, I use the nylon face (on the right in the picture). Works GREAT. Very handy hammer for other uses in the shop as well. 
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| Author: | jhowell [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:43 am ] |
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I'd have to echo the above. I use a 25 lb bag of number 7 1/2 lead bird shot for a base. It will conform to any neck profile and greatly reduces the tendency for a 'bounce' with each hammer blow. I also use a triangular file to put a small bevel on each fret slot before beginning. |
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| Author: | crazymanmichael [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 8:35 am ] |
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it sounds as like you are pounding too hard. it does not take much of a "whack" to seat a fret. i liken it more to tapping the fret in. if you are heavy handed with the hammer you can distort the fret, lift the ends, and if using a brass hammer, ding the fret. whilst some swear by the use of glue, as referred to above, i have never done so on new work and have never felt the need to start. the situation is different on refrets where slot quality is variable, and a touch of ca on the ends is common, as is glue in the whole slot. |
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| Author: | dubell [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 12:04 pm ] |
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Round 2. I put the first three frets in after reading what you all said above. I decided to widen the slots a bit with my Stew-Mac hand fret saw. This helped, but I still am hitting them fairly hard with the nylon end of my Stew-Mac Fretting Hammer. I am surprised it is this difficult........maybe I just need more practice. Thanks |
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| Author: | Dave-SKG [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 1:30 pm ] |
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When all else fails I find that one of those 8lb sledge hammers does the trick...the only problem is that you have to fill the dents in the fret board. 
Seriously, When I start getting frets that just don't want to go in you need to step back and think about why... Stew Mac sells a lot of different wire with different tang sizes. Also, also a dremmel with a very fine bit works great for slightly widening the slot ( I always glue in after widening). Sometimes it's the wire being over or under arc'd/radiused that will make the job more difficult. Like everything, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Et Cetera |
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| Author: | old man [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 2:12 pm ] |
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Although I press my frets, it just sounds to me like the frets are too big for your slots. Ron |
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| Author: | dubell [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 3:09 pm ] |
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Ron, What do you use to press your frets?? Thanks |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 3:29 pm ] |
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Hey Doug, i use Shane Neifer's fretsaw blade on the table saw to cut the fretboard slots at 0.023", i then use John Watkins' fret press caul and brass inserts to press the ferts in, very easy to use and and accurate tools for this job. All you would have to do is get the WFRET program for whatever scale length you use and print a paper template that you glue on plexiglass and a carrier board to slide that plexi template when you cut the slots of the fretboard Here's a pic that gathers all the components you'd need, all that'd be left to have would be WFRET 
Serge |
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| Author: | Jim Watts [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 4:47 pm ] |
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In addition to the width of the slot you might also want to check the depth. Sometimes after putting the radius on I have to come back and deepen the slots. |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Sun Nov 05, 2006 11:21 pm ] |
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very good point Jim, i had forgotten i had to do that too for a compound radius. |
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| Author: | dubell [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 1:30 am ] |
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Thanks for the picture Serge. Next time I am going with a press. I don't do this often enough to get the results I'm looking for. I still am hitting these hard to get them in. Some are impossible to seat all the way. My depth is fine at 3/32" for a 1/16" tang. Maybe because it's Ebony?? |
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| Author: | crazymanmichael [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 1:47 am ] |
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i have never seen a fretboard made of anything which required me to hit a fret hard to seat it. the questions which have been raised by others about the slot width and depth should be looked at. did you measure your slots with feeler gauges? have you measured the slot depth across the width of the board? have you measured the fret tang with a caliper? something is physically wrong if you can't get a fret to seat, and pressing is unlikely to solve the problem. if you don't know what the problem is you can't fix it, not consistently anyway. |
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| Author: | old man [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:32 am ] |
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I just use the StewMac arbor in my drill press. I fret before permanently attaching the neck to the body, but I do have the FB glued to the neck, and install all the frets with the press. I use the support caul that Cumpiano shows to support the extension. Ron |
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| Author: | old man [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:36 am ] |
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[QUOTE=Serge Poirier] i then use John Watkins' fret press caul and brass inserts to press the ferts in[/QUOTE] Press the ferts in? Here we go again. One of the funniest threads I've seen on this forum was about ferts.  . If you missed it, do a search on "ferts" in the archive.
Ron |
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| Author: | old man [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:40 am ] |
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All my FBs are ebony. That's probably not it. I put a small bead of titebond in the slot, then moisten it with water using a small paint brush, and press away. Ron |
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| Author: | CarltonM [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:51 am ] |
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[QUOTE=old man] Press the ferts in?[/QUOTE] Maybe Doug is using old ferts. They're much too cantankerous to fit anything new. |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 8:40 am ] |
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Ron, I tried looking for old ferts in the archive but ended up in another forum, wonder what happened here?
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| Author: | old man [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 2:19 pm ] |
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I couldn't find it either, Serge. 
HEY LANCE How come I can't find the "ferts" thread in the archive? It's several months old, but I re-read it about a month ago. NEVER MIND 
I found it. Here it is Serge: "ferts" Ron |
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| Author: | peterm [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 2:48 pm ] |
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Great stuff! .....ferts??
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| Author: | Rod True [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:00 pm ] |
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[QUOTE=Todd Rose] What kind of hammer are you using? In my experience, one like this works far better than others that are sold as fretting hammers. It's a 1 1/4" dead blow with interchangeable faces. For fret hammering, I use the nylon face (on the right in the picture). Works GREAT. Very handy hammer for other uses in the shop as well. [/QUOTE]
Todd, I can see a great use in my shop for that hammer. It's called stupiditus. Seems I get it quite often and the only cure is a deadblow to the knogan
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:38 pm ] |
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[QUOTE=old man] I couldn't find it either, Serge.
HEY LANCE How come I can't find the "ferts" thread in the archive? It's several months old, but I re-read it about a month ago. NEVER MIND
I found it. Here it is Serge: "ferts" Ron[/QUOTE]
I laughed soo hard that i woke up everyone in the apartment, thanks Ron, you made my day bud!
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