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Hesh,

That looks like a very nice tool, and a quick fretting process. Do you experience any bowing of the fretboard from fretting before the fretboard is supported by the neck?

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

That's a very nice arbor you got there Hesh. Thanks for the tutorial.I have a block of wood with numbered holes for the frets,like you mentioned .It is just a little faster I think that way.I've been hammering my frets so far but plan to press em with my drill press on my current build. Those look like great fretboards from John W.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

That's for the tut bud. I like it all.

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Very nice tutorial!! I'm sold.

Regarding back bow, Rick Turner inlays carbon fibre strips into the bottom of fretboards to deal with it, as well as providing extra stiffnes to the neck unit. It's also a good idea to clamp the fb fretside down onto a flat workbench with a good flat caul overnite.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

Thanks for posting this Hesh.

A very nice tutorial on pressing frets. I was also thinking about purchasing this arbor (Actually I made up my mind to purchase it as soon as I can), and it's good to hear that you are happy with yours. It helps to know that it's a good choice.

Thanks again for the Helpful post!

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Your gig making ability out strips mine by a touch.   
Otherwise a great tutorial! I was going to buy a hammer and go "olde skuwl" but that arbor press looks like the way to go!

Thank you!

Robert

Hi Tesh Thank you very much for the preview of your
fret job. I REALLY APPRECIATE you taking the time for us po folk that must use the old method for now.
Hopefully soon I will save up enough to purchase.

You're one heck of a swell guy to share like you do!!

walter

[QUOTE=fmorelli] Okay, Hesh, I give up ... how are you slotting your fingerboard, partially?

Filippo[/QUOTE]
Filippo-
You don't have to buy a finished fingerboard or use CNC to get the type of board Hesh is using.

It's just a regular fingerboard (cut narrower) bound with ebony after slotting. There are some tricks to keeping the glue out of the slots, but otherwise it's not very difficult. In fact, binding with plain ebony makes it easy to hide mistakes, so it's probably the easiest type of fingerboard binding to do.

Cheers
John

You could also, with an accurate jig, make the slots the same way we do on CNCs - small end mill.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

Thanks for the great photos and tutorial. That looks like a nice set-up. Can
you use the press with the fingerboard glued on? Or at least the first 10 or
12? Looking great as usual and will look forward to see what it goes on!

Right on Hesh! That's a very nice set-up you have there. That FB is looking pretty sweet as well.

Now quick! Just 19 more to go!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Hi Hesh, thanks for the write up!

Do you use any glue for the frets, or do you just press it in?

Hesh, What size fretwire do you use?Is that Stew-Mac wire? TIA

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Hesh, I noticed something your doing wrong,
I ALWAYS start with the first fret, so I dont lose count
I COULD NEVER GO BACKWARDS!   

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Great tutorial as always Hesh bro! Quality work everywhere with quality pics!

Anybody who wants to buy the stew-mac press should take a look around and try to find an arbor press for less. I know that MSC sells them look here http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=1802568&PMT4NO=1 8255175

You could just buy the caul from stew mac for 50 bucks and this arbor press for 55 bucks and come out 50 bucks less than the stew-mac system. All one would need to do then is drill a hole in the arbor press to accept the caul from stew-mac.

Blake

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] ...I have glued frets and not glued frets and my jury is still out. Some glue as a lubricant which makes sense to me but adding moisture like Titebond does not make sense to me.

In Mario's article I think that he says that he adds a tiny bit of HHG which does make sense to me - just wish I knew his technique which was not detailed in the article in Guitarmaker.

[/QUOTE]

Hesh...There's probably more water in HHG than Titebond. I believe the rationale behind the use of HHG is to swell the kerf and hold the tang tighter as well as to secure the fret from the glue itself. The technique of using HHG should be similar...you just need to work faster. For me, I've used LMI white on 5 FB's and see no problems.

Terry...I like your rationale of starting fret installing at the soundhole end.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com