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if you plane the fretboard you will still have an issue. If you don't provide the support compression fretting provides you can plane for ever it will still go back.
if your need to compression fret you need to do this the correct way.
A have a number of different fret tangs
then work so you can about .007 to .009 back bow
Along with this use about 12 lb of weight and you can see how the neck is reacting as your fretting. That creates a mechanical compression for a more stable neck.
I have seen too many planed fretboards in my shop that needed to be fixed within a year. Wood will cold creep under stress.

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

In post #9 on the discussion previously linked John Arnold mentions removing the fretboard putting some back bow in the neck and resetting the fretboard with hot hide glue as a possible fix. Has anyone had experience with this?
Another thing I have read is to force some back bow into the neck to make the thicker tanged frets go in easier. Don Teeter once espoused gluing in frets. Combining elements of these techniques, I wonder if you could clamp the neck to induce back bow to widen the fret slots slightly, place epoxy in the slots and replace the frets with the same fretwire as originally used. Allow the glue to cure before releasing the clamps. The glue would be "adding the additional thickness to the tang" rather than finding matching fretwire with a thicker tang. What pitfalls might this idea have?

I once heard of a technique (never tried it myself) of clamping the neck in a back bow and seeping CA under the frets. Once the CA is set, remove the clamps and the neck is supposed to have less relief than before.

Clay, the Teeter fret technique is now discouraged by most repairmen because it irreversibly changes the fretboard.

Barry, I've actually done that a few times but the amount of compression it adds is relatively low. It isn't enough on it's own to correct a bad case.

Hi Barry,
I'm not suggesting enlarging the fret slots as is done with the Teeter method, but rather using epoxy in the existing slots while the neck is in the back bowed condition and the slots are stressed open a little wider. Dan said he tried it with CA with limited success, so using epoxy might not make much difference.

Clay, sorry. I misread your post.

Hi Barry,
No problem. My post wasn't clearly written and easily misunderstood. (as a native speaker, English is not my strong suite! ) I just wanted to clarify it a little better.

let me share my 20 years
Tried heating necks ( temporary at best )
Tried back bow and epoxy NOPE
Tried planing NOPE
Tried CA and dust recut slots NOPE
Tried Epoxy and dust recut slots NOPE
The only thing that worked was this

Compression frets but with a caveat
Clarence Can horn Taught me compression fretting. now we can talk bar or tee it is both very similar

A get 2 weights about 5 to 6 lb each
support the head stock
We don't compression the extension
put a fret in 1 5 10
you would want to measure the frets pulled at these points and put the same in 1 and 10 and one .001 heavier on 5
use a straight edge and see what you have without the weight then apply the weight.

you are looking to get about a .007 back bow from 7 to 1.
now you get an idea how you can set up the fret board. Stick in a .0220 on 7 and 9

check again with and without weight
if you need more back bow go to .0235 on 6 and 4
recheck
the neck seems to move more from 9 to 1 but the most movement is the upper 5
with the weight you can get an idea of what is happening .
the first 10 are the hardest and I think this is more art than science but the weight helps you see what is going on.

once done allow string tension at least 24 hr before final dressing.

I did 3 last week and the relief is between .004 and .006
I do use tite bond as a lube for the fretting process and when it cures it makes a good filler.

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

John that concept of sticking 10-12lbs of weight on the upper bout with a supported headstock to mimic string tension has been invaluable to me in many scenarios.

I use it all the time from setting the neck on new builds to neck resets on repairs, fret and fretboard leveling, checking extension drop off under load etc.

I am pretty sure I learned it from you here on this forum a long time ago. Thanks!

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

you are most welcome

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

WOW!!! I am overwhelmed by the number of responses to my dilemma! I want to thank each of you for participating. I will likely do this work myself, and to be fully informed is to be fully armed. John and Hesh have been very kind to detail their procedures, as have been each for their contributions. If I could, I would make a trip to see John (that was a great past experience), but the US customs decided about 5 years ago that I was inadmissible to the country due to a self disclosed admission on my part of having been convicted in 1971. of possession of 20$ of grass. I am 66 today, so do the math. Thats its own story.

A truly Merry Christmas to all of you, and May the Lord bless your New Year!!

you may always call

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Sounds like you checked the "wrong" box!

Pat

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Pat

I do this routinely on classical guitars. I also do compression refrets where that's appropriate. On a classical, with its thicker fingerboard, and (usually) integral neck, gluing on a new fingerboard while putting some back bow in the neck can solve several problems simultaneously: relief (I add an ipe neck reinforcement while the fingerboard is off), neck angle (the upper bout becomes quite flexible with the fingerboard removed, and the ipe reinforcement can extend through the body joint to help cement the angle change), and fret placement (many older classical guitars have erratic fret placement and no saddle compensation; a new fretboard with a custom scale fixes both). French polish allows an easy finish touch up on any thinly finished neck.

As with any repair technique, there are many small adjustments that can be frustrating the first time you give it a try. It does work. Practising on beaters is a good idea.

classical and steel strings are 2 different creatures. the string load is way different on the steel strings. On classical the planing and heat may work better. THey also have thicker and wider necks.

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it