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I'm doing a refret on the fretboard extention (the nlast 5 frets and the neck has been removed. i've chiped the board badly when i remove the old frets & am thinking about filling them in and recutting. I only have a saw with a .017 kerf. is there anyway I can recut and not have to wait and buy a proper saw?

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Mike McNerney

If you can find a thin piece of metal and fold a sheet of plastic over it, you might be able to plug the slot with that and fill on either side, removing the plate and plastic once the epoxy dries.

I have used Terrence's technique for some repairs, though not for fret slots. Take the time to make the slot insert. Wrapping with wax paper, Saran wrap, etc. can leave the wrap slack and it will not press up against the ridged insert. This may not be and issue if the chips are shallow and the remaining fret slot is enough to grab the fret tang. There are various ways to get the "wrapper" flat. You should do some dry runs. Often, I have used double-sided carped tape (the thin kind that is just a film without reinforcing strands). I used this two ways. One, you can use it to apply wax paper to the under-sized rigid insert. Two, you can leave the paper backing on the tape during the procedure, and the paper backing is usually smooth and will release from the glue filler. However, I do not know if it will release from epoxy. Try it first and you have a greater chance of success. The flat plate can be veneer, but I think it should extend far enough to pry it out.

I've successfully used a sheet of very thin teflon in the same way. It released from the epoxy without problems. You might be able to get by with a strip of credit card. I don't know how easily it would release from the epoxy though.

Dave

See this StewMac product and watch the instructional video:

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... t-dam.html

If you don't want to buy the dam material, you can use spare bits of plastic for the dam. Plastic lids work pretty well.

If you don't have a saw that creates the right sized kerf, I think you should buy one.

I have used pieces cut from those plastic cups butter and dip come in. I think I got the idea form a post here by Alan Carruth. Usually to deal with chip out small enough to fill with Ebony dust and thin CA.
The stuff sticks in a little but I have always been able to get it out.

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

The Stew-Mac teflon dam material works great and there are other uses for it.

The Teflon dam allows consideration of other glues/adhesives, too. Nothing sticks to Teflon, so c/a, acetone-based tube cement (Duco, et. al.), Titebond....all become available. And test first.

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Peter Havriluk

Using plastic lids for dam material is a good idea.
You can make an inexpensive saw from a half moon oscillating sawblade and stoning the edge to get the proper kerf (it doesn't take much, so check frequently so you don't go too far). In addition to cleaning out fret slots the little saw is handy for cutting veneer and trimming brace ends and other small tasks.
Pictured is a mock up. You can find half moon blades that are flat and easier to fit a handle to:

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-18-in-h ... 61814.html

thanks all. I will proceed with the dam...

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Mike McNerney

Not sure if it matters in this instance, but 0.02 is a bit narrower than a fret, and you do not have a saw to finish the slot. You may want to consider only gluing one side of the slot at a time, and shim the dam with a bit of wax paper. Test first.

If you have a saw that cuts a little too wide - say .025, .027 - you can stone the edges of the teeth to make the cut narrower. Just lay a fine stone, diamond plate or glass plate with fine sandpaper on each face of the saw and rub the points of the teeth. They stay sharp and the kerf gets narrower

Ed M

it turns out i have a Japanese saw that is .023. The fretting is done & I should be reattaching the neck today. My only question now is do I glue only the FB exstention and not the tenon ( I did originally...BTW the SM heat stick worked like a charm). I watched Robbie O remove a neck and I don't think the tenon was glued. Did a say this is a 12 string?

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Mike McNerney