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Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
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Author:  John Hale [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
I'm doing a stone and set for a friend on a uke where some frets had popped up now I always just used to put some black marker on the fret tops and 600 grit on my 12" radius sanding block sand the frets till there was a silver line on all the frets, then I'd go over with a crowning file then use 600 grit 45 degrees to the fret up to 2500 grit and it always seem ok to me, but I now have the Stew-Mac Fret Rocker and I seem to have about half a dozen spots, not whole fret which seem high anyone else noticed this?
Author:  Hesh [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 4:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
If the fret rocker rocks the frets are not level - that's the purpose and it's so very simple that beyond not being level the only other possible explanation is that the frets are loose too. Be sure they are all installed well by tapping them with and engineer's scale on both ends and in the middle. A loose fret will sound differently and you will know what I mean when you find one.

I typically level with 120 grit and do my final leveling with 220. 600 is a grit that I only pass through as I am final sanding my frets.

But to answer your question IMO the SM fret rocker is not too sensitive - if it rocks your frets are either not level or loose. This is of course for a board with no relief.
Author:  Doug Powdrell [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 4:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
Not uncommon for me to pick up 'part of a fret' that needs touch-up....I think it's a very accurate and useful tool to find the most miniscule 'high' fret.......
Author:  Dave Stewart [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 4:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
John Hale wrote:
.....but I now have the Stew-Mac Fret Rocker and I seem to have about half a dozen spots, not whole fret which seem high anyone else noticed this?

Enlightening, isn't it!! I thought I was doing a pretty good job too (using a piece of metal I thought was flat), 'till I got one of these! Ended up going back to previous instruments & found numerous spots needing more effort.
An accurate rocker would be on my "must have" tool lists for sure now. [:Y:]
BTW, it's fairly thick, and I have found that if it's not sitting flat along the fret tops, it sometimes sounds like a high fret when it isn't. (I imagine if it's skewed off axis a bit it would also give a false reading)
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
I returned a "fret rocker" to StewMac a couple of years ago because it was not flat, and being not flat, the curvature of the fretboard would make it rock. Even if it is perfect, you need to make sure you are aligned on a [what word am I looking for here? It would be a straight line that runs from the point of a cone to its base. Geometers, please help!]--well, anyway, if you aren't aligned, it will rock.

I picked up a nice 3-1/4" machinist's knife edge straight edge on Ebay after that. Brown & Sharpe. Good stuff. There's one there now, but I think it's on the pricey side.
Author:  Daniel Minard [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
I re-machined the faces of my fret rocker 'cause (like Howard) i found the edges weren't perfectly flat. As Hesh and the others said... If it rocks, you have a high fret.
Whether it's high enough to cause a buzz is another thing.
(Do check the Fret Rocker edges with a good straight-edge before you make the decision to file the fret.)
Author:  JohnAbercrombie [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
Thanks for the tip, Howard and Dan-
I just got back from downstairs after checking my FretRocker!
Mine is OK but it does have a slight 'curve' in it, so if you don't hold it flat, it seems to be faulty. The 'flats' are flat though.

BTW, I had the opportunity to put my FretRocker on a commercially-fretted neck from a supplier of electric guitar necks and quite a few of the frets were a bit 'off'. It's a sensitive tool. I use it when I install frets - as I go . Think I got that tip from a Mario post (??).

Cheers
John
Author:  John Hale [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
Well it's done now I don't yet own a straight edge, but thanks for the tip, the uke doesn't buzz or sound like a sitar on the wound string though I do need to work on my setup skills I should of sanded some relief into the neck before I fretted it, well I know for next time.
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Mar 25, 2010 10:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
I just use the little pieces of 3/4" aluminum angle with sandpaper per, Rick Turner. I have three of them, to work all the way up the board. It's simple and cheap, and the sandpaper is right on the sides. I flatten them on a dead flat surface before attaching sticky paper.
Author:  jfmckenna [ Thu Mar 25, 2010 2:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
Howard Klepper wrote:
I returned a "fret rocker" to StewMac a couple of years ago because it was not flat, and being not flat, the curvature of the fretboard would make it rock. Even if it is perfect, you need to make sure you are aligned on a [what word am I looking for here? It would be a straight line that runs from the point of a cone to its base. Geometers, please help!]--well, anyway, if you aren't aligned, it will rock.

I picked up a nice 3-1/4" machinist's knife edge straight edge on Ebay after that. Brown & Sharpe. Good stuff. There's one there now, but I think it's on the pricey side.

I didn't return mine but indeed mine too was not flat. I did however flatten it my self. But yeah I was a bit miffed that it wasn't machined perfectly flat. So is it too sensitive? No in fact it's not sensitive enough.
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Thu Mar 25, 2010 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
By not flat, I mean a warp on the broad surface. Not talking about whether the edge was machined straight.
Author:  JohnAbercrombie [ Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
Howard Klepper wrote:
By not flat, I mean a warp on the broad surface. Not talking about whether the edge was machined straight.


Same as mine.
I do think that, for the price charged (!) they should be flat on each surface!

Cheers
John
Author:  Jeffrey L. Suits [ Fri Mar 26, 2010 2:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
JohnAbercrombie wrote:
Howard Klepper wrote:
By not flat, I mean a warp on the broad surface. Not talking about whether the edge was machined straight.


Same as mine.
I do think that, for the price charged (!) they should be flat on each surface!

Cheers
John


A friend of mine just went back & forth w/Stewmac over the non-flatness of his nut slotting files. I did this a while ago, too, took 3 tries to get a 1/4" file with the cutting surface perpendicular to the safe edge. To Stewmac's credit, they came through on this, even though it was a couple of years since I'd gotten them. I'd been going nuts, having assumed that a tool expressly designed and manufactured to make a flat-bottomed slot, would do so.
Author:  ultisimo [ Fri Mar 26, 2010 7:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Stew-Mac Fret Rocker too sensitive?
Jeffrey L. Suits wrote:
JohnAbercrombie wrote:
Howard Klepper wrote:
By not flat, I mean a warp on the broad surface. Not talking about whether the edge was machined straight.


Same as mine.
I do think that, for the price charged (!) they should be flat on each surface!

Cheers
John


A friend of mine just went back & forth w/Stewmac over the non-flatness of his nut slotting files. I did this a while ago, too, took 3 tries to get a 1/4" file with the cutting surface perpendicular to the safe edge. To Stewmac's credit, they came through on this, even though it was a couple of years since I'd gotten them. I'd been going nuts, having assumed that a tool expressly designed and manufactured to make a flat-bottomed slot, would do so.


Yep, that would be me. I think you have to watch Stew Mac closely. They make many handy tools and products, but I've found the quality to be a little iffy. I actually talked to cust svc at Stew Mac today about my nut seating files, and they said that after checking all of them, they're sending them back to the manufacturer because they're all off. They will replace mine, but it may take some time to get a new "batch" from the manufacturer. I own a lot of Stew Mac stuff. I've spend a good deal of money with them, and I'd say I about 70% pleased with the tool quality. I bought a neck jig, which in theory is great. They're jig is a little imprecise and pretty expensive for what you get. I made it work better, but I shouldn't have had to. Their files also have rough edges on the "smooth side", where the file sides are almost rolled over onto the smooth "safe" side. I had to clean these up on a sanding beam. All in all, they're a great source for tools and jigs, I just think for what you spend, you should get a quality tool. A $35 file should be perfect the first time. A $350 neck jig shouldn't have to be "tweaked".

The guys are generally pretty helpful and upfront at Stew Mac. I've gotten some bs/flakey answers lately that make me a little upset that they're trying to bs me rather than admit they're tools are not as precise as they should be...and as they're advertised to be.

To answer the original question above about uneven frets. If you're straight edge is straight, and it rocks on frets, you have uneven frets. The straight edge doesn't lie. I agree with the other posts, check for loose frets. They'll be pushed down when you pass over them with the sanding beam, but then pop back up afterwards. You'll end up doing a lot of work and have the same fret condition in the end. Always check to make sure the frets are in there solid before filing/sanding.
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