I think you need to buy (or make) one of these saws...
Looks like just the thing.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Fretting/Refret_Saw.html
Pics of one in use at http://www.guitarspecialist.com/paulsimonguitars.htm
Cheers
John
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| Author: | meddlingfool [ Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:51 am ] |
| Post subject: | Shallow fret slots... |
Greetings all, What do you do when your slots are too shallow? Deepen the slots with a Dremel, or grind a little off the bottom of the fret tang? TIA |
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| Author: | stan thomison [ Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:58 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
Can deepen them with a dremel and right dental burr, but go easy. Can use the saw blade. I know tapered probably, but can be done.. |
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| Author: | meddlingfool [ Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
Not just tapered but bound and installed on a completed instrument. I pulled them and reprofiled the FB to give it more relief and lost the necessary clearance in the process. Them two way truss rods are starting to look pretty good... |
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| Author: | JohnAbercrombie [ Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
I think you need to buy (or make) one of these saws... Looks like just the thing. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Fretting/Refret_Saw.html Pics of one in use at http://www.guitarspecialist.com/paulsimonguitars.htm Cheers John |
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| Author: | meddlingfool [ Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
That could do it. Sweet FB, is that one of yours? |
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| Author: | JohnAbercrombie [ Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
meddlingfool wrote: That could do it. Sweet FB, is that one of yours? No- not mine but by Jimmy Foster - I just picked up the image of the saw from Doug Proper's (well-known repair/setup guy) website. John |
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| Author: | Rob Warren [ Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
+1 on the Stew Mac saw and the hooked xacto blade. works good. |
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| Author: | Foster [ Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:05 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
For 36 years I've sucessfully used a Dremel tool with a router base and a 3/32's collet for a #699 carbide dental burr. |
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| Author: | Mike Lindstrom [ Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:48 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
In class, we found the dental bits worked well, but if they were new and sharp, they'd grab and fight you. A used bit tracked a lot better. Mike |
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| Author: | unkabob [ Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
Don't Zona-tools make a 0.023" hand saw? They should be available where Zona tools are sold. Worth checking locally. I cut fret slots with a 0.010" saw blade and then draw a 0.023"saber-saw through to widen the slot. Bob |
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| Author: | JohnAbercrombie [ Sat Apr 24, 2010 12:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
Foster wrote: For 36 years I've sucessfully used a Dremel tool with a router base and a 3/32's collet for a #699 carbide dental burr. Bert- Thanks for that reference on the 699 burr. I looked for one online and found the specs. The #699 burr is tapered (from .018 to .035") - can you still seat frets in the normal way (no glue/epoxy) after deepening the slot with one of these? I have found that a .023 mill cutter is a very fragile thing- it might do better in a higher speed handpiece, but in my Dremel it was easy to snap, even with quite a light cut. I imagine that the #699 would be quite a bit better/tougher. Cheers John |
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| Author: | woody b [ Sat Apr 24, 2010 2:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
Mike Lindstrom wrote: In class, we found the dental bits worked well, but if they were new and sharp, they'd grab and fight you. A used bit tracked a lot better. Mike I get used bits from my dentist. |
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| Author: | Foster [ Wed Apr 28, 2010 9:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
JohnAbercrombie wrote: Foster wrote: For 36 years I've sucessfully used a Dremel tool with a router base and a 3/32's collet for a #699 carbide dental burr. Bert- Thanks for that reference on the 699 burr. I looked for one online and found the specs. The #699 burr is tapered (from .018 to .035") - can you still seat frets in the normal way (no glue/epoxy) after deepening the slot with one of these? I have found that a .023 mill cutter is a very fragile thing- it might do better in a higher speed handpiece, but in my Dremel it was easy to snap, even with quite a light cut. I imagine that the #699 would be quite a bit better/tougher. Cheers John I try to make gradually deeper cuts because if you try to cut too deep the burr will also break. I sneak up on the proper depth. Also a bead of old glue will form on the burr and you must keep your eye on it and snap it off the bit with your fingernail on your thumb. Ocassionally you will have to use an exacto #11 to chip it off. I never have to cut deep enough to get into the part that is .035. That said I always put three drops of cyanoacrylate (Zap, Hot Stuff, etc...) One at each end and one in the middle just for insurance. I keep a folded paper towell and wipe immediately. I clean up any glue stains using a single edge razor blade as a scraper. Frets that have been glued are not that difficult to remove. I heat them with a soldering iron with a little solder on the tip to transfer the heat better. You can see the glue vaporize when it's time to break out your end nipper and get under the fret crown and walk the fret out starting at either end. If the guitar has plastic binding be careful not to overheat the ends. |
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| Author: | JohnAbercrombie [ Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
Thanks, Bert. Good tips. A few days ago I converted a spare soldering gun into a fret heater- just a couple of thin brass rods (with concave filed tips) sticking out of the holes where the soldering tip used to attach. The fret completes the circuit and heats up quite effectively. As you said, watching for glue (or years of oil/gunk) to heat up tells you when the fret is hot enough to pull. Cheers John |
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| Author: | PaulB [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 4:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
Stanley knife blades are just the right thickness - you can re-grind them into a chisel shape on one end, and grind the other end to fit into a handle (dunno what the handles are called but they're the same ones you use for a razor saw). This setup up it also good for pulling out excess glue that gets in the slots on a bound fretboard. |
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| Author: | SteveSmith [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 6:41 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shallow fret slots... |
PaulB wrote: Stanley knife blades are just the right thickness - you can re-grind them into a chisel shape on one end, and grind the other end to fit into a handle ... Nice tip. I just measured some standard stanley utility knife blades and they are .0245". Cool! |
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