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Pulling frets with minimum damage
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10137&t=40655		 Page 2 of 2
Author:  Frank Ford [ Sat Jan 04, 2014 6:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
Hey, no sweat, pal - that was 2.6 years ago now. Wow, that must have been an experience with the hospital fire!

I have a new definition about old age. It's when you're standing around talking about your health with your friends, and everybody's really interested in the conversation.

Some of us were doing that in the shop the other day, and one of the younger instructors walked by saying, "Ah, the old organ recital. . ."
Author:  gxs [ Sun Jan 05, 2014 3:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
I am not sure if these are overkill but they seemed topical : http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... ppers.html
Author:  Hesh [ Sun Jan 05, 2014 3:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
Frank my definition of Old Age includes a line from the film "Bucket List..."

Never trust a fart....... :D

GXS we recently bought the chip stoppers and did not get on with them very well.... It's a novel idea but again if you keep the face of the nippers flush with the board, maybe use some water too along with heating the fret, and work progressively down the fret never pulling but using the tool to lift the fret with the wedge action of the jaws it's still the best results that I ever get.

By the way the chip stoppers benefit from the same technique in that instead of the nipper face in contact with the board the nipper face if done correctly is in contact with the chip stopper which is in contact with the board.
Author:  RTurner [ Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
Once you try the resistance heating trick...whether it's from the 50 yard line (American Beauty) or cheap seats (Weller soldering gun with the big transformer in it)...you'll never go back to a soldering iron. There's nothing quite like getting the whole fret hot at once and having that heat be so perfectly localized in the fret itself. We don't need chip stoppers; we don't need two pairs of end nippers; and we don't have chipping problems. These days most of our fret pulling is when someone wants one of our fretted basses converted to fretless where we inlay white plastic lines into the old fret slots. There is no hiding chip outs when we do this; sure we can fill with superglue and sawdust, but it's hardly ever a real issue.

And I wouldn't even consider trying to get a fret out without heat at all. That is so fraught with peril and just too, too 20th Century!
Author:  Hesh [ Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
Rick I completely agree regarding heat but prefer to localize the heat or at least have some control over what part of the fret gets very hot because of bindings.... It's not difficult to smoke the bindings especially on older instruments that have nitro cellulose bindings... So I avoid the ends or am very careful around the ends not wishing to smoke the bindings.

Now if you wanna talk about smoking the drapes I'm all ears.... :D And.... never mind.... I forgot what I wanted to say.... [headinwall] duh :D

We have several old Wellers with the massive transformer and modify the tips with a small, round file to include a hollow like a fret crowning file so they don't slip off the frets. I may try your method but not on something vintage with nitro bindings. Has this, burning bindings been an issue for you at all?

And what about those stinkin Gibson nibs..... eh... [headinwall] [headinwall] :)
Author:  RTurner [ Sun Jan 05, 2014 6:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
Yeah, just put the electrodes down 1/4" to 3/8" from each end of the fret to keep from needing the fire extinguisher.

That nitro will be gone in 100 years or less anyway! :-)

It's the least forever thing on vintage guitars.
Author:  charles tauber [ Tue Mar 04, 2014 5:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
RTurner wrote:
I use an American Beauty resistance soldering station with tweezer electrodes.


Any preferred model or Wattage?

Thanks,

Charles
Author:  Link Van Cleave [ Fri Mar 07, 2014 11:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
Frank Ford wrote:
That does cut a bit close to home:

So, I'm lying there shortly after having my chest stitched back together, with a nurse and orderly helping me to sit up. Nurse says, "Now don't use your arms, but just slide over to the edge of the bed and we'll get you over to the bathroom." She forgot to mention that, wearing the typical gown, I'd be stretching the nether part of my anatomy and getting a nice surprise. Once that ordeal was over, I was able to dunk 'em in the commode for a second "cooling" surprise. . .


Frank, This is what is known as TMI ! 57 and not looking forward to it.
Link
Author:  CraigG [ Sun Mar 09, 2014 10:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
When removing frets from an older finished maple board ( in this case a 1976 strat neck with side loaded frets, which I will be pushing out sideways) do you think that the resistance heating method would be too hot for the finish? What about the solder along the fret trick? Frank?
Author:  Wes Paul [ Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
Something I never thought of that was mentioned to me by a repair tech the other day is to ajust the truss rod so the neck has a back bow before pulling the frets. He says it helps big time.
Author:  Lonnie J Barber [ Fri May 23, 2014 11:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Pulling frets with minimum damage
Well Frank I also had open heart in February 2011 but I never got my nuts wet. Must of had a better nurse. Also I wore hospital Jammie's no open butt gown for me. Lol


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