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PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 4:05 pm 
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Koa
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I know this has been discussed, but I couldn't find the post (CA is not a searchable term).

I went ahead and tried CA glue to secure some questionable frets, and now I have some telltale squeeze out. I tried to wipe it clean with a cloth and acetone to no obvious effect. What can I use without seriously marring the fretboard surface and/or frets?

PS. I used CA because of it's near instant cure. The idea was that I could press the fret in, hold for a two-count and release the pressure. Is there another glue I can use that doesn't require me to hold pressure for 10 minutes while it cures? Something that I can clean up squeeze out without destroying the fretboard?


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 4:18 pm 
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Have you tried judicious use of a very sharp Exacto blade?

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 4:40 pm 
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Yes, but it was scratching it up pretty bad. It's a cocobolo fretboard, so fresh scratches are evident (orangy). I know within a few hours the color of the scratches would oxidize to the same color as the fretboard, but it made me not want to keep going that way. I'm going to try steel wool soaked in acetone next, but was hoping there was a well established technique before I go experimenting.


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 4:48 pm 
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I've found acetone to work pretty slowly on superglue, but it will dissolve it if you have the patience. I just use a single edged razor blade. It might expose the wood color, but I don't get any scratches when I use it.
Mike


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 4:59 pm 
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I use a chainsaw file.
NO cutters on the sides.
Rounded there.
It just cleans the f.b..
No fret damage.
Plus the cutters are very fine.
That makes it easy to sand with 600-1500 grit to make it invisible.


Mike

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 5:19 pm 
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Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
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We use CA for gluing frets on every refret and often on fret dresses where one fret was loose so we can't trust any of them.

Here's what we do and I hope this helps. Also we have done this exact process hundreds of times with no issues ever.

1) Run a bead of the thinnest CA you can find next to the fret you want to use. Micro-pipettes are perfect for this.

2) Sometimes you can even see it wick up on the other side of the fret and this is desirable.

3) With an appropriate caul for the radius of that specific fret clamp firmly at once.

4) With acetone on a rag carefully (don't want to touch any finish on the side of the neck or the guitar) wipe up quickly the excess.

5) Spray accelerator where you applied the glue and leave clamped for 5 seconds or so.

6) Remove clamp and move on.

7) Work in a direction that the overspray from the accelerator does not contaminate the next fret in line for this treatment.

8) When done gluing all or any fret if there are notable filets of dried glue next to them because we did not wipe well enough... the micro chisels from Stew-Mac are perfect to remove the filet.

9) Scrape the board right up to the frets with a single edged razor blade used as a scraper. Try not to chatter and with a little practice no chatter is very possible. Scraping removes the residual CA fast and completely and also removes a very thin layer of any discolored wood. It also freshens up the board on a refret on an older guitar and is a fast way to remove finger jam... from our toxic clients fingers...

10) Sand with 320 quad folded and positioned like that playing card with a clothes pin in the spokes of a kid's bike trying to sand the sides of the frets, tops, the board, etc. It usually takes me four times in four different positions to do an entire board. The sanding removes any chatter marks as well if that results.


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 5:34 pm 
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Koa
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Mike Collins wrote:
I use a chainsaw file.
NO cutters on the sides.
Rounded there.
It just cleans the f.b..
No fret damage.
Plus the cutters are very fine.
That makes it easy to sand with 600-1500 grit to make it invisible.


Mike


Not sure I know what a chainsaw file is. Aren't they rounded rods with the file pattern cut all the way around? What side has no cutter?


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 7:49 pm 
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Acetone worked great for me on Coco.

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:44 pm 
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Koa
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Acetone might have worked, but was not going to win any prizes for speed or ease. I had some "super solvent" from the people who make "hot stuff" glue.
A couple of drops on oooo steel wool worked well.
As usual, Hesh's workflow is probably best. Cleaning as you work instead of after is always a good idea. If I use CA glue again I will be very careful to make sure I clean the squeeze out as I fret!


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:14 am 
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I put two coats of Danish oil on the FB before fretting .. doesn't allow the CA glue to penetrate the top of the FB as much when you glue the frets in .. clean up is way easier.

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These users thanked the author TonyKarol for the post: Alex Kleon (Thu Jul 23, 2015 11:16 am)
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:30 am 
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