HOW TO: blind fret ends
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- robert(original)
- .
- Posts: 7174
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:30 pm
- Location: somewhere in the midwest
HOW TO: blind fret ends
ok.
i have seen this done a few different ways.
the most common is binding(duh) but then there are few ways to bind, i.e. gibson vs fender style binding.
and then there is the way of which only a machince can produce. altho if done well, it looks and feels nice.
the way im doing it, is the same way alot of manufactures do it, except with really nice tools and robotic arms for limbs.
so anyway.
these are the tools i will be using.
this is the tang of the fret(the part that sticks into the wood)
first off i have to clip the ends with my clippers.
this gets the bulk of it off but i have to use a mini table vise to file it done the rest of the way.
once i get this done for both sides i set myself up to glue, pound in and clamp tightly.
this is the shit right here.
this stuff is why gibson does cool inlays on ebony fretboards, its a pure dust(no paper particals or whatever else that cause it to turn grey/brown)
all you do is drop some super glue in the ends of the frets, mash it with dust and put another lil bit on top of that, let it dry and sand.
and the finished blind fret end.
i have seen this done a few different ways.
the most common is binding(duh) but then there are few ways to bind, i.e. gibson vs fender style binding.
and then there is the way of which only a machince can produce. altho if done well, it looks and feels nice.
the way im doing it, is the same way alot of manufactures do it, except with really nice tools and robotic arms for limbs.
so anyway.
these are the tools i will be using.
this is the tang of the fret(the part that sticks into the wood)
first off i have to clip the ends with my clippers.
this gets the bulk of it off but i have to use a mini table vise to file it done the rest of the way.
once i get this done for both sides i set myself up to glue, pound in and clamp tightly.
this is the shit right here.
this stuff is why gibson does cool inlays on ebony fretboards, its a pure dust(no paper particals or whatever else that cause it to turn grey/brown)
all you do is drop some super glue in the ends of the frets, mash it with dust and put another lil bit on top of that, let it dry and sand.
and the finished blind fret end.
- robert(original)
- .
- Posts: 7174
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:30 pm
- Location: somewhere in the midwest
- robert(original)
- .
- Posts: 7174
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:30 pm
- Location: somewhere in the midwest
its pretty time consuming but it works out pretty decently just becuz once i get a fret clamped and glued in, i can start shaping the next fret, and by the time that one is done, its time to take off the clamp and do it all over.
i got 4 done last night, took me about 45 mins, so a lil over 10 mins per fret.
after working tonight i can probly get another 6 in before i need to crash to be up in time.
i won't lie, this is probly one of the more fun parts becuz i get to play a game of "hide the fret ends" and try to make it look really good.
im sure by the last fret it will start to feel annoying(repetition)
i got 4 done last night, took me about 45 mins, so a lil over 10 mins per fret.
after working tonight i can probly get another 6 in before i need to crash to be up in time.
i won't lie, this is probly one of the more fun parts becuz i get to play a game of "hide the fret ends" and try to make it look really good.
im sure by the last fret it will start to feel annoying(repetition)
- robert(original)
- .
- Posts: 7174
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:30 pm
- Location: somewhere in the midwest
bachus, no, its set in with super glue, its hard to show but basically once i set in the glue, it gets rubbed into the fret slot and fills any space and binds the fret with the fretboard.
there is a zero fret, i glued in the peice for it about.... 2 hours ago.
im going to put a jumbo fret in ther but level it just the same.
the first time i fretted a neck worked on it and played it was my telecaster and i was ecstactic becuz it was so fucking perfect it could be as low as i wanted or as high as i wanted without any problems.
but... to get that it takes alot of patience and careful attention, i ended up pulling the 3rd fret out today becuz it was not seated properly(probly due to dust/ small bits of reisdue.
but now its looking ace.
im up to the 8th fret with frets ready until the 14th.
if i can get the camera working again i will take some more shots.
there is a zero fret, i glued in the peice for it about.... 2 hours ago.
im going to put a jumbo fret in ther but level it just the same.
the first time i fretted a neck worked on it and played it was my telecaster and i was ecstactic becuz it was so fucking perfect it could be as low as i wanted or as high as i wanted without any problems.
but... to get that it takes alot of patience and careful attention, i ended up pulling the 3rd fret out today becuz it was not seated properly(probly due to dust/ small bits of reisdue.
but now its looking ace.
im up to the 8th fret with frets ready until the 14th.
if i can get the camera working again i will take some more shots.
Fair enough. Sorry if that seemed like a jibe at how you're doing this, it's just in my head, tang plus glue is going to be more solid than glue minus tang, or something, but then I suppose there's not a whole lot of force 'pulling' the fret out, like.robert(original) wrote:bachus, no, its set in with super glue, its hard to show but basically once i set in the glue, it gets rubbed into the fret slot and fills any space and binds the fret with the fretboard.
- robert(original)
- .
- Posts: 7174
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:30 pm
- Location: somewhere in the midwest
- robert(original)
- .
- Posts: 7174
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:30 pm
- Location: somewhere in the midwest
That makes a lot of sense too.
It's funny how you miss elementary things like this when all you see is photos, and you have to sort ofhave to fill in the bits in between with your imagination. Like, if I was in your shop watching you do this, i doubt that any of this would even have crossed my mind.
I read a review of a guitar recently where none of the frets were straight. The thinking was that it was impossible to intonate an acoustic correctly, so this guy did it by ear and with a tuner, and laid the fret according wo where it ought to go. I can't for the life of me remember who it was, and googling "wonky guitar fret acoustic" isn't giving the right results. Interesting though.
It's funny how you miss elementary things like this when all you see is photos, and you have to sort ofhave to fill in the bits in between with your imagination. Like, if I was in your shop watching you do this, i doubt that any of this would even have crossed my mind.
I read a review of a guitar recently where none of the frets were straight. The thinking was that it was impossible to intonate an acoustic correctly, so this guy did it by ear and with a tuner, and laid the fret according wo where it ought to go. I can't for the life of me remember who it was, and googling "wonky guitar fret acoustic" isn't giving the right results. Interesting though.
- robert(original)
- .
- Posts: 7174
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:30 pm
- Location: somewhere in the midwest
that sounds like the fan fret idea.
basically the guitar is a bastard instrument and even electric intonation is not 100 correct.
to be honest the compensated neck is the most accurate tuning and intonation that you can get.
if i remember correctly my teacher told me. "the guitar is and english instrument with spanish tuning"
making it a sort of bastardized stick of rawk tonez.
basically the guitar is a bastard instrument and even electric intonation is not 100 correct.
to be honest the compensated neck is the most accurate tuning and intonation that you can get.
if i remember correctly my teacher told me. "the guitar is and english instrument with spanish tuning"
making it a sort of bastardized stick of rawk tonez.