Rounding off sharp fret ends - vintage gauge

Travisthedog · December 2013

What the current knowledge on this.
My fingers are being ripped apart

Any particular tool for the job

ICBM · December 2013

If you don't mind losing the finish from along the edges of the fingerboard - or you actually want to create a 'rolled' edge - the easiest is to rub some (preferably a bit worn-out and crumpled already - about 600-grit seems to work well) fine sandpaper over them, up and down the neck. You may want to mask the fret tops to stop them getting scratched, since the scratches will be in the wrong direction and will feel rough when you bend the strings.

If you want to do it the proper way, you'll need some fine needle files and patience, and also to mask the fingerboard surface.

JCA2550 · December 2013

Sharp, proud fret ends are caused by shrinkage as the wood seasons and dries out.

A) If the neck has a rosewood or ebony fingerboard I'd check that it has enough nourishment first. Condition the fingerboard with a decent wood oil,walnut and or lemon oil etc.This may help "rehydrate" (I know it's oil not water, but you get the picture) the fingerboard just enough to make the fret ends less vicious? This will also retard future shrinkage and may prevent it happening again. Most likely you've already done this, but it's worth mentioning, no offence intended.

If the fingerboard is lacquered, maple etc,or conditioning the fingerboard hasn't helped the only option is to carefully file down the protruding fret ends with small, fine, flat-faced file. Depending on how much has to be taken off. you may have to reshape the fret ends. If you don't have a suitable file you can get one of these from Stew-Mac. These are pretty good for just taking the sharp protruding fret end down to the edge of the finger board too, but they cut quite fast, so you have to be careful.

57Deluxe · December 2013

Easy - go to the bathroom and grab your never used pumice stone and just agitate it on the high spot - don't rub like a wanker... just a gentle rounding action...

ThePrettyDamned · December 2013

I, too, used a stone - a blade sharpening one. Just be very gentle and careful, then finish with ultra fine wire wool.

Last time, I used ICBM 's sandpaper method and it gave a rolled edge on the board. I'll probably do this on all my build guitars from now on as it's so comfortable. You can sand across the fret, but it'll still need polishing so it's much faster to just mask all of the frets and masturb-er, rub up and down carefully. I used 800 grit I think, maybe 600. Again, wire wool the frets after to get them smooth and shiny

koneguitarist · December 2013

I prefer to use a sharpening stone, I have a small one that's perfect for it.

However a word of caution, wait a few more days. sometimes a guitar is kept in too dry an environment where the wood constricts, a bit more moisture soaked in and neck fattens up slightly pulling tang ends back into neck.

impmann · December 2013

I've had great success using sanding blocks - like this one...
http://www.diy.com/nav/decor/decorating-supplies/sandpaper-abrasives/blocks___brushes/B-and-Q-Flexible-Contour-Sanding-Pads-Fine-Medium-10549035?skuId=11039567

JCA2550 · December 2013

koneguitarist said:

I prefer to use a sharpening stone, I have a small one that's perfect for it.
However a word of caution, wait a few more days. sometimes a guitar is kept in too dry an environment where the wood constricts, a bit more moisture soaked in and neck fattens up slightly pulling tang ends back into neck.

What he said...

GSPBASSES · December 2013

Have a look for Feline guitars on YouTube then your see how it's done.

WezV · December 2013

JCA2550 said:

koneguitarist said:

I prefer to use a sharpening stone, I have a small one that's perfect for it.
However a word of caution, wait a few more days. sometimes a guitar is kept in too dry an environment where the wood constricts, a bit more moisture soaked in and neck fattens up slightly pulling tang ends back into neck.

What he said...

i disagree, get them whilst they are at their worse and never worry about it again

FelineGuitars · December 2013

My weapon of choice is a small swiss made triangular (three-square as the Americans call it) needle file with a smooth #4 cut

I have ground the pointed edges right off and smoothed them silky smooth on a water stone - this is so that this edge won't cut into the fingerboard face as you use the face of the file to turn the sharp edge in towards the end facet of the fretwire.

This looks similar to one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GROBET-VALLORBE-SWISS-NEEDLE-FILE-3-SQUARE-16cm-6-1-4-Long-Cuts-00-0-1-2-4-6-/130814875712?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item642487298f

the video that GSP mentioned - I would recommend using masking tape on the fingerboard to help prevent the file digging in at all.

And in spite of my making it look quick and easy - go slow and steady - I'm only speedy because it's second nature to me these days

Another trick is using one of those square foam blocks that have wet and dry on their faces that nail technicians use in women's beauty parlours (my girlfriend is a beauty therapist), although I think you can get them in superdrug or Boots chemist shops.

these are handy for just taking the sharp edges off the corners of the fret-wire, which often is all you need to get the neck comfy again

This sort of thing although you may want to look for a finer grit

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NAIL-BUFFER-BLOCK-3-WAY-SIDED-SANDING-BLOCKS-FILES-ACRYLIC-NAIL-PURPLE-/390662051784?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Nails_Manicure_Pedicure_CA&hash=item5af545d7c8

koneguitarist · December 2013

WezV said:

JCA2550 said:

,
koneguitarist said:

I prefer to use a sharpening stone, I have a small one that's perfect for it.
However a word of caution, wait a few more days. sometimes a guitar is kept in too dry an environment where the wood constricts, a bit more moisture soaked in and neck fattens up slightly pulling tang ends back into neck.

What he said...

i disagree, get them whilst they are at their worse and never worry about it again

I bow to your experience, I only said that as after playing a guitar that had frets protruding, they were cut back by filing about a mm, only to find a few days later fret ends had disappeared inside neck by a couple of mm and strings were then catching on ends. Nowhere to go then except a refret.

Fusionista · December 2013

FelineGuitars said:

Wisdom for that. Going to try it on my new tele neck. Any suggestions for how to tone down the orange nitro ?-) http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/7478/new-maple-tele-nitro-neck-far-too-yellow-orange#latest

WezV · December 2013

koneguitarist said:

WezV said:

JCA2550 said:

,
koneguitarist said:

I prefer to use a sharpening stone, I have a small one that's perfect for it.
However a word of caution, wait a few more days. sometimes a guitar is kept in too dry an environment where the wood constricts, a bit more moisture soaked in and neck fattens up slightly pulling tang ends back into neck.

What he said...

i disagree, get them whilst they are at their worse and never worry about it again

I bow to your experience, I only said that as after playing a guitar that had frets protruding, they were cut back by filing about a mm, only to find a few days later fret ends had disappeared inside neck by a couple of mm and strings were then catching on ends. Nowhere to go then except a refret.

well that would be an unusually large amount of movement. if you have to remove as much as a mm then there are other issues above normal fret bloom - at least for the UK. if that is 1mm off each side its a massive amount to narrow the fretboard by and clearly not the right approach, i agree in that situation you need to let the guitar acclimatize to a stable environment before doing anything else

ebony tends to shrink a bit more than other woods, i have had some serious bloom issues on that is but usually old untouched guitars

octatonic · December 2013

I use the Stew Mac tool for the job, which is enigmatically called a 'fret end dressing file'.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Shaping_and_crowning/Fret_End_Dressing_File.html

Definitely worth the £12 shipping etc they charge for it.

JCA2550 · December 2013

octatonic said:

I use the Stew Mac tool for the job, which is enigmatically called a 'fret end dressing file'.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Shaping_and_crowning/Fret_End_Dressing_File.html

Definitely worth the £12 shipping etc they charge for it.

Yep, what I said!

octatonic · December 2013

Ah yes- I see that now.

JCA2550 · December 2013

It just makes it doubly right

fretfinder · December 2013

JCA2550 said:

octatonic said:

I use the Stew Mac tool for the job, which is enigmatically called a 'fret end dressing file'.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Shaping_and_crowning/Fret_End_Dressing_File.html

Definitely worth the £12 shipping etc they charge for it.

Yep, what I said!

What they both said. Used carefully it works very well, even with my limited luthiery skills.

ThePrettyDamned · December 2013

FelineGuitars;112400" said:
My weapon of choice is a small swiss made triangular (three-square as the Americans call it) needle file with a smooth #4 cut I have ground the pointed edges right off and smoothed them silky smooth on a water stone - this is so that this edge won't cut into the fingerboard face as you use the face of the file to turn the sharp edge in towards the end facet of the fretwire.

This looks similar to one:http://www.ebay.com/itm/GROBET-VALLORBE-SWISS-NEEDLE-FILE-3-SQUARE-16cm-6-1-4-Long-Cuts-00-0-1-2-4-6-/130814875712?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item642487298f

the video that GSP mentioned - I would recommend using masking tape on the fingerboard to help prevent the file digging in at all.And in spite of my making it look quick and easy - go slow and steady - I'm only speedy because it's second nature to me these days

Another trick is using one of those square foam blocks that have wet and dry on their faces that nail technicians use in women's beauty parlours (my girlfriend is a beauty therapist), although I think you can get them in superdrug or Boots chemist shops.these are handy for just taking the sharp edges off the corners of the fret-wire, which often is all you need to get the neck comfy again

This sort of thing although you may want to look for a finer grithttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NAIL-BUFFER-BLOCK-3-WAY-SIDED-SANDING-BLOCKS-FILES-ACRYLIC-NAIL-PURPLE-/390662051784?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Nails_Manicure_Pedicure_CA&hash=item5af545d7c8

Excellent post. Almost think it could be stickied, but I'll remember the video.

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Rounding off sharp fret ends - vintage gauge

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