killemall8 Posted September 14, 2014 Report Share Posted September 14, 2014 For years, i have used the individual crowning file burrs from stew mac. I never bought the actual handle, i always just glued htem to a toothbrush. I have absolutely dreaded crowning because those files do almost nothing. I have to press as hard as i possibly can to get them to take material off. I finally broke down and bought their double sided crowning file for 40 bucks. It is the medium/ wide one. I assumed it would be the same size as the medium and wide crowning file burrs i have that i bought from them, but it is completely different. I am literally using the largest fretwire available and even the medium side of the crowning file is too big. It touches the top of the frets before it takes anything off the sides. Anybody know how or why this is? It doesnt make any sense. Even the frets that got a ton taken off while leveling still dont allow it to work. Just scrapes the tops of the frets and that is it. what a waste of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted September 14, 2014 Report Share Posted September 14, 2014 That sucks. When in doubt, always ask StewMac advice for compatibility. They're always quick to respond with a proper answer. If you have your fretwire's crown and width values, that will help them in selecting the right tool. I typically use their narrow file on "med" fretwire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted September 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2014 Well that is why i assumed that all their products would be equal in measurements. The medium and wide burrs from their "3 in 1" file set were perfectly sized, just dull and hard to use. The small one was so small it wouldnt have come close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted September 14, 2014 Report Share Posted September 14, 2014 If I were you, I'd email StewMac and see what they say. Their customer service is very good and they might be able to find a good solution for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripthorn Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 I have noticed that with my file. I have both the standard one that you got, but I recently broke down and got the diamond offset file. Now that is sweet, saves so much time with not having to get chatter marks out and what have you. If you do lots of fret jobs, it is totally worth it. You might also be able to find the right size with their diamond 2-in-1 that is shaped more like the Gurian. Regardless, I second the advice to contact them first to make sure everything works well together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted September 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 So i heard back from stew mac today. apparently i have been doing my crowning wrong this entire time. Still doesnt work quite like i woudl like it, but i guess it is slightly more useable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 That's awesome! Its all about perseverance and trying, experimenting until you get it right. Everything is a learning curve. For the life of me, after 9 years of building guitars, I still don't have a system for producing consistent finishes, but I'm getting there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted September 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 Yeah. I had always assumed you were supposed to just run the crowing file perfectly square to the fretboard and it would round the fret evenly. But apparently you are supposed to angle it to each side. Never knew that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.