Alternitive To Fret Tang Cutter

[shimmy]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone knew of a different way cut the tang short to fit between the binding other than tang cutters. I heard that some people file it shorter but using an ordinary bastard file, to me seems like it would take a very long time. I do have a dremel and was thinking of grinding it off roughly and then finish it with the file..

any thoughts?

Thanks kindly

Shimmy

[GuitarGuy]

Honestly, I dont use a tang nipper. I use a trued up bench grinder. Its fast but kind of an art in itself to get the bottom of the fret flat without gringing any of the fret away. But it works for me. A dremel with a stone in it may be useful as well.

[SwedishLuthier]

This cost you only 41 bucks and works like a dream. It takes like two seconds to nip the tang of with this. I have had mine for over five years and don’t think that the saving of 41 bucks is worth the work involved in making a special tool or grinding the tang of with a dremel or similar.

[Guitarfrenzy]

This cost you only 41 bucks and works like a dream. It takes like two seconds to nip the tang of with this. I have had mine for over five years and don’t think that the saving of 41 bucks is worth the work involved in making a special tool or grinding the tang of with a dremel or similar.

I totally agree. If you plan on doing quite a bit of fretjobs, then the cost of the nippers are definitely worth the time and headache it will save you. I can't emphasis enough how much easier it makes the job. But, do whatever works for you.

Did you check Ebay out? Here's some for $33.50.

[GuitarGuy]

I totally agree with both of you. Definitely makes it easier, not necessarily faster. The thing is $41 is a lot to put out for somthing that it could be better spent on things like nut files or groceries. My point it its not a necessity but a nice luxury.

[Guitarfrenzy]

I totally agree with both of you. Definitely makes it easier, not necessarily faster. The thing is $41 is a lot to put out for somthing that it could be better spent on things like nut files or groceries. My point it its not a necessity but a nice luxury.

Exactly right, if you don't have the money, or aren't going to be doing a lot of fret jobs, then by all means, find something cheaper that works for you. Just as long as you get the same results, and are satisfied with the job, that's all that matters.

[shimmy]

Thanks for the replys

I actually didnt realise that they were that cheap. Unfortuneately I need to start this fretjob tomorrow. Perhaps Ill use the money to buy some tang nippers with the money

Thanks again

Shimmy

[soapbarstrat]

The old way was to use your flush ground end-nippers to get most of it cut out, then finish with files. You often still need to do a little filing even with the sheet metal nibbler (which is what the Stew-Mac tool is )

[shimmy]

The old way was to use your flush ground end-nippers to get most of it cut out, then finish with files. You often still need to do a little filing even with the sheet metal nibbler (which is what the Stew-Mac tool is )

Yea I actually did try to use some pincers but they must have been blunt because I could barely dint the tang...(we are talking jumbo fretwire here tho) If i could do that then finish with a file that would be great...mabye I need a sharper pair

[KeithHowell]

I just modified a standard sheet metal nibbler which cost me around $10 and a bit of filing with a needle file to make the slot the fret fits in.

Keith

[Guitarfrenzy]

I just modified a standard sheet metal nibbler which cost me around $10 and a bit of filing with a needle file to make the slot the fret fits in.

Keith

Yes, definitely a cheaper way to make your own, soapbarstrat pointed that out to me a long time ago, but the only problem was, I already had bought some from Stew Mac.. lol Without seeing how it works, and noticing how the nippers are slotted, you might have a hard time making it work correctly, but I guess someone could take a picture of the way it's slotted for everyone else.

[SwedishLuthier]

I just modified a standard sheet metal nibbler which cost me around $10 and a bit of filing with a needle file to make the slot the fret fits in.

Keith

I think that StewMac is buying standard nibblers and modyfying them. I think that I have seen an ooooold StewMac catalog that describes how to do it. That was way before they started to make them themself.

[ryanb]

It's no secret where the Fret Nippers came from. Sure you can make your own for less money. But like anything else, a lot of people are willing to pay a bit more for the convenience of not having to make their own.

[Guitarfrenzy]

It's no secret where the Fret Nippers came from. Sure you can make your own for less money. But like anything else, a lot of people are willing to pay a bit more for the convenience of not having to make their own.

True, plus they modify them very precisely. So that's why I say, If you have no clue of how it should be slotted, then it's going to be harder to make your own. If you know someone who has one, look at theirs to get a better idea. I'll try to post a closeup picture of the slot by tomorrow.

[JFC]

I bought the stewmac nipper after years with the dremel.

After 4 frets this happened:

[Mattia]

I bought the stewmac nipper after years with the dremel.

After 4 frets this happened:

...at which point you told StewMac, and they sent you a new one? Because that's the most likely outcome of emailing/calling customer service.

[Guitarfrenzy]

Yes, I'd have definitely told them about that. You know that's one of the better things about buying from Stew Mac, they stand behind what they sell, my bet is that they'd have sent you another one at no charge. How long has it been since you bought it?

[Mattia]

Yes, I'd have definitely told them about that. You know that's one of the better things about buying from Stew Mac, they stand behind what they sell, my bet is that they'd have sent you another one at no charge. How long has it been since you bought it?

Yep. Stewmac is, hands-down, awesome for customer service. They ain't the cheapest, but they're fast, efficient, and want to make sure you're happy. They've messed up orders for me before (like, sent me a wrong part, forgot to send something else), and 3 days later, no charge to me, the right bits arrive with the message to not bother sending back the 'wrong' items. And that's transatlantic shipping.

[soapbarstrat]

That is probably extremely rare for one of those *hardened* steel tables to break like that. I once tried to drill a hole in one with a HSS bit and it dulled the bit right away.

I wish you could buy just those little tables ( I can't use my nippers for cutting sheet metal now that they're modded for fret cutting ! )

[JFC]

...at which point you told StewMac, and they sent you a new one? Because that's the most likely outcome of emailing/calling customer service.

Yes, and they will send me a new one.

[Setch]

If I were in the states, I'd buy a Stew AMc nipper in an instant. It's only shipping to the UK that forced me to go cheap, and make one. Ironically enough, I had to order the sheet metsal nibblers I converted from the States, but they were dirt cheap, and I got a friend over there to send them by groundmail, so the shipping was cheap too.

In the UK, I've only found pincer style metal nibblers, not the kind required for tang nipping.

The 'table' on nibblers is case hardened, and like Soapbar said, you need serious artillery to mark it. I used a diamond bur in a dental handpiece, and I strongly suspect a regular needle file would lose all it's teeth before it made a deep enough groove to be useful.