Newbie Needs Help On Refretting :)

[fenderscottster]

Hi guys,

I m new to the forum this is my first post. lol..before I start asking questions I would like to thank projectguitar for starting this forum! it such a blessing to the DIY community and Thank you in advance for your help!

I had been searching for details on how to do a refret job for my strat copy neck (its a cheap neck for me to try out haha)

Will anyone be so kind to post some links to the tutorial on how to do refretting for me?

Is there any links to making your own DIY fret bender?

What are the essential tools to get for a refretting job? I went to Stew-mac and they have so many tools that confuses me on what to get. Their tools are pretty expensive for me, do you guys know of alternative places to get tools that are more affordable?

Lastly, is the Dan Erlewine's Fret Basics DVD useful or information from webpages are enough to start off refretting?

Thanks a lot guys!!! your help is greatly appreciated!!!

[j. pierce]

There's a few tutorials (including building a DIY fret bender) over on the main Project Guitar site : http://projectguitar.com/tut/tutorial9.htm (the building necks section of the tutorial section)

I haven't looked at the DVDs, but I will say that the Stew Mac "Fret Work Step by Step" book ( http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plans/B...ep_By_Step.html ) helped me out a whole lot. There's also sections on fretting in the Melvyn Hiscocks book as well.

[fenderscottster]

thanks a lot! but i cant seem to find the refret tutorial. a page saying it had been moved. Anyone know to where?? Thanks a lot!!

[SwedishLuthier]

J's link covers most of it. It doesn't cover the pulling of the frets. I do this:

Put masking tape on both sides of the fret

Get a end nipper and grind it so that it can get under the fret

Push the jaws under the fret to lift it some

Move the jaws a bit and do it again

repeat until you get the fret out

now carefully peal of the masking tape untill you reach aproximately half of the fret board

if there is chips from the board they are held by the tape

Put a drop of CA in the cavity created were the chip was

re-attach the tape

after the glue has set do the other side.

let cure

Remove tape and prepare the fretboard as you would with with a first-time fretting (as in the tutorials)

[WezV]

frets come out easier if you heat them first

i use a soldering gun like this:

http://www.eclipsetools.com/ProductPics/La...egs/900-207.JPG

but i modify it by chopping the end off and filing grooves into the the two new ends. Then when you place the two ends on the fret it completes the circuit and heats up faster than just holding the gun onto the fret. a few seconds is normaly enough to release any glue on the fret and release some of the woods natural oils to lubricate its exit.

I start pulling the fret with a sharp flexible knife that i find will go under a corner easier than the nippers - then when i have a bit more of a gap i use the nippers to hold the fret and wiggle it a bit on its way out -then move the nippers along the fret a bit further, basically walking it out.

make sure you have the masking tape and superglue near by and follow SwedishLuthier's advice for chip control!! if its a flatsawn baord it will chip more than a quarter sawn board - if its possible i always try to check that before i start so i know what to expect.

go slow at first till you get into the swing of it then you will quickly find you suddenly have a pile of neatly removed frets

[fenderscottster]

thanks a lot!!! Swedishluthier...just one question...what is CA and where can I get them?

[pmarlin]

CA is Cyanoacrylate, also known as super glue