Crowning File Question

[aggravated_alien]

Crowning Files seam great but the impression it get is that the more you use a crowning file the wider the land gets on you fret is that correct.

First time around with with crowning file = /\

Second time around with crowning file = / \

Where with a triangle file you can take a fret like this / \ file at a different angle and change it to this /\

Sorry for the crude illustrations.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

[ihocky2]

A crowing fille will never let the crown get any wider than the shape of the crown in the file. You will only lower the fret. When a fret is first leveled to top looks more like / \ with a wide flat top. When you start crowing the first things hit are the corner and it slowly (or kind of quickly) removes those corners and round them down. Use the marker method, and you'll see that with each swipe the marker line gets thinner. Using a triangle file, you can make the shape however you want. A crowning file will give you the same shape on each fret on every guitar everytime (in theory).

[bluesy]

A crowing fille will never let the crown get any wider than the shape of the crown in the file. You will only lower the fret. When a fret is first leveled to top looks more like / \ with a wide flat top. When you start crowing the first things hit are the corner and it slowly (or kind of quickly) removes those corners and round them down. Use the marker method, and you'll see that with each swipe the marker line gets thinner. Using a triangle file, you can make the shape however you want. A crowning file will give you the same shape on each fret on every guitar everytime (in theory).

I have only one crowning file, and it seems to me, that, in a perfect world, you'd need one for each different fret width and profile. If the crowning file is narrower than the fret, the fret width will be reduced to fit the inner concave size of the file. If the crowning file is wider than the actual fret, it will tend to flatten the top and not take much off the sides, and tend to flatten the fret, unless, as I do, use the file (which is wider than the fret) on each side of the fret alternately. I first run the file over the fret with a small amount of pressure to the right, thus bring the left inside of the crowning file in contact with the LHS of the fret, then I do it with pressure to the left, thus doing the other side of the fret. By adjusting the angle the file is held at, you can vary the amount taken off the lower sides and nearer the top of the fret, so you can make some adjustment to the profile of it.

[djhollowman]

A crowing fille will never let the crown get any wider than the shape of the crown in the file. You will only lower the fret. When a fret is first leveled to top looks more like / \ with a wide flat top. When you start crowing the first things hit are the corner and it slowly (or kind of quickly) removes those corners and round them down. Use the marker method, and you'll see that with each swipe the marker line gets thinner. Using a triangle file, you can make the shape however you want. A crowning file will give you the same shape on each fret on every guitar everytime (in theory).

I have only one crowning file, and it seems to me, that, in a perfect world, you'd need one for each different fret width and profile. If the crowning file is narrower than the fret, the fret width will be reduced to fit the inner concave size of the file. If the crowning file is wider than the actual fret, it will tend to flatten the top and not take much off the sides, and tend to flatten the fret, unless, as I do, use the file (which is wider than the fret) on each side of the fret alternately. I first run the file over the fret with a small amount of pressure to the right, thus bring the left inside of the crowning file in contact with the LHS of the fret, then I do it with pressure to the left, thus doing the other side of the fret. By adjusting the angle the file is held at, you can vary the amount taken off the lower sides and nearer the top of the fret, so you can make some adjustment to the profile of it.

Yeah, that's kinda how I do it too, and I get good consistent results that way. (The method of using it on one side first etc, I mean!)

Although I still honestly prefer just using a 3 corner file for crowning.

I come from a background of jewellery manufacturing, so perhaps I'm simply more confident and comfortable with a "normal" file!! I don't often have to worry about how long it's taking me though!

And yeah, you do get crowning files graded by the width of the frets on which it will be used; medium, jumbo etc

DJ

[ihocky2]

That is why the make and sell crowing files for narrow, medium, and wide frets. While it's annoying to have to buy mulitple files, they are made for a specific job for a specific size. I've never had great luck with a 3 corner file. I'm sure with enough practice I could get the hang of it. But if you are more comfortable with one, by all means use it.