USMCHueston0311 Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Well like the title says I need a fret press, with cauls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Have you not tried looking for one yet? Stewmac.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Have you not tried looking for one yet? Stewmac.... Don't buy the arbor press from Stewmac. You can get virtually the same press from Harbor Freight for less than half the money. All you have to do is bore out the ram to accept the caul, and drill and tap a hole for a set screw to hold the caul in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMCHueston0311 Posted February 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Have you not tried looking for one yet? Stewmac.... Don't buy the arbor press from Stewmac. You can get virtually the same press from Harbor Freight for less than half the money. All you have to do is bore out the ram to accept the caul, and drill and tap a hole for a set screw to hold the caul in. What do you do about the self leveling caul thing, is that something you could purchase? Or is it not really all that important. I borrowedf a buddies arbor from stewmac, and i really didnt like how the self leveling thing was all over the place, and had to line up perfectly... I just figured that it was necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Spoke shows you how to make a hand held unit if you do not like the arbor Fret Press Caul 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 I use the fret caul in my drill press and use that as an arbor instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMCHueston0311 Posted February 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Have you not tried looking for one yet? Stewmac.... Stewmac discontinued them... thanks for your two cents though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 Have you not tried looking for one yet? Stewmac.... Stewmac discontinued them... ... all the more reason to get the Harbor Freight press. You can make your own caul fairly easily, too. The only thing I would buy from Stewmac would be the inserts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 I taptaptap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 I looked into the arbor press, but nobody around here sells them. For my next neck, I'm buying the inserts from Stew-Mac, putting them into a block of wood, then hammering on the whole thing. It's GOTTA be better than hammering on the frets directly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 I think anything non-self leveling is likely to be a problem. As for the brass inserts, there was some guy names Watkins or something like that, offering a larger set with 1/2 increments which would be a plus for conical radii boards. Curious why Stewmac discontinued it, but they've done that with other tools before and then brought them back. Could be ' out of stock and we just don't know right now when we'll get a new shipment '. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 I have no idea what you guys are talking about. 1. Stumac still sells everything you need http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_suppl...Press_Caul.html Separate inserts http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_suppl...=1&xsr=4365 that full size insert kit for others who need everything http://www.cncguitarparts.com/index.php?cPath=46 they also sell the Arbor Pres system still...So I am lost I guess a separate Arbor Press would be cheaper but I understand you need to drill out the hole to fit the caul shaft. I think; I am not 100% positive as I bough the whole system to save on shipping costs since I did not have a HF where I lived at the time. OK now that that is done. The Caul must pivot..No its not a feature it is a requirement.. If your neck is slightly cocked (I mean slightly) to one side the fret will not press in fully. The pivot point removes this risk and aligns the insert flush with the wire. As long as you align the center of the caul with the center of the neck it works well. There is no jig that I have or have seen that keeps the neck perfectly square to the arbor press caul, things move around. A fender style neck with a long support would work the best, but imagine trying to support an angled HS that is off to one side. In that case you are relying on the back of the neck. For anyone who does multiple designs there is no one solution. even the concave caul I use allows the neck to rotate.. remember you must support the neck under the caul or you risk snapping the neck.. Another feature of the SM Arbor press system is the Caul also rotates 360 deg. Look for the ring on the shaft. This allows a setscrew to hold the shaft so it does not drop out but can still rotate. Again feeding the neck through the arbor press it may not be straight lengthwise. So again the caul can rotate to meet the fret crown rather than you having to adjust the neck. If you are gluing in your frets you have a limited amount of time to put on the glue align the fret tang in the slot and press in the fret. all of these features help align the insert and apply even pressure quickly. If you haven't pressed in frets with this system then its simplicity and function may be lost on you Making the Caul is the easy part. A rod of metal a block of aluminum and a table saw is all you need..OK a drill a tap and a few set screws and a pin to hold the rod.. Not really rocket science. The inserts are another story. for the price its not worth making your own, even though some have done so (Saopbar?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Dave Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 Yeah the arbor press is still there on the site, but it clearly says discontinued where you add to your cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted March 26, 2010 Report Share Posted March 26, 2010 Interesting, seems they are out of the retail business all together http://www.cncguitarparts.com/ whatever that means As far as I know they were the only game in town for the expanded caul selection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted March 26, 2010 Report Share Posted March 26, 2010 I quickly skimmed through a thread not long ago at OLF, where those Watkins inserts came up and Mr. Watkins himself chimed in and said (at that time) that he had a few sets left and it's best to find out by emailing him if you can order a set. I also noticed recently that StewMac has the press in stock again. I don't have such a press, but if I ever get one, think I'll do like some guitar companies and use wider cauls with no groove. I think that would speed things up, not having to line up a narrow 1/8" wide call all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moth Posted March 30, 2010 Report Share Posted March 30, 2010 I taptaptap *highfive* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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