Fret Dams And Oversized Fret Slot

[Razbo]

I have a Yamaha SE 200 with RW fretboard I was practicing techniques on. One thing was a partial refret. I pulled the frets and had minor chip out that I decided I would try my hand at filling before refretting.

I thought I'd read somewhere that playing cards would make a good dam. So I inserted 2 layers into the slots and topped up the chip out with CA glue. That part worked good. Then I tried to pull out the cards.

Well, they were now a permanent part of the fingerboard, so I ended up taking the razor saw and reslotting. Only one slot got away from me (the saw went down beside the card somehow), and it's way too wide.

So, 2 questions. First, what really is a good material to use as a dam? I am now thinking of using thin sheets of metal or plastic and coat it with wax. (I've also read that hard car wax like Turtle Wax prevents CA from sticking.)

Second, what's best to fill that slot with? Assume I get a working dam in there, should I fill the slot with CA? Or a mix of RW dust and carpenter glue? Or something else?

[soapbarstrat]

Playing cards ? I missed that one. I have seen playing cards mentioned as a good shim material for router table fences and stuff like that, but never to put glue around.

Teflon is the best. But what works just about as well is HDPE plastic. I get mine off of these

If you have a pair of calipers, you can usually find a small section around .020" thick.

Gap packed with wood dust, then soaked with CA is the best fill, to me. Certainly the fastest. Usually kicks off so fast, you can file the hardened fill flush within minutes, if not seconds.

Erlewine had a similar thing happened like what happened to you, in one of his videos. I think it was a match book cover he coated with wax, for a fret-slot damn. Couldn't get that bastard out and had to use a razor saw.

[Razbo]

Erlewine had a similar thing happened like what happened to you, in one of his videos.

Now I don't feel so bad.

Thanks for the tip on the gallon jugs. I've got plenty of those.