Fret Levelling Tool

[Dylanwad]

I'm trying to decide what I'm going to buy for fret leveling. I've come accross two different tools on ebay that would do the job. This one used without the strings on the guitar.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TECHNOFRET-19-fret-leveling-beam-luthier-tool-/180717059014?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2a13937bc6#ht_2865wt_1220

Or this one used with the the strings on the guitar so the tension is still in the neck.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TECHNOFRET-Advanced-Fret-Leveling-System-/180677811948?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2a113c9eec#ht_3107wt_1220

Have any of you any experience with these tools? I'm thinking that having the tension in the strings would be a good thing but it would be harder to check the leveling with a fret rocker, unless having the tension in the strings mean you won't need to use the rocker?

[demonx]

Of these two, I'd choose #1

The thing that annoys me about this type of beam is to get good results you have to glue & clamp flat the paper to make it straight and then the paper doesn't last very long and you have to scrape it all off and replace.

I'm using a different type of diamond fret leveling file these days, but I much preferred my own hand made one similar to the #1 you posted. It's just a hassle to maintain to you build lots of guitars.

[Juntunen Guitars]

I use the Stewmac leveling bar, I think it's the 16 inch that I have not sure though. They work great, I'd rather buy from stewmac than something off ebay anyways, ebay may be cheaper but that doesn't mean it's better quality. Don't get the one for leveling with the strings on. It's just as easy to level with the strings off just be sure the neck is straight, it helps to use a dual action rod like the ones you can get from LMI or Allied so you can bend the neck into a back bow or up bow. this tool works wonders when fretting this way you can see if your fingerboard is straight from radiusing and you can see if the neck is straight.

[SwedishLuthier]

The second version is very similar to how I do tricky fret leveling on necks that twist under presure but remain straight without strings on. I have used a neck jig for years, but found that a simple L-shaped aluminum beam that I sanded perfectly flat, slapped some self adhesive abrassive on (stick-it from 3M) and slipped under the strings when the neck was adjusted as flat as possible with the truss rod worked even better than my neck jig with all the bells and whistles. Lerned that trick from Rick Turner and have only used the neck jig once after that and I was dissapointed with the jigs performance.

[Dylanwad]

I was thinking maybe a couple of other options might be a sharpening stone:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350291343199?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_2089wt_989

or possible a long thick piece of mdf with sandpaper on?

[bob123]

Dylan, its almost a universal rule in the tool world (not just luthiery [sp?]) you get what you pay for. MDF WILL warp eventually, and a whet stone will chip and wont necessarily be completely trued.

Im not sure how popular they are over in jolly ole england (Assuming based on your .co.uk links), but speed shops (For cars, engine builders) have machines that can true off metal to within 1/1000th of an inch. You may be able to bring them a raw peice of aluminum or steel (rust though, get stainless if you can) and pay them a couple bucks to run it through their machine. They may even have stuff layin around. By doing that you can get a length you want, and you know it will be perfectly flat. From there the process is the same, and tags along to what swedishluthier does.

edit: barring all that, theres a company called "K line" That makes terrific sized straight edges that are perfect for this task. Im not sure if they are still in business though, check around. Mine came with a warranty for perfect straight edge as long as you stored it properly.

Edited March 5, 2012 by bob123

[RestorationAD]

Ok I have time to chime in...

I use the Stew Mac beam and the Stew Mac Radius aluminum beam. The Radius beam works for me because I only do 16" radiuses. When I do others the Stew Mac steel beam works well however it was not worth the money. I use mdf cutoffs w/400grit wet-dry for final sanding after I know the frets are true. I check them for true before using them and I throw the cutoffs away after a few fret jobs.

Personally I like the Swedes trick of using a piece of angled aluminum sanded flat on a true surface.

Here is how I do it now.

Radius Beam w/300 grit.

Steel Beam with 300 grit if there are spots that need it.

12" x 1" MDF cutoff with 400 grit

12" x 1" MDF cutoff with 600 grit

Re-crown with Stew Mac 300grit Diamond Fret File

Then 400 grit paper wrapped around my old Diamond Fret File.

600 grit sponge flex paper

polish on Buffer

Things I have used that suck.

12" Mill File checked for true (this is how I learned back in the day)

6" Diamond Sharpening stones (great for files crappy for frets just too wide and hard to use)

8" Wet Stones (Same as Benedetto recomends but just don't stay true long enough)

[demonx]

Interesting point RAD brings up about how people rejuvenate the frets after leveling them.

I use the stewmac diamond crowning file

Then individually sand with 600, then 1000, then steel wool and then polish with a dremel.

[RestorationAD]

Interesting point RAD brings up about how people rejuvenate the frets after leveling them.

I use the stewmac diamond crowning file

Then individually sand with 600, then 1000, then steel wool and then polish with a dremel.

So I bought the dremel polish wheel things from stew mac but they seem dangerous. Since my fretboard is completely taped it is easy to hit it with the buffing wheel but it involves going out to the shop. The dremel I could do inside but the whole "Move fast don't make too much heat" and reshape the wheel thing just bothers me.

On the Stew Mac diamond crowning file. I find that if my fret board was as perfect as it could be before fretting I don't have to level very much. If I have very small flat spots on the frets that are still big enough to be recrowned I will start with 400 grit paper wrapped around an old crowning file. The Stew Mac 300 grit leaves really big scratches so unless you need to remove a lot of material I just don't use it much.

Also I forgot to mention the sharpie trick. I black all the frets periodically while leveling and crowning to see what needs to be hit.

I take a blunted sharpie and use a round needle file to put a groove in the point. I then use the groove to keep the sharpie on the fret.

I have read that it might not be safe to use a diamond fret crowing file on SS frets. Anyone ever have a problem with it?

[bob123]

I have read that it might not be safe to use a diamond fret crowing file on SS frets. Anyone ever have a problem with it?

We use diamond files on stainless, inconel, and other really hard metals at work all the time. The companies budget on files must be more then the GDP of France, but they work just fine. Unless you meant in a "guitar-specific" fashion, there'd be no real reason they wouldn't be effective.

Only thing I could think of, you'd be going through diamond files quite frequently, which would be cost prohibitive...

[Prostheta]

Inconel rocks. Just sayin'.