werdna Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I am refretting my 1985 SG because it had wide flat frets on which I could not do good bent notes. I have removed the old frets, fixed the chips, and bent and cut to fit new frets. I have cleaned out the old fret slots. Also I used a dremel tool to further clean them, using a tiny dental type piece. The replacement fret wire appears to have the same tang height and thickness as the old frets. I have a Stew Mac caul with 12" radius press plate which I am using on a steel clamp braced behind the neck with in a custom built piece of radiused wood. When I tighten the clamp, the brass plate pushes the fret into the fret slot. I can watch the fret descend into the slot and stop winding the clamp when it is flat against the fretboard. I am first inserting apoxy resin into the slots. The problem is that some frets get about 7/8ths of the way into the slot and then stall. I don't want to wind on too much pressure on the clamp for fear of damaging the neck. There is a lot of torque on the clamp handle and I don't think I can go any further winding it up without causing damage. As noted I have cleaned out the fret slots and dremeled a little deeper with the dental bit. Clearly there is some impediment to seating the frets. Since the neck is bound, I cannot get a fret saw in. However I am reticent to put in again the dremel tool with the dental bit for fear of making the slots too loose. What would you recommend so that the frets seat? More clamp pressure? Buying a dremel routing attachment and getting an exact bit to rerout the slots? Not using epoxy? I look forward to your advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I would have advised you to sell the guitar to someone who appreciated it and knew what he was doing and use the money to buy a piece of crap to experiment on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotYou Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I would keep trying to clean them before you do anything drastic. Keep picking at the slots while using a shop vac or blower to help get the unseen bits out. The Dremel likely added a lot of dust and tiny wood chips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werdna Posted February 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Westheman, I just sold the guitar and am now experimenting by refretting a piece of firewood. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 One thing you also have to do is bevel the top of the slot with a triangle file. The tang doesnt meet flush with the bottom of the fret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 So...just for the sake of posterity, in case anybody ever searches this thread out... http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Saws_and_slots/Refret_Saw_and_Fret_Slot_Cleaning_Tool_Set.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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