mj_gant Posted March 4, 2004 Report Share Posted March 4, 2004 I have a bound neck through guitar with jumbo frets in it and ebony fingerboard. The frets are lifting out after 12 years of use. They were glued and pressed in when it was made. I was wondering if I should try and wick glue around the frets and clamp with cauls or pull them all the way out, clean and reglue? I want another 12+ years out of this. The frets have minimal wear. Any and all suggestions welcomed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted March 4, 2004 Report Share Posted March 4, 2004 Are ALL the frets coming loose? If thats the case then I guess it is because the fret slots were too big and the glue used 12 years ago has cracked or denatured somehow. That said, obviously the only thing that was holding the frets in the first place was the glue. If that is the case you can buy a tool called a fret tang resizing pliers which will allow the frets to fit into a wider slot. With the proper fit you can do away with using glue altogether. If you plan to remove the frets and then replace you should exercise caution when removing. Those frets that are still firmly seated by glue have to be removed very carefully to avoid pulling up surrounding fretboard chips. Your best bet is to heat the frets with a large soldering iron first. This will soften the glue and the fret will just slide out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted March 4, 2004 Report Share Posted March 4, 2004 Based on the info you gave, I'd say first just clamp them down dry to make sure they go down. Then if they do, you can use water-thin super-glue, then clamp again right away after letting the glue "wick" into the fret-slot, from the sides of the fret on the fret-board surface, or from the side of the neck, or both. You can apply a little paste wax on the sides for the fret first, but I find it better to just wipe excess glue off right away with acetone. I can often still get it off with acetone 10 minutes later, on a "bare wood" board (in your case the board probably already has a somewhat "oily" surface from being played on, etc). If you clamp any of them down too much, where the fret mashes into the fret-board wood, all of the frets will have to be sanded down to be level with the lowest fret(s). Probably won't happen on Ebony. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj_gant Posted March 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Yes, all of the frets are loose. They do re-seat when I clamp them. I think I will pull them all. Lightly sand fret board with cauls to remove surface glue residue. Clean all slots with knife and shop vac. Clean frets with naptha. Resize tang, then press again with glue. Soapbar- What is this paiste wax and where do I get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 paste wax, it's considered to be a wood finish. I think it's mostly parrafin (sp )? I try not to use it on fret-boards because I don't like the waxy feel it leaves behind when I play a neck. you REALLY can't use it on a neck that's gonna get sprayed, plus it will also block an oil finish like linseed oil from going on the fret-board. I like the playing feel of linseed oil better. Even though I dislike that wax the more i use it, I just used some 10 minutes ago to put a wax coat on some wood clamping cauls for an acoustic bridge. mine is made by minwax. I just locked it away in a cabinet down in the shop, so I don't have it right here to read the label. I'm one lazy s.o.b. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj_gant Posted March 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Thanks Rob. I have some stumac fret board oil I would like to apply. Should I apply it before or after the re-glue job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Wait until the job's done. If that oil gets in the bare fret-slot before the glue, there's no telling what kind of problems that can cause. Try using a rag with some acetone to wipe off any glue squeeze-out. if there's a pretty good size "bead" of squeezed out glue, the acetone will soften it up, and if you rub that bead with the rag with acetone, it will usually make the super-gue get "gummy" and "ball up" to where you can keep rubbing with the rag until it comes off, or you can carefully scrap the glue off with the edge of a semi-sharp piece of plastic. I often use a razor blade, but you really have to be careful. Nice sanded fret-boards seem to crave getting a scratch or dent put in them. makes the fret-job get like brain surgery concentrating on not making any slips with your tools. Don't flood acetone on the board, just a little soaked into a small area of your rag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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