replacing frets (questions)

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MKR
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replacing frets (questions)

Post by MKR » Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:20 am

one of my guitars is in need of some fret replacing. 1998 mexican fender strat. I am thinking i am going to try and do it myself. Has anyone done this themselves?

I have a bad neck that i have been using for practice and i am able to remove the old frets pretty clean without damaging the wood.

I don't really have too many guitar specific tools. I have some precise files that i have used over the years to do some fret leveling. i do not have one of those fancy fret roller / shaping tools though.

I have seen these fender pre-shaped frets in various stores.

Image

Image

First question is am i able to install these on a neck without the use of a fret roller? they look like they're perfectly in right shape already.

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jvin248
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Re: replacing frets (questions)

Post by jvin248 » Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:28 am

.

If you have the general 9.5-10inch radius neck then those wires are likely coiled to match already. I'll use several narrow wood strips down the length of the fretboard and then clamp those after installing to hold them in position and use Thin CA adhesive to wick down from one end of the frets.

If you are doing the job, only get stainless steel. Then it's a one time job. You can order direct from Jescar on ebay.

Minimal tool list to do a refret:
-heat source to free up the old frets, old clothes iron on high. Some use a soldering iron with solder to transfer the heat
-End nippers ground flat/sharper to get under the tangs and lift, $3 Harbor Freight mini end nippers, nothing fancy
-Heavy Duty end nippers to cut the frets to length. Those kits have all the frets cut to the same length. If you are clever, you leave file allowance on one side and trim for the long side before you press the fret in. Youtube videos they just press them in and make 44 end nips and no wonder their hands hurt on stainless. Make it only half that job.
-Make a wooden mallet to tap the frets into the slots as you line them up.
-Get several of the six or twelve inch F-style clamps for $4 at harbor freight, put a board behind the neck and the board strips with another board along the top and clamp up so the frets are well seated
-Thin CA wicked at the ends and let set overnight.
-Block of 2x4 with a 20deg (or up to 45 deg if you want less fret surface and more chamfer) cut down it to mount a file in to file the ends of the frets back along the side of the neck. Six inch bastard file works for this, probably one at HF, mine is from HD.
-masking tape off the fretboard.
-Strip of door or window sill faux marble threshold. stick your 240 grit emery cloth to it (from HF). Level frets sanding parallel to the length of the neck
-Use a small rat tail or triangle file from the rat tail kits at Harbor Freight, about $3. Grind the edges and end of the file into smooth 'safety edges'. File round the ends of the frets at the fretboard until none of the frets tug at your skin when you run your hand up and down the neck.
-Small block of flat maple to back 400, 600, 800, 1500 grit sandpaper, from an auto parts store, sand across the neck (along each fret) to remove leveling marks and go to a fine polish
-Welding tip file set at the hardware store, $6, to set the nut slots to match the new frets (may need a new nut if everything is higher)
-Remove the tape and clean and oil the fretboard.
-New strings and a full setup.

.

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MKR
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Re: replacing frets (questions)

Post by MKR » Thu Sep 05, 2019 10:21 am

thanks for the detailed reply. I'm gonna watch a few more youtube clips to get a better visual.

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timtam
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Re: replacing frets (questions)

Post by timtam » Thu Sep 05, 2019 6:17 pm

Sounds like you've got some good experience already with fret removal and new-frets levelling / crowning, which are some of the more difficult jobs for the novice. I suggest the Stewmac Z-file (original or centered) for foolproof crowning.

You will find lots of different fretting approaches on youtube. Many just gently but firmly hammer the frets in (ebay fret hammer < $10), but an arbor press with fret caul is a more robust approach; you can make your own cheaply with a hardware store / ebay arbor press and ebay fret caul of the right radius. There are also fret press 'jaws' based on heavy duty pliers - expensive from Stewmac but cheaper elsewhere. Clamping and leaving overnight as described above is an interesting idea, especially to ensure the frets stay where you put them - you could use cheap ebay radius blocks to enforce the right shape when clamping. However it is important that the frets sit correctly when they first go in, as the CA glue is as much of a space-filler as an adhesive in this application.

I probably wouldn't go stainless on my first fret job. Start with the standard softer stuff that is much easier to work with.
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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MKR
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Re: replacing frets (questions)

Post by MKR » Fri Sep 06, 2019 4:55 am

thanks timtam.

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Re: replacing frets (questions)

Post by ThePearDream » Fri Sep 06, 2019 6:13 am

I've only done one refret, but I can recommend getting the fretwire from Philadelphia Luthier. They have lots of size options and will pre-bend to to the radius of your choice. Assuming you have access to a drill press, they also have a fret press caul and radius inserts at pretty reasonable prices. The only other things you'd need are a nipper (I found a serviceable pair on ebay for ~$15), a bastard file for beveling the fret ends, and the the leveling/shaping tools that you already have.
Doug
@dpcannafax

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