All purpose fret polish method

[alex1fly]

Considering trying out my own fret polishing. But I know all too well that trying to DIY can make things worse. So what's the best tried-and-true, can't-mess-this-up, works-on-sealed-and-unsealed-fretboards, fast-and-easy. I've read about different methods and have seen my tech use a dremel to great effect, and I'll probably keep taking my top performers to him, so I'm mostly looking to get opinions on what all purpose method to try on my lesser used axes. For example, fret guards seem like they save some time vs taping the board, but are they effective or more of a gimmick?

Bonus points if any of these are good solutions, as I have some credit at SW and like not spending $.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSMP15--lizard-spit-ultimate-fret-polishing-system
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MN124--musicnomad-frine-fret-polishing-kit

 

[AlexR]

You probably won't want to try my method, as I don't tape anything off at all.
I use very fine micromesh and then buffing compounds on the whole board - frets and all. Makes for a silky smooth finish on the whole shebang, and increases the lustre of bare wood too.

Probably not for the faint of heart though, and as I make guitars from scratch I have all the requirements hanging around anyhow.

 

[ICTGoober]

I tried the Frine a couple times and am unimpressed. 3 grits of wet-or-dry sandpaper has served me well for over 40 years, so I'll stick with it.

 

[Top-L]

Considering trying out my own fret polishing. But I know all too well that trying to DIY can make things worse. So what's the best tried-and-true, can't-mess-this-up, works-on-sealed-and-unsealed-fretboards, fast-and-easy. I've read about different methods and have seen my tech use a dremel to great effect, and I'll probably keep taking my top performers to him, so I'm mostly looking to get opinions on what all purpose method to try on my lesser used axes. For example, fret guards seem like they save some time vs taping the board, but are they effective or more of a gimmick?

Bonus points if any of these are good solutions, as I have some credit at SW and like not spending $.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...lishing-system
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...-polishing-kit

A two stage polishing system.. will get you two stage results.

I think for the same price or less, you can get a set of jewelry papers from 2000-10000. This is what I use.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D29Z738/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Tried "magic" compound. Tried steel wool. Tried stainless wool. Tried plastic scotchbrite in various grades. Tried dremel and rubbing then polishing compounds. None of these will get them to "mirror".

I dont know any way to "skip" steps without a ton of elbow grease. A dremel can work if (again) you have multiple compounds.

Dragging a piece of paper across the whole board seems to be a pretty easy way to go. Just run the paper up and down a few passes, move to the next grade.. keep going til you are at the end.

 

[Clint 55]

There are 2 steps to polishing: sanding and getting the surface to an ultra fine grit, and the actual polishing process. If your frets are already smooth or you are happy with the surface and just want to polish, then you can polish them by hand without worrying about damaging anything. If you determine that they need refinishing first or you want to go hardcore polishing with power tools, then you are going to want to tape everything off.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

JJ's Gorgomyte. Cleans/polishes frets & conditions your fretboard in one go. No need for taping off anything. Your frets shine like crazy & your fingerboard feels like butter :bigthumb:

 

[ICTGoober]

I tried Gorgomyte. It's greasy and smells worse than cat poop. No bueno.

 

[orpheo]

Meguiars metal polish on a felt buffing wheel on the dremel. Best I found to freshen up frets as well as buffing them after grit 2000.

I level with 320. Then 600, 1200, 2000. All dry.

 

[Wattage]

I usually use micromesh pads but those solutions are all inexpensive so see how they work, that's how you learn.

 

[alex1fly]

Thanks all. I got some fret guards on the way so I can hopefully minimize fretboard damage while experimenting.

 

[ICTGoober]

Thanks all. I got some fret guards on the way so I can hopefully minimize fretboard damage while experimenting.

I use them.