Fret polishing.

[Artie]

I mentioned in my other thread, about how my new Peavey Generation has a little problem with the frets. They just seem to be oxidized or something. I could probably just run a ScotchBright pad over them, but I'm afraid that would mess up the nice fretboard.

Anybody have some ideas on how to polish the frets, without damaging the fretboard?

Thanks all, Artie

 

[beandip]

Re: Fret polishing.

0000 steel wool, then a soft wire brush on a dremel, then follow up with the dremel metal polishing pack. You'll be able to comb your hair in those frets if you do all that.

 

[Artie]

Re: Fret polishing.

I just happene to have some 0000 steel wool laying about. So you don't think that'll hurt the wood?

I'm going to pass on the Dremel. I have the deluxe one, but I wouldn't go near a new guitar with one. :laugh2:

(BTW - what hair?)

 

[beandip]

Re: Fret polishing.

If it's a rosewood board, it shouldnt hurt it, just go in the direction of the fret, then crossways. Sometimes I like to dip mine in a little lemon oil so that I can soak my fretboard and polish my frets at the same time. And, it picks up all the little wool stuff. If it's maple, and it's a gloss finish, if you wanna keep it that way, tape it off with drafters masking tape, and then polish the frets. If you wanna go to a satin finish, dont tape off the board. If it's a satin finish, you can tape it off, or you cant, it wont hurt anything.

 

[Artie]

Re: Fret polishing.

Its Rosewood, but wasn't it Robert S. or someone who just mentioned recently that you should not use lemon oil on a guitar?

Sorry Bean . . . you're trying to help me, and I keep argueing with you. :laugh2:

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Fret polishing.

3M makes a low tack maskinging tape that works good on fretboards.
I use a dremel tool with white compound. For oxidized frets I use ta
use Noxon (Silver polish) with a tee shirt? Not sure if that's a great
Idea,But I had no problems w/t a rosewood board??

 

[beandip]

Re: Fret polishing.

Really? No lemon oil on a rw board? Hmm.....I've heard it mentioned hundreds of times on the FDP. That and boiled linseed oil. You can buy it by the gallon at Home Depot. But, be careful though. It'll darken the rw, and that might not be something you want.

 

[Artie]

Re: Fret polishing.

I'm not positive, but if I recall, he was just saying that if you accidently get it on any plastic, like the pickguard, that it'll discolor it.

I'll have to find that post to be sure.

 

[beandip]

Re: Fret polishing.

Hmmmm....I'm gonna go try that. It might be fun, and it might be the color I'm looking for on my knobs.

 

[rspst14]

Re: Fret polishing.

You can use lemon oil on a rosewood board no problem, just use it sparingly and don't oil it more than a few times a year. Certain woods need oiled more than others. The oil-finished maple neck on my Wolfgang doesn't have a hard finish, so it needs oiled every 6 weeks or so. The rosewood board on my Hamer only gets oiled 2-3 times per year.

Ryan

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Fret polishing.

You can use lemon oil on a rosewood board no problem, just use it sparingly and don't oil it more than a few times a year. Certain woods need oiled more than others. The oil-finished maple neck on my Wolfgang doesn't have a hard finish, so it needs oiled every 6 weeks or so. The rosewood board on my Hamer only gets oiled 2-3 times per year.

Ryan

Yep

But mask the board (And pickups, they love steel wool) off with tape to make sureyou don´t scratch it anyway, then just go over the entire board with grade 0000 in long strokes

This is unough for most, but a Dremel and a bit of metal polish obviously don´t hurt

 

[7th Hell]

Re: Fret polishing.

When I change strings, I use a few drops of lemon oil on my rosewood fretboards. I buff it out going down the neck with a clean soft cloth- keep wiping until all the oxidation (black stuff) comes off. I then take a tiny ball of 000 steel wool and carefully wipe across the length of each fret (from top edge of the neck to the bottom edge) to further polish it. Just try not to get and steel wool "hairs" in your pups- it can mes em' up bad.

 

[Artie]

Re: Fret polishing.

Thanks for all the good advice folks. What I'll probably do, since I'm going to replace the pups anyway, is just wait 'til I've got them, and am ready to install them, then remove the strings, remove the pups, polish and shine the frets, then re-install the new pups.

That should do it, and solve the steel-wool-in-the-magnets problem.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Fret polishing.

Artie, Go to the Stew Mac Website or get a Stew Mac catalog and order a set of fretboard shields. They're cheap...you'll love 'em. You'll get these shields that measure about 1/2" x 3", made of thin flexable steel with a slot the size of a fret punched out. You just lay one over the fret with one hand and then polish away with your other hand...without fear of scratching your fingerboard. Forget the masking tape. Steel wool will polish but won't level. I'd start with 350 or 400 grit paper and then move up to 000 then 0000 steel wool. I've used lemon oil. Works fine. The product I use is made by Parker and Bailey and is mineral oil (same as baby oil!) with a lemon scent. But I like Dr. Duck's polish/oil better...I bought my little bottle years ago at a little Guitar and Dulcimer shop in Manitou Springs, Colorado. One bottle lasts a long, long time. Good luck! Lew

 

[Artie]

Re: Fret polishing.

Thanks for that "heads up" Lew. Those look cool, and aren't very expensive either. I think I might order the Dremel polishing wheel at the same time. I've got the nice "deluxe" Dremel kit and this will allow me to put it to good use.

 

[Artie]

Re: Fret polishing.

BTW - There's a discussion started over at the Peavey forum about this very thing. Apparently, there's a problem with many of the Chinese Peaveys having this fretwire problem. Hopefully Peavey will look into this and solve it. I think they're a decent guitar but this will only hurt their reputaion.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Fret polishing.

Thanks for that "heads up" Lew. Those look cool, and aren't very expensive either. I think I might order the Dremel polishing wheel at the same time. I've got the nice "deluxe" Dremel kit and this will allow me to put it to good use.

The last fret job I did I "burnished" the fret tops as a final step. A burnishing tool is made of hardened steel and you rub it on the fret top while pressing down with alot of pressure. You literally press the scratches smooth! And in so doing, you also harden the fret tops a little and make them shiny like little mirrors. Takes a little practice...but not much. And the results, once you get the technique down, are even smoother than polishing with 0000 steel wool. And the polish job will last longer because you've "hardened: the fret tops with the pressure from the burnishing tool. Looks a little like a screwdriver without a blade on the tip. Lew

 

[beandip]

Re: Fret polishing.

I'm thinking that because they're low end, they might be made out of 12% nickle silver instead of 18%. I know Johnson, J. Reynolds, and Fender do this on their lower end models. And 12% dosnt have the shiny apperence of 18%.

 

[theodie]

Re: Fret polishing.

I usually start with 1500 grit and go over each fret a few times then I will use the 0000 steel wool. After the wool I will tape off the fret board and use metal polish. I usually apply it and remove it by hand. When that is finished I will clean the fret board with naptha (lighter fluid) Then I will use Stew Macs fret board oil.

 

[korinastratkyle]

Re: Fret polishing.

I use masking tape along the side of the frets and do the 0000 steel wool. If it's really rough, you may want to start with a coarser one. I'll use 600 grit sandpaper lubed with soap and water for that job.