How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

[saladin]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

As long as you have a rosewood fingerboard there's no need for post it notes, in fact the 0000 steel wool will buff and clean the residue and leave rosewood shiny! Don't do it to coated maple fingerboards because you'll reomve the finish.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

Yes tape is very nice, but I am in the habit of doing this every string change, so to keep my work down a bit I use the post-it notes, not to mention they leave no residue!

Hery Luke, I work for 3M ... would you like an endorsement deal?

Seriously though, if you run out of Post-It's, PM me with your mailing address ... you may just get a surprise in the mail It's the least I could do to repay you for posting this useful info.

 

[bbking1021]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

sweet post. I just did this for the first time about two week ago. What a difference it made.

 

[Forbes]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

I had no idea what burnishing was, now i will do it every string change.

Thansk for the pics, really makes it all extra clear and simple, these posts are really handy when it comes to guitar maintenence, invaluble.

I vote VAULT it.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

Here's a bump for anyone who hasn't had a chance to get a look see.

Luke

 

[junior]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

Kick-@ss, Great Idea! Sure to make my PRS Shine! Thanks

 

[benji657]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

yep, that's the way i do it..expect i don't used post its..i'll try that next time.
vault worthy! great pics too

 

[StrangeSound]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

Vault!

 

[Quencho092]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

here's an idea-if the filings are so attracted to the pole pieces, why not pick all of them up with a big ol speaker magnet? You can skip the compressed air can cleaning if you just put the speaker magnet over your work area and guitar body.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

here's an idea-if the filings are so attracted to the pole pieces, why not pick all of them up with a big ol speaker magnet? You can skip the compressed air can cleaning if you just put the speaker magnet over your work area and guitar body.

Because it wouldn't be as fun...especially if you accidentally dropped the magent on your guitar. Not likely, but I don't hold many objects over my guitars, heavy or not. Plus, you can turn the can of air upside down and freeze stuff - like your buddy's hands (which actually almost happened, inadvertently, while I was watching and taking pictures).

 

[theodie]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

As long as you have a rosewood fingerboard there's no need for post it notes, in fact the 0000 steel wool will buff and clean the residue and leave rosewood shiny! Don't do it to coated maple fingerboards because you'll reomve the finish.

Word!!! I do it the exact same way as you suggested buddy!!! I will use lighter fluid to clean up the fretboard instead of furniture polish on ebony and rosewood boards also. Lighter fluid is an excelent cleaner and it should be more effective than furniture polish!!!!!!!

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

Word!!! I do it the exact same way as you suggested buddy!!! I will use lighter fluid to clean up the fretboard instead of furniture polish on ebony and rosewood boards also. Lighter fluid is an excelent cleaner and it should be more effective than furniture polish!!!!!!!

Yeah, but wouldn't it be easier if you didn't have to clean the residue off? I think that's the whole point of the Post-It's.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

Nice work, Luke...

As long as you have a rosewood fingerboard there's no need for post it notes, in fact the 0000 steel wool will buff and clean the residue and leave rosewood shiny! Don't do it to coated maple fingerboards because you'll reomve the finish.

+1.... After an initial cleaning with naphtha (I´m going to condition the board anyway ehen I´m done, so let it dry out a bit, who cares) on rosewood, ebony, pau ferro, unfinished maple just this and some lemon oil

BTW, IF you´re going to use any king of product not designed specifically for use on guitars, make absolutely sure there´s no silicone in it... many adhesives and polishes don´t like the sllippery aftermath, not to mention the way silicone reacts with the weod and makes repairs a bitch in the long run .... Lemon Pledge or ArmorAll for ex. are such products that should be avoided at all costs.... (although ArmorAll on thh outside of a case is ok)


Tip on the filings: use paper masking tape over the pups, flip it (sticky side up) and fixate it to the body on the sides w/ separate strips... the adhesive avoids the pups pulling the shavings off the tape.

Yeah, but wouldn't it be easier if you didn't have to clean the residue off? I think that's the whole point of the Post-It's.

No. The post it´s are to protect the board (unnecessary becausse of tthe materials density compared w/ steel wool), if anything they would LEAVE residue on it .... and the logic behind it is also: What sense does it make polishing the frets if the fretboard is dirty

And last note: If you really wanna go nuts like I do, buffing compound and a dremel, here you´ll want to tape off the board though

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

Nice work, Luke...

Thank you sir, and happy Birthday!

Luke

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

No. The post it´s are to protect the board (unnecessary becausse of tthe materials density compared w/ steel wool), if anything they would LEAVE residue on it .... and the logic behind it is also: What sense does it make polishing the frets if the fretboard is dirty

And last note: If you really wanna go nuts like I do, buffing compound and a dremel, here you´ll want to tape off the board though

I can go ask a Post It product rep to comment on this if you want, but I do know the glue is designed to stick to paper, and even on paper it leaves very little residue. On wood or other materials, the residue is virtually non-existent, especially when compared to masking tape. You leave more residue on the fretboard by touching it with your fingers than a Post It ever would.

And yeah, for your method, I would definitely use masking tape.

 

[Amateur]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

I also burnish my guitars about once every three months. I can't afford to do this during string changes because I change them almost every week. I also use some kind of furniture cleaning and polishing oil, but I do this after I burnished the frets. I masked off the board with 2" wide paper tapes and polished them with a product called Never-Dull, which is a cleaning and polishing solution soaked in felt. This stuff won't scratch the frets at all. You can buy it in the Murray's Auto Parts store real cheap. One small can will last a year for me. Even though the material is not toxic or harmful, I always wear latex gloves when I do this because it picks up a lot of dirt from the frets.

 

[ex-250]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

BTW, IF you´re going to use any king of product not designed specifically for use on guitars, make absolutely sure there´s no silicone in it... many adhesives and polishes don´t like the sllippery aftermath, not to mention the way silicone reacts with the weod and makes repairs a bitch in the long run .... Lemon Pledge or ArmorAll for ex. are such products that should be avoided at all costs.... (although ArmorAll on thh outside of a case is ok)

yeah, a dude i know used pledge and it ate through the finish he said

 

[extendedping]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

Don't....your frets will still be the same and your memories will be in tatters.

 

[theodie]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

Yeah, but wouldn't it be easier if you didn't have to clean the residue off? I think that's the whole point of the Post-It's.

Just wipe it off with naptha again. Its really easy and works like a charm. After that, oil the board and you are done!! The post its are not required what so ever. There is nothing wrong with them, I just find its quicker not using them and also the fretboard gets some attention in my way.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: How to Burnish your frets, with pictures

Good Info....... I basically do the same thing when I change strings. About 2 to 3X a year I tape off the entire fingerboard and put the frets on a buffing wheel. It makes them shine like a mirror.

I took an old leather guitar strap and cut a round piece out... Stuck it on a demel arbour and use that sometimes for a good buff when extremely dirty... Fine steel wool is the best to give that final mirror finnsh for sure.....

I'd be more willing to masking tape off my pickups as steel wool sticks to everything..... be carful when blowing steel wool dust off with compressed air... it can get into your lungs and smaller micro piece can end up in your blood thru your lungs.... not pretty and has proven deadly in a few but rare cases... When using steel wool i use it over my basements wash sink and then wipe off the dust and hose the dust down the drain......

I like the posted note idea... i have an American Strat with a maple board and sometimes the masking tape takes finnish off the neck..... Man those late 80's USA strats had a thick finnish on them!

WhoFan