One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

[Snoogles]

if you're using a fret leveling beam, how do you avoid taking down leveled frets along with the high frets? how do you sand/file down the frets and keep the tops parallel to the fret board?

hopefully the image below will illustrate what i'm talking about (please ignore the mis-placed fret)

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

Mask off the fret board with decorators' masking tape, then run a Sharpie along EVERY fret. That way, as you're levelling, you can see where you are taking fret material from and can adjust as necessary.

 

[BrianS.]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

Well, in my experience, things are never that extreme. A high fret usually is one that has popped out of the slot somewhat, so you get that one (or several) re-seated before you do any leveling.

 

[Snoogles]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

Mask off the fret board with decorators' masking tape, then run a Sharpie along EVERY fret. That way, as you're levelling, you can see where you are taking fret material from and can adjust as necessary.

i've seen the sharpie method. and my diagram is very exaggerated. but the indicator marks would show the first fret (in the diagram) as a high fret. and all other frets in between as being low frets.

Well, in my experience, things are never that extreme. A high fret usually is one that has popped out of the slot somewhat, so you get that one (or several) re-seated before you do any leveling.

oh c'mon, don't confuse me even more.

 

[BrianS.]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

Sorry man, I don't think I can help you.

 

[DarkMatter]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

As you level, you'll see that you are actually hitting several frets each pass. Unless you have a fret that is just completely outta whack, as in your drawing, the leveling device will be more or less parallel with the fretboard. As far as taking down the leveled frets, that is a necessary part of the process. Before starting, we assume that there are no "level" frets. You have to take some height off of every fret and only then will you know they are all truly level.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

As far as taking down the leveled frets, that is a necessary part of the process. Before starting, we assume that there are no "level" frets. You have to take some height off of every fret and only then will you know they are all truly level.

Not neccessarily. Using a fret rocker tool will clearly illustrate areas where the frets are level, while indicating any frets that are higher. In some cases this reading of the fretboard will allow for bringing down the occasional high spot without disturbing the rest of the frets on what might be a mostly-level surface.

 

[uOpt]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

The correctly sitting frets will get a bit of a flat top and will have to be re-crowned, too. I'm not aware of anything that can be done about that.

BTW, I just much shorter blocks. The long blocks I am really not comfortable with unless I can pre-apply the right neck relief.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

The correctly sitting frets will get a bit of a flat top and will have to be re-crowned, too. I'm not aware of anything that can be done about that.

But done correctly (again using the sharpie to colour the top of the fret), the crowning process shouldn't lower the actual height of the fret at all. That's important after a fret level ... NOT to remove any more height when removing the flat tops via crowning. The crowning process is really only to reshape the sides of the frets to bring back the familiar rounded profile, WITHOUT reducing the height at the very centre (crown) of the fret. After crowning, one should still see a very thin line of ink from the sharpie along the centre of the fret, and representing the highest point, which has remained untouched after being levelled.

 

[uOpt]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

But done correctly (again using the sharpie to colour the top of the fret), the crowning process shouldn't lower the actual height of the fret at all. That's important after a fret level ... NOT to remove any more height when removing the flat tops via crowning. The crowning process is really only to reshape the sides of the frets to bring back the familiar rounded profile, WITHOUT reducing the height at the very centre (crown) of the fret. After crowning, one should still see a very thin line of ink from the sharpie along the centre of the fret, and representing the highest point, which has remained untouched after being levelled.

Well yes, the crowning should leave the center marker, in fact that's how I mark frets before crowning so that I know better how much of the top is left. However the leveling will have taken off such a mark in the center if you want to be really level for all frets.

 

[Bludave]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

Mask off the fret board with decorators' masking tape, then run a Sharpie along EVERY fret. That way, as you're levelling, you can see where you are taking fret material from and can adjust as necessary.

THIS!! It will always work. What you need to do is always move the fret leveling to the center with very light pressure. If your doing this on a "Fender" type of guitar; remove the neck, make sure the neck is dead straight, then tape off the board, Sharpie the frets and work slowly and inspect your work every few passes. You should notice the high frets loosing the Sharpie mark first. Then all the others as the fret height becomes consistent.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

What tool do you guys doing your own fret work recommend for crowning? I want to start doing all my own work and I've got leveling stuff, and I'm comfortable with that, but I've never done any crowning so I'm not sure. Everything I'd be doing has med jumbo to jumbo.

 

[uOpt]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

What tool do you guys doing your own fret work recommend for crowning? I want to start doing all my own work and I've got leveling stuff, and I'm comfortable with that, but I've never done any crowning so I'm not sure. Everything I'd be doing has med jumbo to jumbo.

For crowning I ponied up the money for the Stew-Mac files. I don't see how I could evade that if I want the correct radius on top of the frets.

 

[Snoogles]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

well, i just finished spot-leveling
i only went after the problem frets and i'm really REALLY happy with my results
during this process i have learned how to sight down a neck and read a fretboard
now on to the crowning and polishing

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

For crowning I ponied up the money for the Stew-Mac files. I don't see how I could evade that if I want the correct radius on top of the frets.

There's like 15 different kinds. Which one specifically?

 

[uOpt]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

There's like 15 different kinds. Which one specifically?

The double edged ones:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Shaping_and_crowning/Double-edge_Fret_File.html

I also have this which is fairly priced and very useful, the fret end dressing file that has a round bottom so that you don't scratch the fretboard.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Shaping_and_crowning/Fret_End_Dressing_File.html

 

[BrianS.]

Re: One aspect of fret leveling i don't understand

Probably this one:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Shaping_and_crowning/Offset_Diamond_Fret_File.html