Refretting question . . . cutting fret slots to edge of board?

Re: Refretting question . . . cutting fret slots to edge of board?

How are you planning on seating the frets (without damaging them or bouncing them out) if you don't have a press or a dead-blow hammer?
 
Re: Refretting question . . . cutting fret slots to edge of board?

How are you planning on seating the frets (without damaging them or bouncing them out) if you don't have a press or a dead-blow hammer?

I put a block of wood on top of the frets and hit the block with the hammer (not wailing away on it, just light tapping). The last guitar I refretted this way was pretty easy to fret this way. Takes a tap or two on the right of the fret, a tap or two on the left of the fret, and a tap or two in the middle. Boom, fret is seated with no visible marks. This is with stainless steel frets though, not sure if this method would work as well with nickle-silver, which are much softer. Then I pipe a little CA glue at the base of the fret which wicks up underneath them and the job is done.
 
Re: Refretting question . . . cutting fret slots to edge of board?

Frets are in, and looking good! Much better than my first fret job . . . 21 of them seated well, but I had to heat up the soldering iron to pull one that I didn't radius correctly. Hopefully I'll get the leveling done tomorrow and then on to the painful week or two of sanding. It's going to be awesome to feel jumbo frets on this old girl.
 
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