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Guitar update:
I spent the afternoon installing fret wires into my strat fingerboards. This is the last step where I can really ruin the guitar if I mess it up. I started by making sure my fretboards were straight, by sanding with my long radius sanding block. 1/9
I spent the afternoon installing fret wires into my strat fingerboards. This is the last step where I can really ruin the guitar if I mess it up. I started by making sure my fretboards were straight, by sanding with my long radius sanding block. 1/9
I wiped the fretboards down with a damp cloth to raise the grain, and then sanded down with progressively finer sandpaper (2000 grit and then a polishing cloth). 2/9
I beveled the top of the fret slot, and then made sure there was no bits of glue, wood or other debris in the slots. This is critical to make sure the wires sit down in their slots snugly. 3/9
The wires I bought came with a curve, about the same as the fretboard. If I tried to hammer these into the fretboard, the hammering would straighten the wires and the ends would stick up, so I need to curve the wires more than the fretboard (with my handy wire bender). 4/9
After bending the wires, I cut them down so they were just a bit oversized. I then 'nipped the tang' back because my fretboards have binding and the tang (the part that sits in the slot) has to end before the white binding. I used a Dremel to grind of the last of the tang. 5/9
Now that the slots and wires were ready, I dripped a little watered down wood glue into the slots, and hammered the wires into place. They sit nice and tight to the fretboard thanks to good preparation. The excess glue was wiped off with a wet cloth. 6/9
Once I was done all the wires, I trimmed the ends off with my clippers. The fret ends need to be beveled, which I accomplished with my 45 degree fret bevel file. 7/9
The fret wires are still a little sharp on the ends, so a fret dressing file is used to soften the edges. The little aluminum shield protects my fretboard and binding when I do this. 8/9
And there we have two fretted fingerboards. I still have to level them and re-crown them but that'll be another day. 9/9
