Fretboard Preparation – Glued-In Frets:
Since this is a rather involved procedure, I have split the fret installation into several bit-sized articles. In this article we will cover what is necessary to prepare the fret slots for the gluing process.
Tools and Materials Needed:
Dremel Rotary Tool
Dremel Rotary Tool Base
Dremel Bit
Vernier Calipers
Fretwire
Top Protection Template
Neck Cradle
Workbench
Padded Work-surface
Getting Started:
Decide on the fret wire you intend to use. You should have this in stock prior to starting the channel grooving step. Usually keep several sizes in stock as there is a wide variety of opinions on which fret wire profile is the best. Take a look at the article Anatomy of a Fret for additional information on fret wire.
Next, make sure the guitar is securely setting in the neck cradle and on the work bench and pad.
The Proper Router Bit:
The most important part of this step in this process is to select the proper router bit for the Dremel Rotary Tool. This is why you should make the decision for your fret wire prior to commencing this step.
Here is our goal: We want to rout out all of the fret channels to not only clean them of any glue or other debris that may clog them up, but we want to accommodate the new frets as well. We also want to be able to just press the fret into position with finger pressure alone, and not hammer the frets into position
The channel should be routed just a bit deeper than the tang of the new frets you intend to install. You will also need to measure the fret tang width with a Vernier Calipers to determine the correct cutter width.
Be sure to keep several cutter diameters on hand, as this is a trial and error process for your first few fret glue-in jobs.
Obtaining the Proper Bits:
Dremel does carry several cutters for their tools, but the supply is rather limited and not all of them are suited for routing hardened Ebony or Rosewood fretboards. You can find a much larger selection at a Dental Supply where the selection is almost unlimited.
You can also decide to purchase solid tungsten carbide bits that will last almost forever. I would recommend that you decide on exactly what sizes you need before you go out and purchase these though as they are very expensive.
Ultimate Guitar Repair Tip #1: Want to get your bits for free? You can do as I did and ask my own dentist for some of his used dental bits. They are not suited for grinding enamel any longer, but they are more than adequate for using on the much softer woods on the fretboards.
Unbound Fretboards:
If this is your first time doing this, it would be best to test fit a fret in an old fretboard or a scrap of Ebony that you have around the shop. Cut the channel in with your router and make sure you can press the fret in with finger pressure. If not, make adjustments as needed until it is correct.
Take the router, fire it up and start routing the fretboard channels. Go slowly and the router will follow the fret channel without drifting because it will take the easiest path of resistance, which is the existing fret channel.
Start in the center of each channel work each way until you exit the channel. Be careful as you exit as this is where you can cause some damage. Keep the router path perfectly straight as you exit and go beyond the exit point. It is usually best to slow down a bit on exit as well to prevent any wood fragments from splitting away as you come out the channel.
Bound Fretboards:
The procedure is a bit different for fretboards that have either wood or plastic binding. You will want to start with the router at the very end of the channel and cut just a bit into the binding. This distance should be about 1/2 the diameter of the router bit or 1/2 the width of the fret channel.
Ultimate Guitar Repair Tip #1: Note that with some fretboard binding, the binding is quite thin. In particular some of the vintage guitars in particular. If this is the case you cannot rout half the bit diameter into the binding without severely compromising the binding.
Therefore I would recommend that you rout just far enough that you can see a bit of the binding showing in the fret channel and stop at that point. You can always nip the fret tangs back just a fraction to compensate for this.
Next rout the groove all the way to the opposite end and again, stop where the so 1/2 of the router bit cuts into the binding or purfling.
Next we will take on the fret preparation and additional gluing preparation, prior to the actual fret glue-in process.
Ultimate Guitar Repair Tip #2: After you sand down the fretboard to level it out, I would recommend that you wax the fretboard with a a good non-silicone paste wax. Just a very light coating will do as you do no want to get it into the fret slots. Let it dry and wipe off. This will make the step of cleaning the glue off the fretboard a much easier task.
Tags: Fret Repair, guitar frets, Guitar Neck Repairs, how to glue in frets, replacing guitar frets
