Drop of glue on new frets?

viento · #1 08-03-2018, 03:39 AM

I´m putting new frets in a new ebony fretboard with wood lining.
Should I add a drop of glue to the frets to have them sit more reliably in the slots than without glue?
What glue would you suggest? - Titebond - Fish Glue - Super Glue - or??

mirwa · #2 08-03-2018, 04:21 AM

For note - Most manufacturers do not glue frets in.

A suggestion, if it’s an ebony fretboard, tang size to fretslot size is very important, most fret tangs are around 23-24 thou wide, ona rosewood fretboard you can use a 20 thou slotting saw and press them in with no issues, on an ebony board you want a nice 24 thou fretslot for a 24 thou tang. It will put a neck into backbow with ease if you undersize the ebony board slot, ebony is not forgiving.

That aside, to your question, I use superglue when fretting a Guitar. It fills the void around the tang and locks the fret from any popping up from neck movement

Steve

viento · #3 08-03-2018, 04:54 AM

Steve, thanks for your advice!

But refretting would make problems when superglue was used, but I guess
the frets will surely stay in the slots for the rest of my life... I´m 77

mirwa · #4 08-03-2018, 05:28 AM

Not at all, when one removes frets, they follow a standard first step for removing a fret, which is too apply heat across the surface, the heat will break down any glue utilised during the installation, be that epoxy, super, alphatic etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by viento

I guess the frets will surely stay in the slots for the rest of my life... I´m 77

77 and fretting a Guitar, mate you are living the life others dream of

Steve

Quickstep192 · #5 08-03-2018, 05:30 AM

You could use stainless steel or Evo fret wire to ensure a longer time before re-fretting.

viento · #6 08-03-2018, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mirwa

77 and fretting a Guitar, mate you are living the life others dream of

Steve

Haha, thanks!

The neck is for my second acoustic guitar(12-string) I have built
and I´m thinking of a third one like the Fraulini 12-string with slotted headstock and ladder bracing.

_____________________________________________
As I already have the fretwire on my shelf I will use that.
Maybe I will use stainless steel or Evo fret wire on the next guitar...

redir · #7 08-03-2018, 07:10 AM

+1 on the coolness of building a guitar when you are 77. But I warn you it's an addiction and you will probably be building guitars for the rest of your life

I will probably still be building guitars when I'm 77 too!

Anyway... I've done it both ways but these days I glue the frets in. What I have found hat works for me is to cut the fret slots just a hair wider then they would need to be for 'dry' fretting and then just glue them in. That way I don't have to worry about accidental fret compression and also it's a lot easier to hammer them in on the fretboard extension.

I still hammer them in but with a light tap they sit right down. I use hot hide glue but any of those you mentioned would work. Fish glue takes a full 12 hours to dry though so I don't use that. Titebond is a good choice. A lot of builders will hammer the fret in then flood it with thin CA.

viento · #8 08-03-2018, 07:50 AM

I cross my fingers that you´ll still be building guitars when 77...

As to glues, I took fish glue to attach the fingerboard on the neck. It took a few hours more time than Titebond but it worked fine.
Hot hide glue cures too quick for me, so I´ll take a bit of superglue. Maybe I will test Titebond on a piece of scrap wood first.

MC5C · #9 08-03-2018, 10:31 AM

I tend to use a little Titebond when installing frets in a new neck (ie. not a re-fret), on the theory that it will swell the wood a tad and then lock it in place. I have no idea if that theory is true or not, but it does seem to make the frets tap in more cleanly - a little lubrication maybe. If I have a fret that is not seating properly, or wants to pop up at the end, I'll wick in ultra-tin superglue. I find superglue residue is harder to get off the fretboard than just wiping off excess Titebond with a damp rag.

arie · #10 08-03-2018, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MC5C

I tend to use a little Titebond when installing frets in a new neck (ie. not a re-fret), on the theory that it will swell the wood a tad and then lock it in place. I have no idea if that theory is true or not, but it does seem to make the frets tap in more cleanly - a little lubrication maybe. If I have a fret that is not seating properly, or wants to pop up at the end, I'll wick in ultra-tin superglue. I find superglue residue is harder to get off the fretboard than just wiping off excess Titebond with a damp rag.

I have been doing this for a while and TB does help as a "lube" and as a bedding. but on my latest guitar which has the body the size of a violin and the energy budget of a beer can, I went in dry. there is a bit of clean-up after the fact with TB and I wanted to save time on a moderate risk prototype. we'll see what happens.

FWIW I use an arbor press and install the wire before gluing the board to the neck.

viento · #11 08-04-2018, 11:54 AM

I added tree tiny drops of super glue to the frets, one at each side and one in the middle.
It seems to have worked.

mirwa · #12 08-04-2018, 07:45 PM

When I glue frets in, i put super glue into the fretslot, then wipe the surface with a clean cloth and lightly sand the board of any localised staining with 220 grit before pressing the fret in.

Steve

arie · #13 08-07-2018, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mirwa

When I glue frets in, i put super glue into the fretslot, then wipe the surface with a clean cloth and lightly sand the board of any localised staining with 220 grit before pressing the fret in.

Steve

you do this for every fret? aren't you pushing schmutz into the slot while the glue is still wet? after the fret is in, don't you have to clean up the area again due to squeeze out?

WaddyT · #14 08-07-2018, 10:05 AM

You must be really fast! Doesn't the glue dry before you go through all that??
I use a line of white glue in the slot, mostly for the lube effect of the glue. I don't know that it really does much. On a re-fret I use CA if the slots are marginal, but I wick it in after, and use a scraper or razor blade to clean the board.

mirwa · #15 08-07-2018, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arie

you do this for every fret? aren't you pushing schmutz into the slot while the glue is still wet? after the fret is in, don't you have to clean up the area again due to squeeze out?

Yes every fret, put the glue in, wipe it clean, lightly sand the surface of any staining, hammer the fret in, it fills all voids, perfect every time.

I refret easily 6 guitars a month, I have three just this week being refretted, glue every fret in.

Steve