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  #1  
Old 08-18-2019, 10:14 AM
viento viento is offline
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Default How refret a bound ebony fretboard

I have to refret a bound ebony fretboard.
I ordered "chip stoppers" and will use a soldering iron to heat the frets before pulling them with a Stewmac fret puller.

Are there any other precautions to avoid chips?
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  #2  
Old 08-18-2019, 10:39 AM
redir redir is offline
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I admit I have never tried the chip stoppers but they seem to defeat the purpose to me. You will get chips it's just the way it goes. The soldering iron is helpful.

I use two tools I got from Stewmac, the little Japanese fret slot saw and the fret slot cleaning tool. For bound fretboards imho there are no better tools. Then you will need a tool to cut the fret end overhang. You can make such a tool from a tool that is called a sheet meddle nibbling cutter.
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Old 08-18-2019, 11:06 AM
viento viento is offline
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Thanks for your answer!
I have some more time for thinking about pulling the frets because the shipping of the chip stoppers over the pond will take about three or four weeks...
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Martin D28 (1973)
12-string cutaway ...finished ;-)
Hoyer 12-string (1965)
Yamaha FG-340 (1970)
Yamaha FG-512 (ca. 1980)
D.Maurer 8-string baritone (2013-2014)
and 4 electric axes
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  #4  
Old 08-18-2019, 11:55 AM
JonWint JonWint is offline
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Black CA glue is your friend.

Chipping will occur. "T" frets will hide a lot; bars frets won't hide anything.

[IMG][/IMG]
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Old 08-18-2019, 05:50 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by viento View Post
I have to refret a bound ebony fretboard.
I ordered "chip stoppers" and will use a soldering iron to heat the frets before pulling them with a Stewmac fret puller.

Are there any other precautions to avoid chips?
Extreme patience, yes you can defret an ebony fretboard with no tear out, but patience grasshopper, i can spend an hr defretting an ebony board

Chip stoppers are just another useless tool sold by stores

Steve
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Old 08-18-2019, 06:28 PM
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bnjp bnjp is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JonWint View Post
Black CA glue is your friend.

Chipping will occur. "T" frets will hide a lot; bars frets won't hide anything.
Jon, Do you have trouble with that black CA curing. I've gotten two bottles from Stewmac and both times it got to where it wouldn't cure after just a couple uses. Like still wet after 24 hours.
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Old 08-18-2019, 06:34 PM
JonWint JonWint is offline
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Not really. Sometimes I'll let it sit for hours if applied thick. I usually avoid using Accelerator on fretboards to avoid clouding.

I don't discard unless it hardens in the bottle.
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Old 08-18-2019, 08:32 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JonWint View Post
Not really. Sometimes I'll let it sit for hours if applied thick. I usually avoid using Accelerator on fretboards to avoid clouding.
Three words: Gluboost and accelerator. It never clouds or bubbles.

I stopped using brands that harden and clog the tip, including stewmac’s.
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Old 08-18-2019, 09:45 PM
redir redir is offline
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+1 on the Gluboost stuff. I did the same thing for many years, just let CA dry for hours. And it does indeed work well doing it that way. The accelerator almost always made the CA get brittle and cloudy.

Enter Gluboost, that all changes. The stuff really works well and the accelerator doesn't make it cloudy. All I can say is try it.
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  #10  
Old 08-19-2019, 02:10 AM
viento viento is offline
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Thanks for all of your help!
Btw, I read somewhere that using fishglue wasn´t bad, too...?
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Martin D28 (1973)
12-string cutaway ...finished ;-)
Hoyer 12-string (1965)
Yamaha FG-340 (1970)
Yamaha FG-512 (ca. 1980)
D.Maurer 8-string baritone (2013-2014)
and 4 electric axes
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  #11  
Old 08-19-2019, 03:30 AM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by viento View Post
Thanks for all of your help!
Btw, I read somewhere that using fishglue wasn´t bad, too...?
For what application?

Fish glue has a high tac/stickiness to start with but takes a long time to dry (12+) hours. It wouldn't be my choice for anything to do with fret work, particularly a fret that refuses to remain seated.

It can be a good choice for other applications, particularly where you want a longer open time.
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  #12  
Old 08-19-2019, 06:27 AM
viento viento is offline
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So far I have only used fishglue for wood and was a bit skeptical of using it with frets.
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Martin D28 (1973)
12-string cutaway ...finished ;-)
Hoyer 12-string (1965)
Yamaha FG-340 (1970)
Yamaha FG-512 (ca. 1980)
D.Maurer 8-string baritone (2013-2014)
and 4 electric axes
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  #13  
Old 08-19-2019, 08:12 AM
redir redir is offline
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I use Fish Glue now for fretting. I used to use HHG but switched to Fish for it's long open time. I dilute it slightly and put it in a syringe with a needle that fits in the fret slots so I can inject a line of glue to fill the slot. Hammer the frets in and don't touch it for 24 hours.

I like it for a few reasons. I think the water base of glue does two things, one it sort of lubes the slot for hammering the frets in and two, it swells the wood and locks it shut, and of course glues the frets in too. It dries nice and hard like HHG does too.
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  #14  
Old 08-19-2019, 10:04 AM
viento viento is offline
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Well, the idea of putting it in a syringe with a needle to fit the slots and swelling the wood slots is worth giving it a thought.
When there´s time enough e.g. overnight it would do the fretting job- convincing idea -
With CA time is shorter...
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Martin D28 (1973)
12-string cutaway ...finished ;-)
Hoyer 12-string (1965)
Yamaha FG-340 (1970)
Yamaha FG-512 (ca. 1980)
D.Maurer 8-string baritone (2013-2014)
and 4 electric axes
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  #15  
Old 08-21-2019, 08:03 PM
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bnjp bnjp is offline
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I've heard a lot about glueboost. Really need to try it. I use Stewmac's glues and buy the replacement bottles so I can replace the lids occasionally.
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