Fret crowning

[Telecaster65]

I'm about to dress my new Allpart fretboard, I guess there's no need of fret leveling and that a few passes with an aluminium level with a strip of #500 grit paper glued on should work to remove the yellowish lacquer and smooth the frets.
I also have read that when dressing the frets, after the initial series of passes on the entire fretboard, you must continue and stop at the second fret, then the same number of passes, stop at the third fret and so on. By this procedure, the first fret is 'microscopically' taller than the second which is 'microscopically' taller than the third etc. When you get down about the 8th or 10th fret stop with this technique and just make them level. That seems to allow lower actions. That said, I would need to know if anywone at this point have a good experience of crowning the frets by a triangular file with the corners ground smooth, not the specific crowning file which is expensive for just one fretwork...
I've been told that It's an easy work, just TEDIOUS (quite a few frets...) but any comment is welcome!!!

Cheers

Fabio

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by Telecaster65

I'm about to dress my new Allpart fretboard, I guess there's no need of fret leveling and that a few passes with an aluminium level with a strip of #500 grit paper glued on should work to remove the yellowish lacquer and smooth the frets.

The need for an L&C will usually arise after stringing up and playing. The best straight edge is a tight string!

I also have read that when dressing the frets, after the initial series of passes on the entire fretboard, you must continue and stop at the second fret, then the same number of passes, stop at the third fret and so on.

Nonsense, IMO.

By this procedure, the first fret is 'microscopically' taller than the second which is 'microscopically' taller than the third etc. When you get down about the 8th or 10th fret stop with this technique and just make them level. That seems to allow lower actions.

I want the board set as level as possible (via the truss rod), and then level each fret with respect to its neighboring fret. "Low action" is a result of more than just "level frets".

That said, I would need to know if anywone at this point have a good experience of crowning the frets by a triangular file with the corners ground smooth, not the specific crowning file which is expensive for just one fretwork...

I've been told that It's an easy work, just TEDIOUS (quite a few frets...)

Yes, crowning with a tri-corner file works quite well but just takes lots of time and patience - been there, done that - these dayze I use concave diamond crowning files and they are GREAT!

but any comment is welcome!!!

This link might help ...

Level & Crown

Cheers

Fabio

[Telecaster65]

Thanks a lot!. So I don't need any crowning after removing the lacquer on a new fretboard! That's great.

Thank also for the link: it have just been added to my favorites!!

Fabio

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by Telecaster65

Thanks a lot!. So I don't need any crowning after removing the lacquer on a new fretboard! That's great.

Sometimes the lacquer is quite brittle and you can chip it off with your fingernail or a credit card. Sometimes it's a very light and super thin coating, and just playing will strip it off.

If need be, you can remove the lacquer from fret tops with a light 0000 steel wool buffing. Buff each fret top, from end to end, using a little ball of the 0000 wool. Protect the fretboard with an aluminum template (make one from an aluminum can - cut a slit 1/8" wide and about 2-1/2" long in a 3-1/2" x 1" piece, place the slit over the fret, buff away) or masking tape on either side of the fret.

[dwdyer]

Pardon my ignorance, but I'm eventually going to try this type of thing on my Saga teleclone as a sacrificial guitar, once I have all that free time back that I'm giving to my employer right now.

Is this buffing motion a "sweeping lenghtwise down the neck" thing, or is it an "across the width of the neck, starting at the first fret and moving down to the last fret" thing?

-W-

[Teletwang]

Fret leveling is done lengthwise w/ the neck.After crowning & initial sanding:
final sanding(I eventually move up to 1000 grit) & buffing should be done
w/ the "grain" of the fret wich is across the F.B.

[Telecaster65]

Originally Posted by dwdyer

Pardon my ignorance, but I'm eventually going to try this type of thing on my Saga teleclone as a sacrificial guitar, once I have all that free time back that I'm giving to my employer right now.

Is this buffing motion a "sweeping lenghtwise down the neck" thing, or is it an "across the width of the neck, starting at the first fret and moving down to the last fret" thing?

-W-

Go to the "Level & Crown" link Rob Di Stefano put in his previous message, you'll find clear explanations there!

Sometimes I think this is not a simple guitar aficionados discussion board, but a true sort of university where any question finds a suitable answer... I really appreciate this.

Ciao!
Fabio

[Rob DiStefano]

Fret leveling - 90 degrees to all the frets

Fret crowning - parallel to each fret at a time