Do you glue your frets in when fretting a neck?
- Thread starter newuser1
- Start date
I use a thin, slow cure CA... If I get some on the fingerboard, I use a razor blade as a scraper to remove it.... IF it has cured.. if not, acetone removes it quite nicely... best approach is to not get any on the fingerboard... I use a 22 ga Hypodermic needle on the glue bottle to closely regulate how much and where the glue goes.... rarely is there anything to clean up..
r
r
Fenderbaum
Tele-Meister
Glue your frets is a no no.
What you do after removing the frets is run moist rag trough the the slots, when you do that way you lift up the fiber in the wood preping it to grab on to fresh frets. You shrink the slots.
Once you get glue in there you ruin the wood forever.
I just dab a little CA in the fret ends.
Use glue if you install Stainless Steel frets, maybe.. but even then.. nah.
What you do after removing the frets is run moist rag trough the the slots, when you do that way you lift up the fiber in the wood preping it to grab on to fresh frets. You shrink the slots.
Once you get glue in there you ruin the wood forever.
I just dab a little CA in the fret ends.
Use glue if you install Stainless Steel frets, maybe.. but even then.. nah.
Peegoo
Doctor of Teleocity
I used to use Titebond, and switched to CA 10 years ago.
I've never done frets but I would think glue would make them harder to change out and run the risk of chips and splinters if they ever had to be pulled? Am I wrong on that thought i.e. how does one pull the frets without damage?
Boreas
Poster Extraordinaire
I do. TiteBond or CA. Depends on what gaps are present.
Boreas
Poster Extraordinaire
It is virtually impossible to remove frets without any damage to the slot. The teeth on the tang just about guarantee this. I heat the frets to soften whatever crap may be holding them.
Ahhh.... ok. Someone posted the other day that they use a soldering iron on each fret to pull em (maybe it was you?).... I suppose that makes some sense to me now. Thanks man.
Sea Devil
Friend of Leo's
I've used glue when I needed to, but I've done it without glue too. It depends on how well cut the slot is, how big the tang, etc.
I don't worry about it "ruining" the wood. If you need it, you need it.
I don't worry about it "ruining" the wood. If you need it, you need it.
RogerC
Poster Extraordinaire
I used to glue in all my frets but found it was more hassle than it was worth for me, so now I just use a combination of fret press and hammer to seat them nicely. I can't think of a time when I had a problem with ends popping up.
G.Rotten
Friend of Leo's
I don't use glue for new fret jobs.
I also have never used any for re-frets but acknowledge it might be called for under certain situations. I've maybe not done enough of them to have needed it.
I use thick CA. Very carefully to only use a tiny bit. It will run down the fret readily if you can do that..
Mask off the back of the neck, the stuff runs through fast and destroys finishes!
Another method is to put the fret in, then place a drop in one end of the fret, it will run through the slot very fast to the opposite end! You can then repress the fret if you need to.
Mask off the back of the neck, the stuff runs through fast and destroys finishes!
Another method is to put the fret in, then place a drop in one end of the fret, it will run through the slot very fast to the opposite end! You can then repress the fret if you need to.
I use medium CA, and am careful not to apply so much that it generates significant squeeze out. If I do, I clean it right away with either a paper towel or a q tip. This usually leaves a very thin film that comes off quickly after it cures.
The glue does two things: It hardens the end fibers of the fretboard wood and fills in tiny cavities left by the old tangs, helping the new tangs hold. It also helps fill in any other gaps between the frets and the wood, providing better coupling. This increases the responsiveness of the guitar.
Most manufacturers use glue in the slots that needs to be cleaned out. I use a hook blade and/or StewMac's special saw for the job. I would never use a moist rag to clean out fret slots. To begin with, I'm not even sure what material is thin enough to get into a slot that would be effective. It wouldn't do anything to clean out old glue anyway.
The glue does two things: It hardens the end fibers of the fretboard wood and fills in tiny cavities left by the old tangs, helping the new tangs hold. It also helps fill in any other gaps between the frets and the wood, providing better coupling. This increases the responsiveness of the guitar.
Most manufacturers use glue in the slots that needs to be cleaned out. I use a hook blade and/or StewMac's special saw for the job. I would never use a moist rag to clean out fret slots. To begin with, I'm not even sure what material is thin enough to get into a slot that would be effective. It wouldn't do anything to clean out old glue anyway.
Peegoo
Doctor of Teleocity
In my experience when pulling frets, fretboards incur equal damage whether glue was used or not. I warm 'em up before pulling them.
On unfinished boards such as rosewood and ebony, I dampen the wood with water on a Qtip on either side of the frets before I pull the first one. That seems to soften the wood a little and reduce chips.
pypa
Tele-Holic
I think you have to know your fretboard before deciding to glue or not. Some woods will hold the frets better than others.
A few tricks to minimize the clean up if you are gluing:
- Sand your fretboard to 1000+ grit before.
- Pre-finish the fretboard with an oil/varnish sealer like waterlox or minwax wipe-on poly. Don't build a film; wipe a single coat just to seal the wood. This will make cleaning glue squeeze out easier.
- After the fret is pressed in, Use a syringe to wick thin CA glue in at the bottom of the slot. Use less than you think you need. If you floods out the top, you've used more than you need.
- Keep an acetone soaked papertowel near by and quickly wipe off any squeeze out.
A few tricks to minimize the clean up if you are gluing:
- Sand your fretboard to 1000+ grit before.
- Pre-finish the fretboard with an oil/varnish sealer like waterlox or minwax wipe-on poly. Don't build a film; wipe a single coat just to seal the wood. This will make cleaning glue squeeze out easier.
- After the fret is pressed in, Use a syringe to wick thin CA glue in at the bottom of the slot. Use less than you think you need. If you floods out the top, you've used more than you need.
- Keep an acetone soaked papertowel near by and quickly wipe off any squeeze out.
Last edited:
Only the fret ends after the frets are pressed and before beveling and hemisphering the fret ends. Superglue.
I use the same fret tang size as the fret saw I have so I don't have to glue frets.
You file a chamfer on the fret slot before you install the frets for the first time. This reduces chip out.
That's how I feel ... I think i'm right in saying that they shouldn't 'need' to be glued in.. but if there's a problem of any kind I wouldn't worry about doing it.
Similar threads
