Fret leveling and crowning..

[tdale]

I'm about to do my first fret leveling. I got an 18" aluminum radius block, sanding paper, a fret rocker and a fret crown file.

It seems that two frets are s bit higher than the rest, which are pretty equal in height. Is it a good idea to use the crowning file on those two frets before I use the sanding block?

I got a medium crowning file. When I tried it on a practixe neck, it touched the top of the fret right away, even if it was flat from leveling. Does that mean the file is too wide? Isn't it supposed to take material off the sides/edges of the fret before touching the fret top?

 

[bender66]

Why crown em when your going to just knock the tops off when leveling?

What size fretwire is on it?

 

[LeftyAl]

Go to you tube ,lots of great info on fret filing .Check it out first ,before you use a file on your guitar.Sometimes its the trussrod .Sometimes you need to file .Good luck

 

[Tony Done]

When I've done it, I have only used the radius block and abrasive paper for the fretboard, I use something with a better defined cut - a flat diamond hone - for the frets. I don't try dealing with individual frets, I just run the hone over the whole board until I could see that all the fret crowns have abrasion marks.

It sounds as if you fret file might be a bit too much radius. I've tried a few and like this one best:

(link removed)

 

[tdale]

Because I thought it would be a good idea to do the two frets that are extra tall, with a file instead of using the sanding beam. That way I only have to do a light sanding to level them all...

The frets are 0,080 x 0,050

 

[RickyRicardo]

This is the last word in leveling frets from the man himself:
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/201556-fret-leveling-yer-tele-101-a.html

And this:

 

[tdale]

I made the neck, and I know it's not the trussrod. Just thought that a file would work faster on those two frets..

 

[MEXbluesGUY]

Because I thought it would be a good idea to do the two frets that are extra tall, with a file instead of using the sanding beam. That way I only have to do a light sanding to level them all...

The frets are 0,080 x 0,050

Yes that's correct because you do not want to take away a lot of material. But what i would do is take a 3 cornered file and file each fret, i would then take the fret rocker and check that they are level. Do this until they are level and then use the 18" block and you should be good to go! Good luck! oh take a look at the link if you want more info!
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/201556-fret-leveling-yer-tele-101-a.html

 

[tdale]

This is the last word in leveling frets from the man himself: http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/201556-fret-leveling-yer-tele-101-a.html And this: Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyLu0crcuxI

Thanks. Good advice. However, i wonder why he doesn't use a straight edge to adjust the neck as straight as possible before leveling. The way he does it, he could end up sanding more than necessary off the end frets...

 

[MEXbluesGUY]

Thanks. Good advice. However, i wonder why he doesn't use a straight edge to adjust the neck as straight as possible before leveling. The way he does it, he could end up sanding more than necessary off the end frets...

He did use a straight edge..

 

[tdale]

He wrote that he loosened the truss rod, and tightened it slightly. Then he started sanding slightly, and kept tightening until there were marks on all the frets, not just the end frets...

 

[dsutton24]

He wrote that he loosened the truss rod, and tightened it slightly. Then he started sanding slightly, and kept tightening until there were marks on all the frets, not just the end frets...

That's how I do it. If you've got high frets, you're not going to get the neck flat with a straightedge anyway. I don't own a notched rule, I don't see the need since all the fretboard does is keep your frets from crashing into each other when the guitar is on it's stand.

As for the other question, the reason you don't file individual frets is that it'd be very difficult to file it to the same radius as its neighbors. If you use your beam and there's no possibility of the frets varying one from the next. For what it's worth I don't use a radiused beam. A six buck file will do any neck on the planet.

 

[Brian L]

There used to be a fret leveling sticky on this site somewhere. Is it still around?

 

[R. Stratenstein]

Thanks. Good advice. However, i wonder why he doesn't use a straight edge to adjust the neck as straight as possible before leveling. The way he does it, he could end up sanding more than necessary off the end frets...

I do use a notched straight edge to level the neck itself (well, the fretboard, actually), so I know the frets are all starting from the same level. Then, anything that's high is because of a high fret (or my fretting technique), but as you observed, I am then leveling frets by filing them, not the fretboard/neck.

I don't think your idea, if you are careful to preserve the radius, is all that bad, although, careful work with your radius beam and sandpaper will "ride" the high frets until they're sanded down to the same level, then a kiss to the top of the other frets, and you're ready to crown them all.

 

[Ronkirn]

If, after marking the frets, they appear horribly irregular, yes, i'd suggest leveling the fingerboard, but the vast majority of computer made necks are close enough for gubmint work these days... that wasn't the case just a few decades back...

it's rare that you will have to remove more than a few thousandths from a high fret on a modern guitar to get it level with the rest of the gang..

rk

 

[BelairPlayer]

Hey Ron,
You've suggested using Corian scraps for this procedure. I haven't found a source locally, but I grabbed a longish border piece if ceramic tile that seems flat enough when I check it against the in-feed table in my jointer. Whaddya think about that? Stop me before I make a horrible mistake.

 

[Elias Graves]

I made the neck, and I know it's not the trussrod. Just thought that a file would work faster on those two frets..

Go after them with the block. That's the only way to get them even.

 

[Tel E Twister]

Hey Ron,
You've suggested using Corian scraps for this procedure. I haven't found a source locally, but I grabbed a longish border piece if ceramic tile that seems flat enough when I check it against the in-feed table in my jointer. Whaddya think about that? Stop me before I make a horrible mistake.

Beware, I have seen warped Corian :!:

 

[Ronkirn]

Whaddya think

as long as it's flat, and doesn't flex when pressure is applied

r

 

[poolshark]

If it's only two frets, I'd spot level with a flat file and follow up with a crown - the only reason not to do the whole thing with a crowning file is because it'd take so long to remove the material. Either way, check your work frequently when you're at the leveling stage, making sure to check for level across the whole fret. Never had a single problem matching radius.