Fret Crown File Marks

[Ian Davlin The Looth Group]

I rarely use the 150 grit file in any variant. It just leave to deep of scratches.

Diamond fret files do have a break in period though and If I had to use a new diamond file, I would sink some fret wire into the end of my bench and whenever I was staring out the window thinking about what it all means, I would simultaneously be filing that fake fret with my new fret file.

My polish out regimen is as follow.

1. 600 backed with a rubber squeegee, getting in tight to the fret, going back and forth the length of the surface from nut to the end of the finger board. North to south.

2. Place metal guard over fret, 600 east to west. Making sure to sand out the land scratches on the top and any aggressive scratches on the side of the fret.

3. 1000 same as #1

4. 1000 same as #2

5. 2000 same as #1

6. 2000 same as #2

7. Take the finest hard buffing compound you can find, use the metal guard, rub the compound all over the fret, take a hard piece of leather suitable for stropping and vigorously rub it all over the fret . If you have menzerna around for buffing finishes great, If not, you can get a buffing arbor from Home Depot for a hand drill. The white compound from that works fantastic.

stewmac.sjv.io

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[Court McClelland Resonation Guitars]

Thank you very much for the info!!

[Tom Krebs]

I start with the small fine triangle file from Stewmac item #1601. I ‘draw file’ the tops and straight file the sides. Follow with micro mesh and buffer.

[Court McClelland Resonation Guitars]

Thanks!

[Dave Staudte (rhymms with "Howdy") NB Guitar Repair (New Braunfels, TX)]

Just a comment, I was not impressed with the Z files. They leave scratches deeper down the side of the fret than a conventional rounded diamond file. They also have a tendency (operator induced) to cut notches into the end of the fret if you’re not careful. My traditional polishing with just handheld sandpaper grits could never reach these deeper scratches. I quit using those files…

Doug Proper’s suggested polishing sticks used like a 3 corner file get down into the side of the fret. The polishing sticks are like a nail file with 3 grits, grey on one side and black and white on the other, I think. They are great!

[Court McClelland Resonation Guitars]

Thanks for the info!

[Jon Aronstein Mill River Music]

I have found that if I don’t hit the frets with 320 paper, I am likely to see some scratches when all is said and done. 320, 400, 600, steel wool, and then whatever further polishing you want to do (higher grits of paper or micro mesh, buffing wheel, etc). 0000 Steel wool is often described as equal to 400 but that is definitely not the case on frets. Even after 600 it adds something to the process. We have found that micro mesh alone, for some reason, never gets as nice of a finish as using traditional sandpaper. We have a 6″ (stationary) and 4″ (mounted to the foredom) buffing wheels that are good for final polish, using menzerna medium to fine compound depending how shiny you want it. I try to remove all nut to bridge scratches from leveling before crowning with 320 or 400, and then only have side to side scratches to manage after the crowning. And, use the 300 grit z file instead of the 150 maybe??

[Court McClelland Resonation Guitars]

Thank you for the info!!