Improved self-made fretting tools

When I flew to South America last week I had, for the long flights, a single piece of reading material with me. It was the Stewmac catalogue and I studied it more thoroughly than usual. I find it to be a great source of inspiration. Yes, their tools are expensive and it's possible to buy Chinese knock-offs on eBay but I like Stewmac.

I realised I wanted a fretting press with a zero radius caul, such as their Jaws, and a fret end bevelling file.

But buying from the US to Sweden is slow and expensive, the custom charges add a slap in the face and a frantic grope into your wallet.

So when I found a good quality single cut file in the hardware store I thought I'd make my own knock-offs.

Here's what I made:
http://argapa.blogspot.se/2016/10/tool-making.html

And a couple of pics for those of you who don't like links to blogs.





Yesterday I tried the improved fret press. It works wonderfully.

http://argapa.blogspot.se/2016/10/improved-fretpress.html

Once more, pics.





I am very poorly equipped to do metal work. I could handle the brass caul but even that would have turned out a lot neater with the proper machines and tools.

This morning I fretted three boards in ten minutes and I don't expect to use the levelling side of the fret file on those.

Cheers / Sven

Nice fret press. I really like the fret markers made up of all the small dots

ksquine said:

Nice fret press. I really like the fret markers made up of all the small dots

Click to expand...

Ten spots for 10th fret and twelve spots for .....I get the idea

I have had good luck using this type of clamp by removing the pad on the side that presses the fret into the fingerboard, moving as needed until set.
Stu

I think I need to attempt to make one of these.
Thanks for the Blog Sven.

Fanx mates, with these tools I think fretting just took a leap upwards on the list of fun steps of building. The ease with which the tang sinks in, what a difference.