Fretting over a problem/manchinga on the march

Aloha All Again
I was putting together an order to complete my Manchinga uke. I have been getting my fret wire from Bob Gleason/ Pegasus. He is on vacation untill late August. I need to know the size uke fret wire that he supplies as to get it elsewhere. I have cut the fret slots already. I have tried to measure a small pc and order from another. Since my slots are cut are already I do not want to get the wrong size. Does anyone know what size or who makes the exact frets Bob supplies.
This situation is in regard to the Manchinga uke that I have been picking my way thru. My bendings problems have been resolved by turning the standard shape into a pineapple shape. I have been able to keep the concert size, neck and all. Hopefully when it is finished I will post it for all to see. Thanks again to anyone that can help me. Danny B.

Bob will be back in a couple of days. As far as I know he carries a couple of sizes in two degrees of hardness. You need to be more specific.

Thanks Chuck. I do get a little antsie. The Kerf of the saw is .033". The Stew Mac says the #0764 has .054" tang. Does that help? It would be a guess based on the tang size. It is not a big purchase just a time element. I would rather deal with Bob if it were only a few days.

Are you kidding? .033"? And I never met fretwire with a .054" tang width unless it's old-style Martin bar fret wire...maybe depth, but there's something horribly wrong with this picture.

We cut fret slots at .022" to .023", and that's for uke, guitar, or bass, and it's about the industry standard. You'd better get one of those StewMac wiggly nosed pliers that adapt fret tang to wide slots or plan on a Teeter-style epoxy potting glue in method.

WHY
not just say something like "hello, Mc Fly the whole uke building world cuts a .xxx size slot .xx deep, and uses #xxx fret wire" -- scince somebody cant look it up for them selves. Or pick on me, for a stoop.

dannyb said:

Thanks Chuck. I do get a little antsie. The Kerf of the saw is .033". The Stew Mac says the #0764 has .054" tang. Does that help? It would be a guess based on the tang size. It is not a big purchase just a time element. I would rather deal with Bob if it were only a few days.

Click to expand...

I think you are misreading or confusing the numbers. Don't confuse tang height with tang width. Many of us use a fret cutting blade that cuts a .023" kerf which is matched with fret wire (like StewMac #147 or #764 or even the wire Bob sells) that has a tang WIDTH of .025". I don't believe you could have any success setting narrow or medium fret wire into a .033" slot. Just too baggy.