Anyone use a fret dressing stick to level/crown the occasional high fret?

I imagine the smaller grits on the dressing stick might work to level and crown the occasional fret as opposed to a pricier crowning file? Or is a dedicated crowning file or triangle file a must have? Thanks.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Polishing_and_abrasives/Fret_Dressing_Stick.html

Its difficult to level just one fret. If you don't touch the ones on either side, how do you know when you are down to true level? Any small, flat surface a few inches long will help a lot. Even wood, though it may not stay flat for long. Stick some 320 grit paper to it (use rubber cement if you don't want to buy a roll of sticky sandpaper). Mark all your fret tops with a dark felt tip pen, then sand the fret tops until every fret has a sanding mark. If only miniscule amounts have been removed you can just polish and play, no need to crown. If your frets were really wacked out you should have the proper tools to make things right. Not to mention the proper experience. I'm not sure why uke people will attempt repair work that guitar players wouldn't think of trying. Perhaps they are more adventurous. Or maybe its just because their instruments are typically a lot cheaper. I encourage people to learn this stuff, but having a pro rescue your botched frets may cost you more in the long run.

Sorry for the long answer. The short answer is, what are your ukes worth to you? Tools seem expensive, but they last a long time.

The only time I would use something like that (and I'm not adding that to my tool box) would be after I've levelled all the frets, crowned them, polished them and then had a final check with the fret rocker. Sometimes you'll get one pesky spot on one or two frets that need attention. And I'm talking just a frogs hair.

Other wise it's those pricier tools that pros can't do business without.

Questions about correcting poor fret work show up here all the time. Personally, I wouldn't consider delivering an instrument without leveling and recrowning the frets.
Under a certain price point the factories simply can't afford to do so. Buying tools, time spent fiddling with instruments instead of playing them, and trips to a repair shop should be added to the real cost of cheap instruments.

Every store I have worked for had me dress problem fret work on new instruments at no charge to the customer. I realize that good uke stores can be hard to find and that mail order is often inevitable, but a quality source should check over their stock before shipping and correct any problems. The lower the price of the instrument, the less likely it is that this will be done. I wish everyone could live happily ever after with their instruments, but too often its either a matter of paying up front for something good or paying later to make an instrument satisfying to play. (End of sermon).