Wow, nice job. Watching the video and reading the comments gave me this idea: Instead of the whole tablesaw thing, just go down to the local bigbox lumber place and get a length of dimensioned, milled oak "dowel". My place calls them dowels even though they are square in cross section, and they usually have some in oak, 3/4 or 1 inch square. Use the sander to flatten two opposite corners of a short piece. Then do the trick with the tape, superglue and sandpaper, but now you have four surfaces to put paper on, like a doublesided version of your tool. Heck, do all four corners and use 4 different grades of sandpaper. Smaller makes it easier to see what you're doing, and saves sandpaper and tape too. I'm getting ready to refret an old acoustic beater and I think I'll try this before I buy a 3corner or fret file. Thanks! Here's another idea: Take a drill bit of the appropriate diameter and drill a hole in a piece of hardwood, then cut/sand so that you cut through the hole. Now you have a small curved sanding block to finish off the crown, going along the fret rather than across it.
I made one of these tools after watching Dan's video a while back. I use double sided sticky tape for the sandpaper. Both tool designs are good and very practical :)
Brad, I am (excessively) typing this morning because I want to see your channel flourish. I use the expensive Gripper push tool. The Gripper MAY have worked perfectly while cutting that small piece of Walnut. Hard to part with the $$$ but way cheaper than a visit to the Emergency room. I’m well into retirement and use my basic table saw many times a week. Nuff said. -Bob. Athens. GA
This is just what I’ve been looking for, thanks! I learned how to spray paint guitars from your videos. I never imagined painting a guitar with spray paint could come out so well, but I learned so much from you about wet sanding that was a game changer. Keep up the great tutorials bro!!
I normally use a slim taper 3-corner file. What I like about this is the tool looks like it would work better on the upper frets when the neck is attached to the body.
I agree the 3 corner file is a go to for me. Even though I use a saw sharpening 3 corner file I would prefer a no 4 cut so less sanding. Whilst this wooden block works you can’t see what you’re doing due to it being massive. I think what Guns and guitars vertical version looses in speed it gains massively in visibility. For me if I didn’t finish my frets off with a zfile id use a lollipop stick with wet and dry paper stuck to it as is would work like a 3 cornered file in principle. I need to try it to see if it speeds up the polishing process moving through the grits
Hey novel idea just use a 3 cornered file and run the edge on a belt sander or grinder to create a safe edge then just run on a few grades of wet and dry to get it to a nice smooth finish on the safe edge
Lots of people do that. I’m not all that fond of that method because it is considerably slower trying to keep it perfectly straight, but it’s a fairly classic option.
Absolutely love your modified Fret Crowning Tool - also a Fret Leveling Tool can be made out of wood or an aluminum level using the same procedures and all in all save quite a bit of money. I now can handle a complete setup on my bass and guitar. Thanks for sharing.
I heard about a college student who accidentally glued himself to his tool once. Lol. Seriously, I had already seen Dan's video before I saw yours and while I agree that he had a great idea and was on the right track, I also thought it still left a little to be desired for my own purposes. In my opinion, you have solved most, if not all of those issues here. Not taking anything at all away from Dan. So far I haven't had the pleasure of playing anything he built but, he appears to do great work and has a lot of really good ideas, too. Great job! Thanks!
Since I've never crowned frets I'm going to make Dan's version. My first try will be on a very cheap used baritone ukulele being converted to a resonator uke.
I think this is an improvement, but really folks should use a shape/length that works for them. Props to you for very respectfully giving inspiration credit to Dan. 🤘
Brad, great video and very useful tool. I have Dan’s tool and will add yours too. I always learn something from each of your Video’s I am please to see that you acknowledge Dan Thompson and that Dan references your work often. The power of the Internet. Also glad to see that you are ‘Safety Aware’ and prepare for Risk -Bob. Athens. GA
Thanks for the great tutorial. I've found that some crowning tools don't work as well as they should. This method will dial in your fret board exactly the way you want it.
i always use protection, but for fret work i don't bother ..lol... great vid tx for this cool idea, regardless where you got your inspiration from, this tool you built is perfect!
And I gave it to Bobby Lopes. I got the idea from my 98 yr old grandmother(who doesn't even play guitar). I'm not sure who she swiped it from....Sorry Granny(not really). Maybe next time I ask for a guitar for my birthday you'll cough up some of that FREE money from Grandpa's will and come through. And yeah, I know that B-day was over 40 years ago, but if you don't save me some of that Cha-Ching I' will be repeating it every time I visit your grave....So....MAYBE...ahhh...ONCE when they chuck you in the dirt. Oops! Sorry Bobby!
Dude nice one. I know you made this 5 years ago, but I just saw it, great idea, I have 2 guitars that need fret crowning and I was just looking around at crowning files but this seems great
Brad, every Shop should have a First Aid Kit or Kits which are readily accessible near Power Tools. Should include a box of feminine napkins. A great absorbent pad in case of disaster! May save a life. -Bob. Athens. GA
This is a good cheap way to do a single fret or maybe a few, but you are going to go through a lot of paper doing a whole fretboard like this. Also, it is going to take way longer than if you are using a proper crowning file. If you are just doing one or two guitars ever, this is fine and will save you some money, but if you are wanting to get into doing regular repair work, just spring for a diamond crowning file. They do a beautiful job at blazing speeds and they last for dozens of fret jobs. They pay for themselves after a single job and they will save you a lot of headache.
Yeah I wouldn’t use this if you’re doing a bunch. I used a diamond crowning file for a while. I’ve switched to a faster method now, but certainly wouldn’t be doing this version for the several necks per year that I work on.
Instead of tapping the fret board tape that block on the bottom, so it won’t damage your fret board. I just saw your video and it just popped in my mind...Have a nice day Aloha 🤙🏼😎🎸...
as a trained jointer I welcomed your disclaimer at 4:00....I also thought you naming the source of your idea the way you did was cool....your mod on that was cool too !!!!
Good video Brad. I refuse to buy from Amazon! I bought from Crimson before but thanks to BORIS&BREXIT this is outta my budget. For the final polish , I use silicon nail polishing pads. 1.25€ for a pack of 3 different grits from the ´Chino Bazaar´ shop at the end of my street.. I also use super fine TAMIYA emery paper from my local model&hobby Shop! 😎 BUY LOCAL FOLKS
...good video bud ,frets are so easy to mess up & damage & especially the fretboard so i would use a metal fret plate guard ,the ones you buy on-line 2 for a couple of bucks, & a £2.60 S*** M** fret file...great for the money and has a smooth edge so you can't mark your fretboard, if someones first time i would insist on a thin metal fretboard guard,the kind people use when polishing frets...Dan builds bass's as well as repairs bass's/guitars,got some great tip's of him myself ...he has a lot of experience of fretting,dressing,building,wiring etc..if it's your prized/worshipped bass or guitar i would take it to a pro like him or practice fret dressing on a few old broken cheap accoustics first...one slip or over dress a fret & your worse off than when you started ... be careful or could be a disaster...,if a cheap $100 bass your not gonna cry if it doesn't work out well but if it's your prized '64 Fender Jazz i would save up for the best real luthier to do any fret work....respect
Yeah, fret work can be daunting and it’s good to protect it if you’re using the lively methods. I don’t even tape mine anymore, but I do it differently now and have been doing necks for quite a while.
Hey Brad, you could use a fret wire ( unused) and a sandpaper over ir then you grind some from your sanding block you'll get a "fret Groove" after it you end up with a "negative" of that Fret. You stick a stripe of sand paper, trim it and then you have one of those crowning tools.. nice one this one you made. Take care of your fingers with the sawbench ...
@@BradAngove I use a toothbrush to clean the sandpaper in the groove regularly. The sandpaper lasts longer than I originally thought; it cuts even when it looks very worn. It definitely makes sense to fabricate a couple of these tools, no special equipment is needed. It could be made by drilling a hole in a hardwood block with a 2.5/3/4/5/6 drill bit, too, and cutting the block in half lengthwise. The other possibility is using the same kind of fret as you wish to crown as a template, glue a piece of sandpaper in top, and cut the groove with that. When using the tool one should be careful not to remove material from the top of the fret, as with all concave files. That can be minimized with frequent checking and using fine grit sandpaper. A nice trick is using spray glue to make the sandpaper self adhesive, although a more secure glueing with superglue may be necessary.
Hi Brad, Very interesting technique for getting right up to a "smidge of a nibbin" . Now for you guitar application is clear for me how to do fine woodworking as both of us would make a tool to really refine a high precision detail without collateral damage. nicely done my friend. all the best, David
Great video Brad. FWIW, I like your DIY tool idea better. Your design takes a bit more of the error potential away. More contact with the fretboard, equals more control. But, I will say this, a 3 corner file is really tough to beat. A 3 corner crowning file is less than $30 from StewMac or under $20 from LMII. I have a Crimson 3 corner crowning file, and it is a VERY nice file. Having as many guitars as I do, and building as many kits as I've built, I bought the Z-File from Stew Mac. It's saved me a WORLD of time doing fretwork (about 1/2 the time of using a 3 corner file), and the consistency I get from using the Z-File is pretty amazing. They're not cheap, but if you're doing a lot of fretwork they pay for themselves rather quickly.
I find the 3 corner files very slow. I like them, but this method seems a lot faster to me. As for the z-files, personally I’ve never worked with them. I hear they increase gouging risk, but in general they’re just out of my price range regardless haha. Im glad to hear you’re having success with one. I’ll have to keep that in mind for future tool choices.
Brad Angove the Crimson 3 corner file is fairly aggressive, not too aggressive though. It does leave some scratches that can take some work to get out. I haven't noticed ANY gouging from the Z-File. I bought the single edge Z-File. I've done 6 full level and crowns, 3 on my kit builds and 3 on existing guitars that were in serious need. Also some spot crowning here and there as needed. Zero issues. As you may know or not, the first fretwork I ever did was January this year. FWIW, I had to redo the first level crown polish (the one I did with the 3 corner file).
Hey Brad, I’ve been in the wood working business all my working life, and I’ve got to say that’s a great job on the frets, very fast, very clean. Also on the safety, do take care, I have seen some awful things happen. Al 🤪
Awesome video, Brad! I think for my hands, your sanding block will work the best. Really like the trick to glue the sandpaper to the masking tape. It's almost Friday night, so time to rub it....the fret that is! Thanks for this video and I look forward to the upcoming ones.
Brad: I am guessing you cut the sandpaper width to match the masking tape. Since you only seem to be using less than 1/4" of the width, could the sandpaper strip be more narrow (like maybe 1/2 the width of the tape)?
You don't have to stick so wide strip of sand paper. You don't use the rest of the sandpaper. As you use the narrow line of sand paper how often do you change it while you work at the entire fretboard?
Wonder if there is a piece of crown molding (moulding?) that already comes in a usable shape for this. Obviously wouldn't need 12 feet of it, but just an idea
I guess you know you can get file paper in stick on rolls or sheets' cut into smaller strips and save on paper. Still this is a good method for a diy to save money if you only have 1....2 guitars and to learn on.
I would make 6 of these blocks with the following grits: block one, 60/80, block 2, 120/220, block 3, 320/400, block 4, 600/800, block 5, 1000/1500, block 6, 2000/2500. each block would be marked, each side marked with proper grit.
For those of us in the uk and Europe the American and euro sandpaper grit sizes are different 800us is about 500uk and 2000us is about 1000uk it isn't linear and at about 220grit they are actually the same.
Interesting idea, but I think a triangular file with the edges ground flat would do a better job. It does occur to me that you are only using a very tiny bit of the sandpaper. It you made your block using 60 degree angles and put the same 1/4" flat edges all around, you could at least turn the tool over and double the amount of use you get out of each piece of sandpaper.
I much prefer this over the triangle file. It's faster and easier to keep straight (because of where you hold it), and you have more grit options. There are other better files out there for the job though.
Cheap ok, but next time maybe throw in some suggestions for those that do not have a table saw. Pieces with a 45 deg profile are cheaply available in local shops. Just buy one (comes usually in 2m lengths so you will have lots of spare) and glue it on another one that is square. Boom, no table saw required...
Mostly we're dealing with neglect. They have some dings and bumps and are generally solid but have suffered some abuse. I can show you a photo if you're okay with that. I don't want to steal too much of your time.
You’ll just need to level them first and then you go through this crowning procedure. Then you finish off by rounding the corners of the frets, which you can also do with this tool.
This is the kit I bought. No instructions. Doesn't even tell me if one side is more aggressive than the other. www.amazon.com/iLuiz-Premium-Leveling-Crowning-Fingerboard/dp/B07HM16JZB/ref=sr_1_12_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1544918050&sr=8-12-spons&keywords=fret+crowning+tool&psc=1 Look at Stew-Mac's. A ridiculous $111 bucks.
Hi buddy just a small question for ya bud,I've just leveling my frets done this process all right set the kneck relief straight kneck as always before I start checked it again and again,used a diamond file to level SS frets now I no there abit a nightmare but I no I shouldn't have to go over n over the same old thing so many times and frets like 6 10 12 14 22 just seem to be higher and wont level down I'm worried to do it individual incase I muck it all up,any idea what it could be mate!! Kneck relief is still straight!! I dont understand
@@BradAngove it seems to be getting abit better but slowly now,when I take a metal straight edge across the frets they seem to be looking more level now but 1 or 2 frets seem a fraction just a hairline to high when I check mate,SS frets never never again I cant they are so stressful haha looking forward to just crowning them.what does it mean bye flat spots is it like dents if so there is not any thing like that mate
There's no need to use a circular or band saw to cut 2x 45 angles. Just use the corner of a square edge board 2 45's is 90 degrees and every piece of board has a corner with 2 45's it's called a right angle. A hand saw will be all you need.
What do you think about making the flat area slightly smaller than the distance between the 2 closest frets? For example my p-bass is .560 between the last 2 frets, so I was thinking about making the flat reference area a half inch long to give myself a easier time keeping it flat at first. I'm trying to for see if it would cause any other issues I'm not thinking of.
Unless it somehow makes it more difficult to angle after, I see no issues. Just make sure it isn’t so wide that the sandpaper touches both of those closes two frets at the same time. It’s not difficult to get a flat reference with the 1/4” area though; just to be clear.
Brad, my guitar has some small dents the width of the string on the lower frets, seems like someone dropped something on the neck and it dented the fret with the string, when you bend the string it gets stuck in the dent. how can I remove those dents? do I need to sand down all the frets on the neck to the depth of the dent? thanks
@@BradAngovebummer that's really kill fret life, I saw a video that they used a silver solder solution to fill the dent then re-crowned it. maybe a temp fix worth exploring. thanks for responding.
It allows for a flatter surface with no “give”. As long as you put the masking tape down first though you can use two sided tape. It’s a pain to remove if you don’t mask first.
I went to to Rona looking for metal stock to use for a leveling beam as I don't want to pay $50 for a 16 inch piece of rectangle stock steel that's worth $10 if that. They didn't sell it so I thought "maybe a nice piece of finished hardwood".....they had a piece that was the perfect size....same as a 2x4 but finished sides and dead straight oak and about 48" max. I laughed and said it's probably $60. The girl checked and it was $60 and change. NEXT. I'd do better cruising the dumpsters of metal shops.
Thanks very much to the RUclipsrs who helped me to set up my cheap guitar. It feels like a high-end guitar now.
Great to hear!
Wow, nice job. Watching the video and reading the comments gave me this idea: Instead of the whole tablesaw thing, just go down to the local bigbox lumber place and get a length of dimensioned, milled oak "dowel". My place calls them dowels even though they are square in cross section, and they usually have some in oak, 3/4 or 1 inch square. Use the sander to flatten two opposite corners of a short piece. Then do the trick with the tape, superglue and sandpaper, but now you have four surfaces to put paper on, like a doublesided version of your tool. Heck, do all four corners and use 4 different grades of sandpaper. Smaller makes it easier to see what you're doing, and saves sandpaper and tape too. I'm getting ready to refret an old acoustic beater and I think I'll try this before I buy a 3corner or fret file. Thanks! Here's another idea: Take a drill bit of the appropriate diameter and drill a hole in a piece of hardwood, then cut/sand so that you cut through the hole. Now you have a small curved sanding block to finish off the crown, going along the fret rather than across it.
I made one of these tools after watching Dan's video a while back. I use double sided sticky tape for the sandpaper. Both tool designs are good and very practical :)
Brad, I am (excessively) typing this morning because I want to see your channel flourish.
I use the expensive Gripper push tool.
The Gripper MAY have worked perfectly while cutting that small piece of Walnut.
Hard to part with the $$$ but way cheaper than a visit to the Emergency room.
I’m well into retirement and use my basic table saw many times a week.
Nuff said.
-Bob. Athens. GA
Thumbs up for giving credit for Dan! Every one should watch his video.
Yes they should. His explanation is excellent.
This is just what I’ve been looking for, thanks! I learned how to spray paint guitars from your videos. I never imagined painting a guitar with spray paint could come out so well, but I learned so much from you about wet sanding that was a game changer. Keep up the great tutorials bro!!
Thanks Terrell
I normally use a slim taper 3-corner file. What I like about this is the tool looks like it would work better on the upper frets when the neck is attached to the body.
Is it weird that I hate doing my crowning with a 3 corner?
I agree the 3 corner file is a go to for me. Even though I use a saw sharpening 3 corner file I would prefer a no 4 cut so less sanding. Whilst this wooden block works you can’t see what you’re doing due to it being massive. I think what Guns and guitars vertical version looses in speed it gains massively in visibility.
For me if I didn’t finish my frets off with a zfile id use a lollipop stick with wet and dry paper stuck to it as is would work like a 3 cornered file in principle. I need to try it to see if it speeds up the polishing process moving through the grits
I went and made one right after watching this video. I gave it a try on a junk neck and it works perfectly. Thanks
Glad to hear it.
Hey novel idea just use a 3 cornered file and run the edge on a belt sander or grinder to create a safe edge then just run on a few grades of wet and dry to get it to a nice smooth finish on the safe edge
Lots of people do that. I’m not all that fond of that method because it is considerably slower trying to keep it perfectly straight, but it’s a fairly classic option.
I made Dan's tool a while back. it works great.Yours looks like it will work well also.Thanks for the tips as always Brad.
Absolutely love your modified Fret Crowning Tool - also a Fret Leveling Tool can be made out of wood or an aluminum level using the same procedures and all in all save quite a bit of money. I now can handle a complete setup on my bass and guitar. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers. I did one with a level and some hilariously hand made tools on my Home Depot challenge guitar kit. There are definitely some options.
I heard about a college student who accidentally glued himself to his tool once. Lol. Seriously, I had already seen Dan's video before I saw yours and while I agree that he had a great idea and was on the right track, I also thought it still left a little to be desired for my own purposes. In my opinion, you have solved most, if not all of those issues here. Not taking anything at all away from Dan. So far I haven't had the pleasure of playing anything he built but, he appears to do great work and has a lot of really good ideas, too. Great job! Thanks!
Thanks John. I’m glad you like the design.
Cool idea. I have a speciized tool for this and a fret file. The fret file is my favorite. Basically same method as this.
Simple easy and it works! Love Dan's channel.
Longer means easier long strokes. Less work.
Since I've never crowned frets I'm going to make Dan's version. My first try will be on a very cheap used baritone ukulele being converted to a resonator uke.
I think this is an improvement, but really folks should use a shape/length that works for them. Props to you for very respectfully giving inspiration credit to Dan. 🤘
Cheers Scott
Brad, great video and very useful tool. I have Dan’s tool and will add yours too.
I always learn something from each of your Video’s
I am please to see that you acknowledge Dan Thompson and that Dan references your work often. The power of the Internet.
Also glad to see that you are ‘Safety Aware’ and prepare for Risk
-Bob. Athens. GA
just made two with a push stick. great idea, brad. and kudos to the guy who inspired you
Cheers Paul
Thanks for the great tutorial. I've found that some crowning tools don't work as well as they should. This method will dial in your fret board exactly the way you want it.
Thanks Geno; I do like having the flexibility of this type of method.
This is great. Thank you for all your wisdom!! Keep up the good work!! I've learned a lot thanks to your videos!!
Excellent Brad, thank you!👍🎸
funky backing music for a guitar vid
Brad - just came across this video.... brilliant!! Thanks for sharing
Thanks David
You awnsered my question good sir, with good ordinary files and fret board radius tools, you could definitely do this
Great! Thank you!
i always use protection, but for fret work i don't bother ..lol... great vid tx for this cool idea, regardless where you got your inspiration from, this tool you built is perfect!
Thank you
Nice. Makes for a nice fret job. Thanks.
I gave that exact suggestion to the guns and guitars dude.
And I gave it to Bobby Lopes. I got the idea from my 98 yr old grandmother(who doesn't even play guitar). I'm not sure who she swiped it from....Sorry Granny(not really). Maybe next time I ask for a guitar for my birthday you'll cough up some of that FREE money from Grandpa's will and come through. And yeah, I know that B-day was over 40 years ago, but if you don't save me some of that Cha-Ching I' will be repeating it every time I visit your grave....So....MAYBE...ahhh...ONCE when they chuck you in the dirt. Oops! Sorry Bobby!
my dad works at nintendo
Thanks, I will definitely try this. Saves money and does an awesome job.
I hope it works well for you!
Dude nice one. I know you made this 5 years ago, but I just saw it, great idea, I have 2 guitars that need fret crowning and I was just looking around at crowning files but this seems great
I hope it helps
I like your videos even though I'm only just discovered them. Thanks it did and does indeed help@@BradAngove
Brad, every Shop should have a First Aid Kit or Kits which are readily accessible near Power Tools.
Should include a box of feminine napkins. A great absorbent pad in case of disaster! May save a life.
-Bob. Athens. GA
We definitely have a first aid kit haha.
Excellent! Just what I needed.
you should pattend that woods cut and gets it manufactured precisely. I believe it can be sell..
Love dan’s channel.
I liked his fret crowning tool but I think I’ll try this elongated version, it seems like it would work better for me.
Cheers. I’m glad Dan came up with the initial idea. It’s going to save me a lot of time haha.
This is a good cheap way to do a single fret or maybe a few, but you are going to go through a lot of paper doing a whole fretboard like this. Also, it is going to take way longer than if you are using a proper crowning file. If you are just doing one or two guitars ever, this is fine and will save you some money, but if you are wanting to get into doing regular repair work, just spring for a diamond crowning file. They do a beautiful job at blazing speeds and they last for dozens of fret jobs. They pay for themselves after a single job and they will save you a lot of headache.
Yeah I wouldn’t use this if you’re doing a bunch. I used a diamond crowning file for a while. I’ve switched to a faster method now, but certainly wouldn’t be doing this version for the several necks per year that I work on.
Great Job Brad I built yours and the Gun's version both work great.
Excellent. I’m glad they’re working for you.
a tool for life for guitar great job
Instead of tapping the fret board tape that block on the bottom, so it won’t damage your fret board. I just saw your video and it just popped in my mind...Have a nice day Aloha 🤙🏼😎🎸...
Makes too much sense. It’ll never work haha.
Thanks alot Brad 👍👍👍
Just did my son's nylon string and used the ignition files that I use for dressing frets. This would've helped.
I think Dan’s idea was good, but for me i would choose your way of doing this Brad, thank you for this great idea, Cheers
Thanks Casper.
This seems like an awesome method. Looks like you have much more control going over that radius. Thanks!
Glad you like it!
as a trained jointer I welcomed your disclaimer at 4:00....I also thought you naming the source of your idea the way you did was cool....your mod on that was cool too !!!!
Thanks Richard.
Good video Brad.
I refuse to buy from Amazon! I bought from Crimson before but thanks to BORIS&BREXIT this is outta my budget.
For the final polish , I use silicon nail polishing pads. 1.25€ for a pack of 3 different grits from the ´Chino Bazaar´ shop at the end of my street.. I also use super fine TAMIYA emery paper from my local model&hobby Shop! 😎 BUY LOCAL FOLKS
Glad you found something inexpensive that works for you.
...good video bud ,frets are so easy to mess up & damage & especially the fretboard so i would use a metal fret plate guard ,the ones you buy on-line 2 for a couple of bucks, & a £2.60 S*** M** fret file...great for the money and has a smooth edge so you can't mark your fretboard, if someones first time i would insist on a thin metal fretboard guard,the kind people use when polishing frets...Dan builds bass's as well as repairs bass's/guitars,got some great tip's of him myself ...he has a lot of experience of fretting,dressing,building,wiring etc..if it's your prized/worshipped bass or guitar i would take it to a pro like him or practice fret dressing on a few old broken cheap accoustics first...one slip or over dress a fret & your worse off than when you started ... be careful or could be a disaster...,if a cheap $100 bass your not gonna cry if it doesn't work out well but if it's your prized '64 Fender Jazz i would save up for the best real luthier to do any fret work....respect
Yeah, fret work can be daunting and it’s good to protect it if you’re using the lively methods. I don’t even tape mine anymore, but I do it differently now and have been doing necks for quite a while.
You could use PSA backed sandpaper. Or alternatively you could use light duty two-sided carpet tape to attach the sandpaper
Carpet tape is too flexible for this application, and it’s a pain to remove. This technique is designed to avoid needing that stuff.
Hey Brad, you could use a fret wire ( unused) and a sandpaper over ir then you grind some from your sanding block you'll get a "fret Groove" after it you end up with a "negative" of that Fret. You stick a stripe of sand paper, trim it and then you have one of those crowning tools.. nice one this one you made.
Take care of your fingers with the sawbench ...
That’s true. It probably wouldn’t last long so you’d have to make several or replace the sandpaper frequently, but it’s definitely doable.
@@BradAngove I use a toothbrush to clean the sandpaper in the groove regularly. The sandpaper lasts longer than I originally thought; it cuts even when it looks very worn. It definitely makes sense to fabricate a couple of these tools, no special equipment is needed. It could be made by drilling a hole in a hardwood block with a 2.5/3/4/5/6 drill bit, too, and cutting the block in half lengthwise. The other possibility is using the same kind of fret as you wish to crown as a template, glue a piece of sandpaper in top, and cut the groove with that.
When using the tool one should be careful not to remove material from the top of the fret, as with all concave files. That can be minimized with frequent checking and using fine grit sandpaper. A nice trick is using spray glue to make the sandpaper self adhesive, although a more secure glueing with superglue may be necessary.
Very cool idea!
Hi Brad,
Very interesting technique for getting right up to a "smidge of a nibbin" . Now for you guitar application is clear for me how to do fine woodworking as both of us would make a tool to really refine a high precision detail without collateral damage. nicely done my friend.
all the best,
David
Cheers David.
Don't worry, my first saw was a 1955 model, safety?? guards??? Even with those, not being careful gonna get you hurt !!!!
That’s how saws are supposed to be haha. Dangerous enough to command a healthy level of respect.
You know it, man ;)
Finnallyyyyy i can crown my frets without buying special toolls
Nice tool! Sometimes the best tools are the ones from the mind.
Thanks Tom. I like this one for sure.
Great video Brad. FWIW, I like your DIY tool idea better. Your design takes a bit more of the error potential away. More contact with the fretboard, equals more control. But, I will say this, a 3 corner file is really tough to beat. A 3 corner crowning file is less than $30 from StewMac or under $20 from LMII. I have a Crimson 3 corner crowning file, and it is a VERY nice file. Having as many guitars as I do, and building as many kits as I've built, I bought the Z-File from Stew Mac. It's saved me a WORLD of time doing fretwork (about 1/2 the time of using a 3 corner file), and the consistency I get from using the Z-File is pretty amazing. They're not cheap, but if you're doing a lot of fretwork they pay for themselves rather quickly.
I find the 3 corner files very slow. I like them, but this method seems a lot faster to me. As for the z-files, personally I’ve never worked with them. I hear they increase gouging risk, but in general they’re just out of my price range regardless haha. Im glad to hear you’re having success with one. I’ll have to keep that in mind for future tool choices.
Brad Angove the Crimson 3 corner file is fairly aggressive, not too aggressive though. It does leave some scratches that can take some work to get out.
I haven't noticed ANY gouging from the Z-File. I bought the single edge Z-File. I've done 6 full level and crowns, 3 on my kit builds and 3 on existing guitars that were in serious need. Also some spot crowning here and there as needed. Zero issues. As you may know or not, the first fretwork I ever did was January this year. FWIW, I had to redo the first level crown polish (the one I did with the 3 corner file).
Hey Brad, I’ve been in the wood working business all my working life, and I’ve got to say that’s a great job on the frets, very fast, very clean. Also on the safety, do take care, I have seen some awful things happen. Al 🤪
Thanks Alan I appreciate it.
Looks like a Tobelrone. Nice video dude and I really like how you adapted GGs idea.
Thank you. It does look a bit like a toblerone haha
Like nthem mboth. Good job guys. Cheers
Great job, thanks for sharing.
Awesome video, Brad! I think for my hands, your sanding block will work the best. Really like the trick to glue the sandpaper to the masking tape. It's almost Friday night, so time to rub it....the fret that is! Thanks for this video and I look forward to the upcoming ones.
Hahaha the good old Friday night wire rub...
Randy Kelsoe I agree. Will be building one for me. Rub a dub dub...
Brad: I am guessing you cut the sandpaper width to match the masking tape. Since you only seem to be using less than 1/4" of the width, could the sandpaper strip be more narrow (like maybe 1/2 the width of the tape)?
Yes, it could be half the width of that and you could still proceed to flip it over once it’s gets a bit worn out.
thank you Brad . great info
Thanks for watching.
Great idea, Thanks!
You don't have to stick so wide strip of sand paper. You don't use the rest of the sandpaper. As you use the narrow line of sand paper how often do you change it while you work at the entire fretboard?
I just flip it upside down part way through the job to use the other side of the strip.
Just trying to throw out some ideas out there, but that’s a great idea. I will make one for myself ty brother 🤙🏼😎🎸..
oh wow sweet ty brad that's awesome
Wonder if there is a piece of crown molding (moulding?) that already comes in a usable shape for this. Obviously wouldn't need 12 feet of it, but just an idea
I guess you know you can get file paper in stick on rolls or sheets' cut into smaller strips and save on paper.
Still this is a good method for a diy to save money if you only have 1....2 guitars and to learn on.
Crimson Guitars Fret Rubbers - Ah, I see, you're a man of culture as well
Hahaha very nice.
Simple and effective....
Nice share man!!
Glad you like it.
I would make 6 of these blocks with the following grits: block one, 60/80, block 2, 120/220, block 3, 320/400, block 4, 600/800, block 5, 1000/1500, block 6, 2000/2500. each block would be marked, each side marked with proper grit.
make it easy on yourself! just use rubber cement... also making two tools with the same grit on each side would be faster yet
good stuff!
Hi, I’m Dan from Guns and Guitars, and here are some fret work hacks.
And his hacks are pretty damn good haha.
For those of us in the uk and Europe the American and euro sandpaper grit sizes are different 800us is about 500uk and 2000us is about 1000uk it isn't linear and at about 220grit they are actually the same.
Have you ever heard of the LittleBone fret file?
Yes I’m familiar with those.
Great! Thanks Brad!
Dave in the Adirondacks
I started sanding the neck and head, leveling and drowning the frets. Decided to see what boiled Linseed oil does. A first for me.
Interesting idea, but I think a triangular file with the edges ground flat would do a better job. It does occur to me that you are only using a very tiny bit of the sandpaper. It you made your block using 60 degree angles and put the same 1/4" flat edges all around, you could at least turn the tool over and double the amount of use you get out of each piece of sandpaper.
I much prefer this over the triangle file. It's faster and easier to keep straight (because of where you hold it), and you have more grit options. There are other better files out there for the job though.
What if you took a router and put in a radius to where you dont have to change angles?
Might make more sense just to get a typical crowning file in that case.
I used Dan's idea, worked great, but then he just posted another video today about a fret leveling tool for cheap from Amazon
Leveling? I guess you can use that in conjunction with one of these crowning tools then. Excellent.
I meant fret crowning tool
Oh, that makes sense. I’ll have to have a look at that one right away here.
So with something like this can i just do this to all the frets and have that as the leveling?
Not, this doesn’t level them. This is the crowning stage, which comes afterward.
Cheap ok, but next time maybe throw in some suggestions for those that do not have a table saw. Pieces with a 45 deg profile are cheaply available in local shops. Just buy one (comes usually in 2m lengths so you will have lots of spare) and glue it on another one that is square. Boom, no table saw required...
Sent pics to Instagram I think last night
Aren't there extrusions from Aluminium you could use? Cool video btw
Presumably there are, although at that point it may be easier to just buy z-file haha.
Would I use the same tools and techniques to revive the frets on a bass?
That depends on what’s wrong with them. What are we dealing with here?
Mostly we're dealing with neglect. They have some dings and bumps and are generally solid but have suffered some abuse. I can show you a photo if you're okay with that. I don't want to steal too much of your time.
You’ll just need to level them first and then you go through this crowning procedure. Then you finish off by rounding the corners of the frets, which you can also do with this tool.
Will do. Thanks!!!!!!!
Great tip 👌 but it took you almost 10 min to put the sanding paper on a piece of wood and those table saw shots jeeeesh 🤣
imo
good stuff
imo
I bought a fret crowning file. They are about 5 bucks on Amazon
Yup. Only the good ones are expensive. The others are just slow.
@@BradAngove worked for me anyway. Enjoyed your video though. Thanks.
Glad to hear it got the job done.
This is the kit I bought. No instructions. Doesn't even tell me if one side is more aggressive than the other. www.amazon.com/iLuiz-Premium-Leveling-Crowning-Fingerboard/dp/B07HM16JZB/ref=sr_1_12_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1544918050&sr=8-12-spons&keywords=fret+crowning+tool&psc=1
Look at Stew-Mac's. A ridiculous $111 bucks.
Can you not tell which side is more aggressive if you shine a small light in there?
Hi buddy just a small question for ya bud,I've just leveling my frets done this process all right set the kneck relief straight kneck as always before I start checked it again and again,used a diamond file to level SS frets now I no there abit a nightmare but I no I shouldn't have to go over n over the same old thing so many times and frets like 6 10 12 14 22 just seem to be higher and wont level down I'm worried to do it individual incase I muck it all up,any idea what it could be mate!! Kneck relief is still straight!! I dont understand
They’re probably just still high. Stainless is very challenging. Is there a big flat spot on top of those frets?
@@BradAngove it seems to be getting abit better but slowly now,when I take a metal straight edge across the frets they seem to be looking more level now but 1 or 2 frets seem a fraction just a hairline to high when I check mate,SS frets never never again I cant they are so stressful haha looking forward to just crowning them.what does it mean bye flat spots is it like dents if so there is not any thing like that mate
I mean do you have a couple that just look flat across the top? Like they’ve been sanded flat across the top?
Christian Bale's brother, fret crowning ,awesome
Glad you like the tool.
There's no need to use a circular or band saw to cut 2x 45 angles.
Just use the corner of a square edge board 2 45's is 90 degrees and every piece of board has a corner with 2 45's it's called a right angle. A hand saw will be all you need.
DAN THOMPSON
Okay cool, but can you please leave out the bgm? 🙏
What do you think about making the flat area slightly smaller than the distance between the 2 closest frets? For example my p-bass is .560 between the last 2 frets, so I was thinking about making the flat reference area a half inch long to give myself a easier time keeping it flat at first. I'm trying to for see if it would cause any other issues I'm not thinking of.
Unless it somehow makes it more difficult to angle after, I see no issues. Just make sure it isn’t so wide that the sandpaper touches both of those closes two frets at the same time.
It’s not difficult to get a flat reference with the 1/4” area though; just to be clear.
Instead of using the fret eraser, would a gummy stone (readily available to those who frequently tune alpine skis) work?
I have no idea. Sorry.
I know you have done swirling color with spray can. Will you do the real deal swirl finished?😁
I’m actually terrible at those haha.
I want a piece of wood like that. Can I pay you for you to make it and ship it to me since u have that cutting machine?
You can just buy a wooden block at a hobby store and sand a corner into it. It will be much cheaper.
nice but my frets still buzzin even with high action and lot of relief
Brad, my guitar has some small dents the width of the string on the lower frets, seems like someone dropped something on the neck and it dented the fret with the string, when you bend the string it gets stuck in the dent. how can I remove those dents? do I need to sand down all the frets on the neck to the depth of the dent? thanks
That’s what I would do. Level the frets down and then re crown them.
@@BradAngovebummer that's really kill fret life, I saw a video that they used a silver solder solution to fill the dent then re-crowned it. maybe a temp fix worth exploring. thanks for responding.
If you’re looking for a permanent solution, the best option is re-fretting. Just pull the dented frets, replace them, and then level and dress.
@@BradAngove that should be fun, we're talking a $60 beatup epiphone I bought for the purpose of learning fret dressing😁
Why would you use super glue ranther than two side tape? Looked like more of a pain. I like the masking tape first idea.
It allows for a flatter surface with no “give”. As long as you put the masking tape down first though you can use two sided tape. It’s a pain to remove if you don’t mask first.
I went to to Rona looking for metal stock to use for a leveling beam as I don't want to pay $50 for a 16 inch piece of rectangle stock steel that's worth $10 if that. They didn't sell it so I thought "maybe a nice piece of finished hardwood".....they had a piece that was the perfect size....same as a 2x4 but finished sides and dead straight oak and about 48" max. I laughed and said it's probably $60. The girl checked and it was $60 and change. NEXT. I'd do better cruising the dumpsters of metal shops.