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Post by Cal-Woody on Apr 8, 2023 13:05:13 GMT -5
I have a Mexican Fender Tele and want to remove and replace the frets. Should I just pull them straight up, after heating, of course? Or should I drive them out from the side?
I don't want to create a lot of chipping out but am unsure about how I should proceed.
I have done a lot of rosewood boards and some ebony, but the ebony was a nightmare chipping, due to chipping. I saved all of the dust from leveling and had to fix a lot of chipped out areas and didn't want to have the same issue. I will have to level and reseal the board after I refret, but would like some guidance. Thanks, Woody
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Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on Apr 8, 2023 22:39:23 GMT -5
I’m not sure when the last year for Fender installing frets from the side was but I’m certain that all non-American made necks do not have frets installed from the side. I have found that pulling frets has generally been more forgiving with maple than with rosewood.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Apr 9, 2023 6:07:17 GMT -5
^^^Agreed^^^ Also, get a set of stainless steel fretboard guards/shields, and place one on the fret before you grip it with the nippers to gently lever it out. The nippers press downward on the guard which keeps pressure on the wood on each side of the fret and greatly reduces chipping. It also prevents the nippers putting dents in the surface of the fingerboard.  |
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Post by Cal-Woody on Apr 9, 2023 11:23:51 GMT -5
Excellent information! I have the chip stoppers also.
I was a little afraid that the maple fretboard would give me the same issue that I had with the ebony fretboard. The ebony fretboard was really dry and not maintained by the owner and maybe if he had or I would have lubed it prior to trying to refret it, I think my results would have had a better outcome.
Of course I would have given the fretboard a couple of days to absorb the lemon oil before attempting to remove the frets but I guess it was a lesson learned!
Thanks for getting back to me on this. Always appreciate good information. Woody
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Apr 9, 2023 20:06:03 GMT -5
Yeah, maple isn't so bad. The big thing to worry about is burning. If you find you're getting burn marks, you can try wetting the fret slot first, then you can watch it bubble as you heat it and then pull. That mitigates a lot of it. Most of it will come out when you sand it pretty quickly. I use a really beefy iron to heat frets, so it might be less of an issue for you than me.
Not going to be an issue with a MIM guitar, but when the finish is caked onto the fingerboard, I try to cut it away first because trying to get my pullers down under the fret can be really, really hard when there is so much finish. That is usually on '70s guitars, though. (I don't pull from the side - they don't come out as easily from the side as people want you to think, and getting them out cleanly from the top IS easier than people want to think... that same silly picture from an old book gets passed around and convinces people it is impossible.)
With ebony, moisture/treatments won't have anything to do with how clean the frets come up. If anything, it'll make it worse, because you've introduced a nice glue repellent. Use lots of heat - if you don't have white binding, you can use as much as you want, and get it to lift fast. If I'm not getting some sort of sign of heating like oils moving or little puffs of glue smoke, I didn't get it hot enough. Usually the chips will stay half attached like on a hinge, and they can be pressed back down and glued quickly.
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Post by Cal-Woody on Apr 10, 2023 2:09:23 GMT -5
Again, more great information! Thanks Funky!
My first refret was on an ebony fretboard and thought I was well prepared but as I said, it was a nightmare for me. After doing a lot of rosewood fretboards, I became a bit more confident but had never done a maple fretboard yet and wanted some more information before attempting to tackle the job.
You folks are treasure trove of information and it is nice to be able to go to the well and drink from the waters of wisdom!
Thanks for reaching out!
Woody
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Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on Apr 13, 2023 16:41:32 GMT -5
The Fretwork book sold by stewmac is a good read. Erlewine explains a lot of tips, tricks, and facts. But as always, its not a matter of following his instructions to the letter but understanding what and why he does the things he does and developing your own processes.
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