How do you guys polish the sides of the frets after crowning?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Matt300ZXT
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Matt300ZXT

Matt300ZXT

Well-known member
Since I've had to level either slightly, or a lot, and recrown frets on 3 of my guitars now, I need some ideas for polishing the sides of the fret. I can get the top pretty damn good with 0000 steel wool, then 5 grades of micromesh and my Dremel and metal polish.

I know I need to go get a few sheets of probably 600, 800, and 1000 and then hit with micromesh and maybe even a few softer grades for real shine, but I can't really do as much for the leading and trailing side of the fret like I want.
 
I dont need to hit the fret ends (I've been lucky so far), I'm talking about the front and back sides of the fret, like headed down towards the fretboard.
 
It's not really getting close enough to get them all. I did find a video last night where Stew Mac has these tools that look like a fret end file, but they just adhere some sticky backed sand paper to them and can use that to really get in there. I may buy a couple of those and keep various grits on them.
 
Assuming you put masking tape between all the frets prior to starting to work on the frets.... After I level/crown, etc.. I'll go over the frets starting with 600 grit, moving up through about 1200 grit wet/dry sand paper. Then I use these 1000/2000 grit wet/dry sanding blocks from Walmart, but I've had them forever so not sure if you can still get them there. The foam allows you to get around the fret on either side, as well as the top. Then I finish it off with this kit from Harbor Freight that I chuck up in my cordless drill, has metal polish a couple of little buffing wheels and the frets come out like mirrors.

IMG_20250530_094049742.jpg




https://www.harborfreight.com/2-12-in-polishing-and-buffing-kit-with-14-in-shank-4-piece-59287.html

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I tape off the fretboard and go at it with all 6 different grits of the Fret erasers from Stew Mac ....

tehn buff out with a dremel and a regular little buffing wheel
 
 
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