What other tech tools do i need?

[Shreddy Mercury]

Since I do basically all of my own tech/setup work, short of cutting/installing new nuts or custom routing or new fret installs, I need a few more tech tools.

Here's what I've got: Fender/Gibson scale notched straight edgeedges, and a dual PRS scale notched straight edge. A fret rocker/action height gauge, and a short and long sanding beam. I have a crowning file as well as a fret end file, and a brass hammer and feeler gauges for hammering offending frets back down, as well as the super thin superglue. I've also got plenty of soldering/desoldering tools, basic screwdrivers, etc.

I know I need some of those T shaped radius gauges for setting saddle radius, and a short ruler I can use to measure pickup height (what's that called so I can search for one). I know I could use more of that strip sandpaper that attaches to the beams for fret leveling.

What else could a guy like me use around the shop?

 

[MadAsAHatter]

Couple of things I can think of off hand that could make life easier:

Neck support caul
Fingerboard guards
Micro-mesh pads
Dremel with fret polishing wheel & polishing compound
Neck relief gauge
Fret setter (another option besides the hammer)
Erlewine neck jig (if you want to be really fancy & spend some money)

All can be found at Stew-Mac

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-too...T-rrXOutumK9_2iHZ1udraZnh5o9XpRIaAlrrEALw_wcB

 

[Shreddy Mercury]

Oh yeah, I also have fretboard protectors, those metal strips with the hole in the center for the fret so you can polish it without having to tape off the board.

I could also use some ideas on how to finely polish the sides of the fret after this crowning file hogs the sides out and makes them all scratch. I have a soft hard block and several grits of miceomesh but I think I need something stronger, or better at polishing out the scratches on the sides of the fret as it goes up towards the crown. Not the sides as in where you get sharp fret ends.

 

[Shreddy Mercury]

Couple of things I can think of off hand that could make life easier:

Neck support caul
Fingerboard guards
Micro-mesh pads
Dremel with fret polishing wheel & polishing compound
Neck relief gauge
Fret setter (another option besides the hammer)
Erlewine neck jig (if you want to be really fancy & spend some money)

All can be found at Stew-Mac

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-too...T-rrXOutumK9_2iHZ1udraZnh5o9XpRIaAlrrEALw_wcB

Good list. I do have a neck support cradle for when leveling, and I made a 2nd post where I do have the metal guards when doing a fret, the micromesh, and a Dremel, but I probably should buy more of a paste metal polish instead of the very liquidy stuff I have.

 

[Findthetone1]

A helping hands solder station. Depending on your age or vision, one with a magnifier.
Good lighting or a head lamp.
Believe or not, rifle bench rest bags make great neck supports.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

Really polishing the

Oh yeah, I also have fretboard protectors, those metal strips with the hole in the center for the fret so you can polish it without having to tape off the board.

I could also use some ideas on how to finely polish the sides of the fret after this crowning file hogs the sides out and makes them all scratch. I have a soft hard block and several grits of miceomesh but I think I need something stronger, or better at polishing out the scratches on the sides of the fret as it goes up towards the crown. Not the sides as in where you get sharp fret ends.

It's a tedious job polishing up the ends of frets. You just have to go through your grades of grit removing scratches until you get it smooth enough to switch to polishing. Start at either 120 or 240 grit depending on how deep the file scratches are and work your way to at least 800 grit.

 

[Shreddy Mercury]

Really polishing the

It's a tedious job polishing up the ends of frets. You just have to go through your grades of grit removing scratches until you get it smooth enough to switch to polishing. Start at either 120 or 240 grit depending on how deep the file scratches are and work your way to at least 800 grit.

I need a tool that'll let me get the sides of the frets (I probably should have said sides instead of ends). I've seen some guys just use various sandpaper grits, but I don't see how that'll get the sides effectively. I've never tried though. A luthier friend of mine just uses the small squares of micromesh with a foamy core and brushes it down the length of the board and he swears that'll polish the sides of the fret to remove crowning scratches.

 

[Shreddy Mercury]

A helping hands solder station. Depending on your age or vision, one with a magnifier.
Good lighting or a head lamp.
Believe or not, rifle bench rest bags make great neck supports.

I bought a helping hands stand with 4 bendable arms and still haven't got to use that thing yet

 

[ChurchHill]

A helping hands solder station. Depending on your age or vision, one with a magnifier.
Good lighting or a head lamp.
Believe or not, rifle bench rest bags make great neck supports.

I'll second that. Good lighting that's flexible enough to point exactly where you need it and stay there without having to hold it has been a life saver. Those helping hands are insanely useful, too.

Nothing like having the right tool for the job. If there's a specialized tool for anything you're doing, it's always been worth it to me. Sounds like you're on the right track with that.

 

[Laputan Machine]

Oh yeah, I also have fretboard protectors, those metal strips with the hole in the center for the fret so you can polish it without having to tape off the board.

I could also use some ideas on how to finely polish the sides of the fret after this crowning file hogs the sides out and makes them all scratch. I have a soft hard block and several grits of miceomesh but I think I need something stronger, or better at polishing out the scratches on the sides of the fret as it goes up towards the crown. Not the sides as in where you get sharp fret ends.

I wouldn't recommend using those guards, tape up the board to protect it, you get much closer and those guards actually have a higher chance of marring the fretboard, especially if you use them when pulling frets.

For dressing, I use a Z-File for roughing, then a fine triangle file that I've ground the edges off to round it a lot more, I rotate the file up toward the center of the fret as I sweep across the fret. Then use 400 grit paper lengthwise with equal number of passes on each fret, then 600. Then up and down the fretboard with a rubber backing block with 400, then 600, 800, 1200 and then use Flitz polish in a rotary.

 

[Music&Chaos]

I wouldn't recommend using those guards, tape up the board to protect it, you get much closer and those guards actually have a higher chance of marring the fretboard, especially if you use them when pulling frets.

For dressing, I use a Z-File for roughing, then a fine triangle file that I've ground the edges off to round it a lot more, I rotate the file up toward the center of the fret as I sweep across the fret. Then use 400 grit paper lengthwise with equal number of passes on each fret, then 600. Then up and down the fretboard with a rubber backing block with 400, then 600, 800, 1200 and then use Flitz polish in a rotary.

Extremely similar to what I also do for fret polishing - they shine like mirrors!!! I do not have a need for the rotary when doing this but know a lot of people do.

I'll second that. Good lighting that's flexible enough to point exactly where you need it and stay there without having to hold it has been a life saver. Those helping hands are insanely useful, too.

Nothing like having the right tool for the job. If there's a specialized tool for anything you're doing, it's always been worth it to me. Sounds like you're on the right track with that.

A good light and helping hands are absolutely essential I have found.

Since I do basically all of my own tech/setup work, short of cutting/installing new nuts or custom routing or new fret installs, I need a few more tech tools.

Here's what I've got: Fender/Gibson scale notched straight edgeedges, and a dual PRS scale notched straight edge. A fret rocker/action height gauge, and a short and long sanding beam. I have a crowning file as well as a fret end file, and a brass hammer and feeler gauges for hammering offending frets back down, as well as the super thin superglue. I've also got plenty of soldering/desoldering tools, basic screwdrivers, etc.

I know I need some of those T shaped radius gauges for setting saddle radius, and a short ruler I can use to measure pickup height (what's that called so I can search for one). I know I could use more of that strip sandpaper that attaches to the beams for fret leveling.

What else could a guy like me use around the shop?

This is a good thought process, but I have found that you will most likely have to get the other tools and things you need based off of each job. It seems like I will think I have everything I need and then realize I need one specific tool for a job that I am missing. You can try and gather them all up - and eventually you will - but it will save you on money and make sure you are actually buying what you need if you kind of start picking up any specialty things (Like the neck jig that was recommended) when you legit need them for the job at hand.

 

[Laputan Machine]

Extremely similar to what I also do for fret polishing - they shine like mirrors!!! I do not have a need for the rotary when doing this but know a lot of people do.


A good light and helping hands are absolutely essential I have found.


This is a good thought process, but I have found that you will most likely have to get the other tools and things you need based off of each job. It seems like I will think I have everything I need and then realize I need one specific tool for a job that I am missing. You can try and gather them all up - and eventually you will - but it will save you on money and make sure you are actually buying what you need if you kind of start picking up any specialty things (Like the neck jig that was recommended) when you legit need them for the job at hand.

A cheapo rotary works fine. Those micro mesh pads probably get a little bit better look than mechanical polishing after 1200, but scrubbing frets with the pads starts fucking up your hands after a while if you do it a lot.

I don't even think the Z-File is all that great, simple triangle file works just as good imo...Z-file saves a couple minutes maybe.

I'd recommend wearing nitrile gloves too, getting nickel dust on your fingers a bunch can start making you allergic. My fingers start burning now if I do fretwork without gloves.

 

[Shreddy Mercury]

I like the s file, as it's got guards built in as to not grind too much away when crowning, but it does leave some decent scratches on the sides. You say starting at 400 gets you pretty good results?

 

[napalmdeath]

Feeler gauge.

 

[Laputan Machine]

I like the s file, as it's got guards built in as to not grind too much away when crowning, but it does leave some decent scratches on the sides. You say starting at 400 gets you pretty good results?

Do you mean Z-File?
I mark the tops of the fret with a sharpie, use the Z-file until theres a somewhat thin marker line left, then use a fine triangle file to round the fret more so I can get a very thin marker line. I round the edges of the triangle file on a belt sander so they don't cut the board. The fine file will take out most scratches, then use 400 grit, make like 8-10 swipes per fret in the same direction as the file, then 600, then go up and down the board starting with 400 up to 1200.

 

[Music&Chaos]

A cheapo rotary works fine. Those micro mesh pads probably get a little bit better look than mechanical polishing after 1200, but scrubbing frets with the pads starts fucking up your hands after a while if you do it a lot.

I don't even think the Z-File is all that great, simple triangle file works just as good imo...Z-file saves a couple minutes maybe.

I'd recommend wearing nitrile gloves too, getting nickel dust on your fingers a bunch can start making you allergic. My fingers start burning now if I do fretwork without gloves.

I do use the Micro mesh pad set up to 12000 before the Flitz. I agree that the pads are hard on your hands and have a couple of work arounds but have been thinking about a rotary so thanks for that.

The gloves are such a solid recommendation!!

Yeah, I also use the Z-file in the same manner. I have found that I prefer the Z over any other fret shaping file as I can use it similarly to my triangle file and really control how it works the fret.

 

[Laputan Machine]

I do use the Micro mesh pad set up to 12000 before the Flitz. I agree that the pads are hard on your hands and have a couple of work arounds but have been thinking about a rotary so thanks for that.

The gloves are such a solid recommendation!!

Yeah, I also use the Z-file in the same manner. I have found that I prefer the Z over any other fret shaping file as I can use it similarly to my triangle file and really control how it works the fret.

The Z-files do cut well and quickly hog. I have some Hosco ones too and they are horrible, make horrendous chatter marks. Hosco nut files are pretty meh to. The Stewmac ones are better.

 

[Shreddy Mercury]

Do you mean Z-File?
I mark the tops of the fret with a sharpie, use the Z-file until theres a somewhat thin marker line left, then use a fine triangle file to round the fret more so I can get a very thin marker line. I round the edges of the triangle file on a belt sander so they don't cut the board. The fine file will take out most scratches, then use 400 grit, make like 8-10 swipes per fret in the same direction as the file, then 600, then go up and down the board starting with 400 up to 1200.

The s file, music nomads file. It is designed so it stops cutting when it's crowned. Its a safety measure in case you don't have tons of experience with 3 sided files or whatever.