Fret trick or, birdshot aint just for "boids"!

[Terry McInturff]

If you are in a situation in which you have to tap frets in rather than press them in, buy a bag of birdshot; this makes the ideal "dead-blow" neck support. In tandem with a dead-blow hammer, it provides for a great setup.

Also...instead of using the hammer in the trad way...use one of the curved metal fret-press "shoes" that you can get from Stew-Mac; use this as an anvil...choose the radius that matches the fretboard (and your fretboard IS radiused as accurately as can be measured, right?) and tap on the anvil instead of the fret directly.

In combination with the bag of shot...you'll get results that are every bit as good as a pressed-in job.

[Jack Briggs]

have an old bag (no comments) that I made years ago.........kind of like a round pillow with a zippered opening, but can't find the darn thing!
that's how long it's been since I've been pressing in frets, and I have not had the need to do any bangin'


Cheers,

[dougk]

sand bags too. Hell a bag full of fertilizer in a pinch too.

[whoismarykelly]

I we collect up all these Terry tips we might get away with a free version of his consulting program LOL.

[Terry McInturff]

Originally Posted by whoismarykelly

I we collect up all these Terry tips we might get away with a free version of his consulting program LOL.

Fiddlesticks!

Seriously, this is the sort of thing that Im happy to give away for free. The stuff I offer via a custom consultancy is the secret stuff!

[Pfeister]

Originally Posted by dougk

sand bags too.

One thing I learned in art school is sandbags have unlimited uses.

[whoismarykelly]

Originally Posted by Terry McInturff

Fiddlesticks!

Seriously, this is the sort of thing that Im happy to give away for free. The stuff I offer via a custom consultancy is the secret stuff!

From your description of it a while back I get the impression that its more business and workflow management for luthiers type stuff right?

[Terry McInturff]

Originally Posted by whoismarykelly

From your description of it a while back I get the impression that its more business and workflow management for luthiers type stuff right?

Thanks for this question.

The most popular topics are benchwork related and finish related. Its amazing how much QC can be improved at the bench, using techniques that are actually pretty fast, and easy to master. The workbench can become somewhat of a log-jam, production wise. Its possible to perform world-class fretwork in quantity!

Nitro finishing skills are a popular item especially for the smaller shops.

The benchwork techniques can apply to any size of shop.

I can share experiences regarding business and especially workflow.
Also jig and fixture making..neck design...etc ad nauseum.

[Pfeister]

Originally Posted by Terry McInturff

The workbench can become somewhat of a log-jam, production wise.

You're tellin' me!

I went quite a while this spring without doing any woodworking. I somehow got myself tied up in finishing, fretting, setups, etc.. That was all I did for a long time. It's an odd phenomenon, but you can really bottle neck your workflow if you're not careful. My shop isn't that big, so I really need to be careful. I can't be making too much dust if I'm doing setups and all that.
Lesson learned. Now, back to cutting wood.