First defret job.

[5StringThunder]

So I decided to turn my old Ibanez GSR200 into a fretless.
Here's some updates:

[5StringThunder]

Pulling frets: I don't have fret pullers so I used snub-nosed pliers.

[5StringThunder]

I drilled out the inlays so I could fill them and stain it, trying to makes it look unlined.

[5StringThunder]

And finally, I started filling the slots and inlays.
I had to stop for the night. But I'll try to finish tomorrow, then sand and stain after that.

[JLS]

Is this a real post? It's not a joke?

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

Originally Posted by JLS

Is this a real post? It's not a joke?

I remember my first and only de-fret. I used super glue and mahogany veneer strips that were from a local cabinet company sampler pack. Then spent quite some time with a radius block and sand paper to get it looking and playing good again.

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

You may want to watch this before you continue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=115gvPzHMqw

[Meddle]

Originally Posted by JLS

Is this a real post? It's not a joke?

Not the attitude I would expect for some guy openly advertises that he does instrument repairs and setups. You must have done some botch jobs in your time to get where you are now.

To the OP, it looks like you were a wee bit heavy handed wrenching out the frets as there is a lot of chipping around the fret channels. The filler will need a few more goes before it lies flat.

[Scott in Dallas]

A lot of that chipping looks like finish. For future reference, a soldering iron held against the fret before pulling will soften the glue and the finish enough to minimize that a bit.

Are you going to use a plug cutter or try to find a rosewood dowel? You might try finding different types of wood and stain them to match before putting them in.

[tabdog]

Just wanted to mention something here.

I used the saw dust from the fingerboard
mixed with hide glue. It made a past that
dried much harder than the wood. I don't
think there would be much compression
if that is used. I used it on my last defret
and I prefer it to wood strips or other
wood fillers,

Tabdog

Tabdog

[Meddle]

Originally Posted by Scott in Dallas

A lot of that chipping looks like finish. For future reference, a soldering iron held against the fret before pulling will soften the glue and the finish enough to minimize that a bit.

You are trusting that they actually glue the frets in. Sometimes they don't. Also, a high powered iron (40 watts or so) is going to mark the rosewood (and maple more so) and a low powered one will do nothing.

Go down the Fender route and slide the frets out sideways.

[los100malditos]

Dude -make it simple- use wood putty to fill ...! let it dry.... you can buy same fretboard color wood putty ... or add wood tint ... clean excess with a cloth and ready ... thats all ... i did it an perfet, no noticeable lines ...

[5StringThunder]

Originally Posted by los100malditos

Dude -make it simple- use wood putty to fill ...! let it dry.... you can buy same fretboard color wood putty ... or add wood tint ... clean excess with a cloth and ready ... thats all ... i did it an perfet, no noticeable lines ...

That's what I'm doing. They bit that's on the fretboard had just hardened enough to make it not very workable.

[JLS]

Hackjobs will be hackjobs...far be it from me, to meddle in someone's lack of skill or knowledge.

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

Originally Posted by JLS

Hackjobs will be hackjobs...far be it from me, to meddle in someone's lack of skill or knowledge.

Criticism from the sidelines with out any useful advice is meddling.


To the OP,
If you get a good radius block that matches the radius of your fret board, you should be able to take it down evenly until the majority of the tear out is gone.

You can get one for $20 or so dollars, and it will be one of the biggest factors in how your project ends up.

[5StringThunder]

I'm ordering the radius block as soon as I get home from school.

[5StringThunder]

Finished filling. Just waiting on the radius block to get started sanding.

[5StringThunder]

[Scott in Dallas]

Originally Posted by Meddle

You are trusting that they actually glue the frets in.

If there's no glue, the heat makes the wood more pliable. There's simply not a downside to using one.

Originally Posted by Meddle

Also, a high powered iron (40 watts or so) is going to mark the rosewood (and maple more so) and a low powered one will do nothing.

It's more about how long you leave it touching the fret. You heat it while you pull, and there's a point where it releases. A warm fret marks the rosewood quite a bit less than torn wood.

Originally Posted by Meddle

Go down the Fender route and slide the frets out sideways.

Even Fender stopped installing frets sideways because of the damage it did to the boards. I'd remove them sideways if they were installed that way, but most instruments have their frets pressed in.

Just realized that board probably didn't have finish on it so that is actually tear-out. Should sand out okay for the most part.

[Pilgrim]

So - yes, it's a total hack job. It looks quite bad. But it may function.

I advise against using putty or anything compressible to fill the lines, as it may eventually allow the neck to bow forward. But using it would be of quality equal to the rest of the work. Veneer or solid plastic is a much preferable filler.

Before taking on such a project, it's very easy to search threads here and find good advice on how to do it on the web. The result of failing to do this is a neck with no value and bad appearance.