Well, it's about time for an update to this special tool thread......
The original Stone bar that I made in the posts above has been in service for 5 1/2 years, and it's finally worn out. I polled the guys, and I think we've leveled 50-60 necks with it.
The stones wore down to nothing at one end. It's interesting, though, that they stayed flat as they wore down. Even now, it still measures flat and will level the frets. Most of the wear was from Jeremy using it. I noticed that he was pushing down harder on it that Keith and I were. When I use it, I barely press down on it all. I use the weight of the bar and hold it lightly, sliding it up and down the neck. I'll guess that if you use it gently, it'll level 100 necks.
Overall, I'm happy with this tool. It's proven to be a useful time-saver, and it does an accurate job leveling the frets. A simple solution.
So it's time to make up a replacement or two. I'm going to make a few changes to the design, based on what I've learned. Construction will be simpler, and I'll show it all here, so any of you on here can make your own, if you like.
I'm going to make up two of them at the same time, so I can grind them against each other to true them up. The original bar was 1/2" x 2" aluminum, because I happened to have some on hand. But I had to do that rabbit-milling operation on the bar to fit the width of the stones. For these new ones, I'm going with 3/8" x 3" aluminum. No need to do any milling on it, and the bar is taller. I think this will make it easier to control and use.
I'm staying with the 320 grit stones on them. They seem to cut reasonably quickly, but leave a fairly good finish.
Here's the stone sets. They are replacement stones for automotive cylinder hones, made by Lisle, sets of 3. I bought them on Amazon for $14/set. I got 4 sets to make up two 18" bars. These stones are also available in other lengths and grits. These are 3" long, 320 grit.
A 3' long bar of 3/8" x 3" 6061 aluminum from Online Metals. About $38.
The stones are epoxied to a plated steel shoe, which fits nicely over the 3/8" bar.
I sawed the bar into two 18" pieces. I used my large cutoff bandsaw, but you can do this with a hacksaw.
I rounded the upper corners and smoothed the edges of the bars, so I don't cut myself on them later.
Most of the stones' shoes had little blobs of epoxy sticking up inside......
So, I clamped them in a vise and ran the edge of a big file through them.......
I smoothed down the epoxy bumps and roughened up the plating on the inside.
I also took a file over the bottom edge of the bars to roughen them up.....for a better epoxy bond.
Lined up on the gluing bench, I dabbed some epoxy down into the backs of the shoes. I used West Systems 105/205, but almost any epoxy will do here.
Set the bars down into the stones, checked the alignment, and clamped them.
The next day, I used the edge sander and 180 grit paper on a block to clean the excess epoxy off around the stones. I also slightly beveled the edges of the stones, so they won't make grooves.
As glued up, they came out quite flat. But I still ground the two of them together to make sure. My plan is to use both stone bars about equally, and occasionally grind them against each other to keep them true.
And there they are, all ready for some years of precision fret leveling.
It took me 1 hr 10 minutes to make them, and cost me $94.
My plan is to knock the stones off of the old stone bar, mill a notch in the middle of it, and figure out how to mount a narrow fine file in it. Like a #2 Swiss file. An 18" bar with a file set flush in the middle third of it. I'm thinking that would be the tool for quickly roughing down a few high frets. Then go over them with the stone bar.
The original Stone bar that I made in the posts above has been in service for 5 1/2 years, and it's finally worn out. I polled the guys, and I think we've leveled 50-60 necks with it.
The stones wore down to nothing at one end. It's interesting, though, that they stayed flat as they wore down. Even now, it still measures flat and will level the frets. Most of the wear was from Jeremy using it. I noticed that he was pushing down harder on it that Keith and I were. When I use it, I barely press down on it all. I use the weight of the bar and hold it lightly, sliding it up and down the neck. I'll guess that if you use it gently, it'll level 100 necks.
Overall, I'm happy with this tool. It's proven to be a useful time-saver, and it does an accurate job leveling the frets. A simple solution.
So it's time to make up a replacement or two. I'm going to make a few changes to the design, based on what I've learned. Construction will be simpler, and I'll show it all here, so any of you on here can make your own, if you like.
I'm going to make up two of them at the same time, so I can grind them against each other to true them up. The original bar was 1/2" x 2" aluminum, because I happened to have some on hand. But I had to do that rabbit-milling operation on the bar to fit the width of the stones. For these new ones, I'm going with 3/8" x 3" aluminum. No need to do any milling on it, and the bar is taller. I think this will make it easier to control and use.
I'm staying with the 320 grit stones on them. They seem to cut reasonably quickly, but leave a fairly good finish.
Here's the stone sets. They are replacement stones for automotive cylinder hones, made by Lisle, sets of 3. I bought them on Amazon for $14/set. I got 4 sets to make up two 18" bars. These stones are also available in other lengths and grits. These are 3" long, 320 grit.
A 3' long bar of 3/8" x 3" 6061 aluminum from Online Metals. About $38.
The stones are epoxied to a plated steel shoe, which fits nicely over the 3/8" bar.
I sawed the bar into two 18" pieces. I used my large cutoff bandsaw, but you can do this with a hacksaw.
I rounded the upper corners and smoothed the edges of the bars, so I don't cut myself on them later.
Most of the stones' shoes had little blobs of epoxy sticking up inside......
So, I clamped them in a vise and ran the edge of a big file through them.......
I smoothed down the epoxy bumps and roughened up the plating on the inside.
I also took a file over the bottom edge of the bars to roughen them up.....for a better epoxy bond.
Lined up on the gluing bench, I dabbed some epoxy down into the backs of the shoes. I used West Systems 105/205, but almost any epoxy will do here.
Set the bars down into the stones, checked the alignment, and clamped them.
The next day, I used the edge sander and 180 grit paper on a block to clean the excess epoxy off around the stones. I also slightly beveled the edges of the stones, so they won't make grooves.
As glued up, they came out quite flat. But I still ground the two of them together to make sure. My plan is to use both stone bars about equally, and occasionally grind them against each other to keep them true.
And there they are, all ready for some years of precision fret leveling.
It took me 1 hr 10 minutes to make them, and cost me $94.
My plan is to knock the stones off of the old stone bar, mill a notch in the middle of it, and figure out how to mount a narrow fine file in it. Like a #2 Swiss file. An 18" bar with a file set flush in the middle third of it. I'm thinking that would be the tool for quickly roughing down a few high frets. Then go over them with the stone bar.
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