Refretting a petite bouche

donquardo

Anyone on here fluent with refretting the small sound hole selmer style guitars? I like using the taylor fret buck for supporting the fret board tongue when I tap in and press/glue the frets. I don't think my fret buck is gonna' fit in this small soundhole though. Any tips and tricks or should I just slightly enlarge the fret slots over the body? FWIW, it's my personal guitar. Maybe the stew mac jaws 2 would work?

Bones

I just try to hold a metal mass in there as best as I can and, yes, I slightly enlarge the fret slots in that area and run a little Titebond in the slot to lubricate and refill the gap a bit from enlarging the slot. But I'm just a recreational builder so maybe one of the pros will chime in.

donquardo

Thanks for the response bones. Do you clamp down those fretboard tongue frets when you glue them?

Bones

No they are still just held in by the barbs. I just widen the slots a tiny bit so I don't have to pound them in so hard over the body.

Bones

How'd it go Don? In my experience, without anything much backing up the soundboard, there is too much bounce/recoil to the top and you can't get a solid hammer blow. So if the slots are tight you can't just pound them in. That's why I widen the slots just a TINY bit so the tangs go in easier. Plus the liquid Titebond lubricates a bit to further ease the fret in but then hardens later to fill the slightly widened slot. Also a good idea to put just a TINY bevel on the top edge of the slot (and I mean tiny) to ease the barbs in.

AndrewUlle

This suggestion may be totally off-base, but could you use a C-clamp arrangement and press in the frets instead of pounding them in?

Bones

Yeah I think that would be possible. Maybe rig up some sort of custom fixture with a c-clamp or two???