Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

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I've had it with the hassle and mess of using 0000 steel wool.

Have any of you tried using 2000 grit sandpaper to polish the frets instead?

If it's safe to use I'd like to try.


My tools for polishing:

Modified grouting float. I bought a grouting float from OSH, and my intention is to cut its width down to about 1", and then mount the sandpaper on it. The underside of the grout float is made of some kind of cushiony material, and it seems as though it would deform as its pressed down against the fret, thus making good contact with the fret. It will be very easy to apply force while using it, as it has a handle.

Fret polish shield. To shield the fretboard, I got a fret polish shield that Stew-Mac sells > http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... uards.html

and then ground its width down so it fits between the upper frets. The problem with the stock Stew-Mac shield is that it is so wide it only fits between the first 12 frets. My modified shield works all the way to the 21st fret.

Sandpaper.



If you've got any thoughts about the 2000 grit paper, I'd appreciate your comments - --

best -

Richard

I'm sure 2000 will be ok. I use 15u paper. It works great then for final polish I use a Micro-Mesh finger nail polisher (grey and white 12,000 grit). Micro-Mesh also come in sheets up to 20,000. http://micro-surface.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=107 They have a fairly broad line. Just click on products by application, types, etc.
Note: I always mask between frets.

+1 on the fingernail polisher.

Those fret shields are overthink and overkill IMO. Tape is better.

I tape off the areas between the frets with masking tape, using 1/2" amd 1/4" in various combinations to cover the board. Then I sand with a rubber block with #1000 grit wet or dry. I then polish on my buffing wheel to a mirror shine.

If you don't have a buffing wheel, sand a second time with #2000, and use Flitz, Simichrome, or Nevr-Dull wadding to get a mirror polish. Then remove the tape (carefully!) and wax the whole board and frets, buff, and restring.

jingle_jangle wrote:
Those fret shields are overthink and overkill IMO. Tape is better.

I tape off the areas between the frets with masking tape, using 1/2" amd 1/4" in various combinations to cover the board.

Then remove the tape (carefully!) ......

Paul, let me ask you about tape.

I've used tape, and on my non-Ric guitars it generally works fine. However, to my momentary horror, the first (and last) time I tried it on a vintage Ric it PULLED UP THE VARNISH! Not all of it, of course, but it clearly took some red molecules with it when I pulled it off. Holy smokes. I felt like a criminal. In my limited experience, the old varnish that sometimes graces a highly used, vintage Ric's fretboard is barely held on there....by what?...almost by gravity. Tape neatly starts the unexpected stripping process. Yikes.

So you must have a better tape approach than I. Can you say more about it?

thanks -

Richard

Richard, I've got several approaches and several tapes...

I use both high-tack Scotch "bright green" masking tape if I can get away with it (newer guitar), or regular Scotch (beige) masking tape, which is lower tack.

For older guitars which might5 have problems, I press each strip of tape onto my shirt or t-shirt , then apply it to the frtetboard. This cuts the tack way down.

If the finish is super-fragile, the fret mask is probably your best option.

Next week I'm going to cut some thin PETG masks for Rick guitars and basses. See how the plastic ones work...

When I said "I always mask between frets" I was refering to tape. I usually use blue masking tape.

Sir Ricardo wrote: ... it PULLED UP THE VARNISH! Not all of it, of course...

I've been there before but not a factory finish.

I use a lether pad stuck to a stick with polishing compound. you could likely do the same thing but stick your paper to the stick instead.

yea I use masking tape in between the frets and a small block of hard wood with a fret size divot in it. I start with 220 grit then move to 2000 if the frets are really bad...

Stewart MacDonald offers these:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... uards.html
Set of 6 for $10.88

These are sized for jumbo frets, and intended for use with non-varnished boards.

Rick fretboards, especially newer ones with a noticeable meniscus adjacent to the fret itself, will interfere with the fit, and you could find yourself sanding some varnish as well as frets.

Rick frets are intended to be flat across the top rather than crowned, and the varnished fretboard requires different techniques when polishing frets.

I use a sanding block with #400 dry, then #1000 dry, to brighten the tops of the frets, followed by a wheel-buff. Lacking a buffing wheel, you can use Nev-R-Dull wadding for a final polish. No need to mask anything.

CHECK OUT STEWMACS FRET ereasers I am getting some in the mail soon but they sound like a good idea and easy to pull off but I am currently waiting to test them out but at 30 bucks its not that much of a loss.....


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