@tej 🤣🤣 

@tej Oh and the dreaded table. 🤣🤣 

I bought a router and it was ok but every time I use it, the more I realise it’s more like a toy

@boo I’ve ranted elsewhere about my failed Aldi router, evil thing! Plunge spring is really violent, just not good. Have a DeWalt one now, cordless, absolutely love it though hated the price tag!

Oh and the dreaded table. 🤣🤣 

@boo ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH horrific thing!!!

Have a DeWalt one now, cordless, absolutely love it though hated the price tag!

@tej Yeah I think we soon realise that if we want good quality tools, we really do have to pay decent money unfortunately. It’s a good thing though really, they last longer and way less frustrating to use. 

if we want good quality tools, we really do have to pay decent money unfortunately

@boo for me with the router it came down more to safety. The Aldi one was also too big for most of what I used a router for too.

Every time I use it and throw it to the back of the workshop, I say, never again. 🤣

Cut the cable off @boo, that’ll stop ya from ever using it again and just think about how great it’ll feel to chuck it into the SKIP! 

Work Zone, more like Danger Zone!

Cut the cable off @boo, that’ll stop ya from ever using it again and just think about how great it’ll feel to chuck it into the SKIP! 

@mattbeels 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Good call ✊😝

Work Zone, more like Danger Zone!

@mattbeels Yep, another one for the SKIP 🤣

@boo

I’m serious about cutting off the cables, that’ll stop most people from using it if they find it. You can sleep better knowing that you’ve most likey saved someone else’s fingers! 😉

I’m serious about cutting off the cables, that’ll stop most people from using it if they find it. You can sleep better knowing that you’ve most likey saved someone else’s fingers! 😉

@mattbeels True, I didn’t think of it like that. It’s a good point well made. 👍

I’ve fretted 4 necks with a hammer so far - never tried a press - hammer is very simple and quick....

I’ve fretted 4 necks with a hammer so far

As you all know, I really love a gadget or a jig but I just don’t understand the benefit, either in terms of speed of insertion, or of effectiveness, of using a press or modified Mole grips over banging the damned things in with a hammer. I hate fretting, so if I could do it faster and or better I’d right behind any method that helped, it’s just than inserting them isn’t the thing that takes the time. Help me! I’m lost! Convert me!

Darren

@darrenking

Perhaps the best argument is that you can achieve better consistency.

Chris of Highline guitars is of the opinion that using a fret press, along with precision at every other stage of fretting, means he can achieve a consistency which means he needs little or no fret dressing.

I can see the appeal of that, psychologically it's a bummer to install brand new frets and immediately have to start grnding bits off them.

I’ve used a hammer for years until I started getting hand problems and thought I would try the vice grip type of press from Tonetech. Guess what I’m still undecided. If the slots are the correct size for the tang then I think either method will do. There are people who can’t use a hammer, which I know sounds a bit sad but if you have anything like Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome from work then a press is the best option.

Hi @ jonhodgson, that’s an interesting consideration but it does rely on the fret wire being manufactured to a very close tolerance and this isn’t my experience. Maybe brands differ this respect and this could well be a very good reason to choose on over the other. What I don’t get is that a pressed in fret will automatically be much tighter to the face of a fretboard than a hammered one. I don’t reject the possibility that this would be the case, I just don’t have the experience of the press process to allow me to make the comparison.

Darren

Thanks everyone for your views, I think that I’m just going to go with the hammer. I like the press idea as I like most task specific tools but for the number of guitars I’ll be making I don’t think the press would be worth it.

but for the number of guitars I’ll be making I don’t think the press would be worth it.

@tej You may change your mind in a couple of years when you have made a few guitars and you can’t stop because you are addicted. 😆 

I’ll have to try and find this thread to come back and quote you. You may have to eat your words. 😆👍 

I have looked at the presses before but decided to stick with a hammer for now. For consistency though, one day I do want a decent fret press. I seem to be increasing the number of guitars I’m making every year so it would be good to have the proper tools that will increase quality and speed of each process. The more consistency with installing frets, the less time will be spent on fret dressing which @darrenking has quite rightly said he has a dislike for, I think most of us do. I don’t mind the process too much but you have to get in a certain frame of mind because it’s a long haul, patience. 

I’m glad that other people have admitted they don’t like fret dressing, I hate it with a passion. Particularly when re fretting and dressing near the body, trying not to mark the finish. I looked at the curved diamond tool that Mark used on the live stream and got one soon after. Haven’t used it yet but I think it will be a lot easier.