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Having used nippers and shears the filing system does a great job and I think you can make one pretty easy
if you do go with the nippers it is how you grind the cutting edge

this is part of the fun to problem solve.
I hope Main Geezer looks at this I am sure he can make a sweet fret holder to file off tangs

Yeah, I probably could. Going by the LMI video, it doesn't look particularly complicated. I may (or may not) get inspired.....

After trying several of the above methods, I bought a tool
designed to do the job quick and right. Jescar has many tools
as well as a wide range of fretwire.

Brent

Just as a heads up, none of the specialty tang cutters, like Jescar or Stew-Mac, work on small wire like for ukes or mandos. I've tried modifying them to work with no success. They just mangle the fret ends.The LMI filing system does work. Nippers and a file works too. I use the nippers and the edge of the belt on a knife belt sander to do the final clean up.

Bob Gleason wrote:Just as a heads up, none of the specialty tang cutters, like Jescar or Stew-Mac, work on small wire like for ukes or mandos. I've tried modifying them to work with no success. They just mangle the fret ends.The LMI filing system does work. Nippers and a file works too. I use the nippers and the edge of the belt on a knife belt sander to do the final clean up.

Okay... I thought I saw something on the StewMac site that allowed for the medium 'table' on their tang cutter to also be used on smaller fretwire. I've had it for a few days and have experimented with it. It seems a bit sloppy in the way it grips the crown when cutting the tang. And I made a special little jig to help me clean up the nips, which may need to be done fairly frequently. :(

I have never used one of these and assumed it to be operator ignorance or lack of skill. Now I am concerned enough to raise questions.

Chuck B