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Well, it’s time to install the frets. I’ve decided to install up to 14th fret, before affixing board to neck.

When you folks tap in these frets do tap each end first then seat the middle of fret ( like StewMac book says) or do you start at one end and work to the other ( as other text recommends). I installed some practice pieces, seating each end first, then tapping from the center. The ends required an extra blow or two to fully seat. Not too thrilled with ends first method. What method do you folks favor (Rosewood). And I did slightly chamfer the long edges....

I do from one end to the other.

I don't tap. I made a caul out of Delrin that matches the fingerboard radius, and I press in the frets with my vise.

If I do tap in frets, I first bend the frtewire to a slightly tighter radius than the fingerboard, then start in the middle. As the curved fret flattens out, the ends move outward (slightly) and in theory the barbs on the fret tang go into undisturbed wood. Whether there is enough sideways displacement to be significant may be questionable,but I get good results doing it this way.

Sure wish I'd thought of that, then I wouldn't have bought that arbor press and the caul from StewMac! What a dandy idea. Thanks!

Never had much problem with laying in frets. I bend to the finished FB radius, then use my old MG Midget lead wire wheel hammer to tap in over a granite surface plate. The only thing I watch for is that the tang is vertical and aligned to the slot on the first tap.

Danl8 wrote:...my old MG Midget lead wire wheel hammer to tap in...

That’s what I need is a heavier hammer, this lil Stu Mac hammer makes a lot of noise but doesn’t have much mass, seems a scoach under sized.

I had a 72 MGB kelly green with gold racing stripes

I had an Austin-Healey 100-4 and a 100-6. Student days. Lived to tell the tale.

phavriluk wrote:I had an Austin-Healey 100-4 and a 100-6. Student days. Lived to tell the tale.

Sweet! For me also student days. Best thing is that a good battery wasn't necessary; roll downhill 20' and pop the clutch n' off n' runnin'.

John, mine was green, too. 1967 mark III. 900 mile trip to school cost just under $10. :-)

I tap the middle than each end, but I use fret wide with a slightly tighter radius than my board. I've found that the ends stay down better with the tighter radius.