Fret tang nipper on a budget
Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2022 8:35 pm
I have not tried a bound fretboard yet, but I wanted to try nipping fret tangs to get a cleaner finish on the fretboard sides. Custom made nippers are expensive, even more so with shipping to Canada. I found some videos describing how to modify a sheet metal nibbler to do the job and decided to try it. After some searching, I found a nibbler for about $22 CAD and reasonable shipping. It's much like one described on YouTube, this one made in Taiwan for GC Tool, sold by Newark Tools. It's a fairly simple modification, removing the end cap (it did not explode with springs flying everywhere) and filing a groove in it with a small triangular file. It works very well on nickel silver fretwire. EVO fretwire is harder, and takes a little more oomph but if it is set right it works well - maybe a little rougher cut. I have found it works better if I cut the fret tang BEFORE cutting the fret to length - a couple of cuts with the nibbler and then cut it off in the middle of the nipped portion. (Sorry I don't know how to get these photos in the correct order . . .) Bruce W.