Poor mans fret Polishing?

[aaland_brian]

I've used a dremel with the attachment and wheels from stewmac and it's not worth the chance of raising a fret after you just got done leveling them. These are the best solution if you have a little money to spend,

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Sa...&xst=3&xsr=521

Not exactly a poor mans solution, but will give you a mirror finish. You probably could get by with a 8000 grit sheet out of the kit, I think thats what dunlop packs in their guitar care and polish kit.

[formula73]

I've used 0000 steel wool for years and 2nd the idea of hitting the board with it, as well. Just be careful when you get to the parts of the board that are over the body. It's easy to scuff the finish if you get too eager unless you mask the hell out of that, as well. I use Guitar Honey to oil the board: wipe on, wipe off, let set for a few minutes and you're good. Also, an alternative to trying to mask off the pickups with upside down tape is taping them off, using the steel wool, then taping OVER the tape, trapping the little filings between the layers. It's always worked for me.

Oh, and I can get pretty damn close to mirror finish with 0000. Certainly enough for a slick feel on a player.

[uOpt]

Of course it will. You are not going to get a mirror finish or anything, but more than enough for a guitar that is actually being played.

It only takes a couple more minutes to take the rough looking steel wool result to a mirror polish. Why would anyone skip that?

[Ayrton]

It only takes a couple more minutes to take the rough looking steel wool result to a mirror polish. Why would anyone skip that?

With a Dremel?

[uOpt]

With a Dremel?

No. Using a good metal polish paste on frets that were steel wooled goes to a mirror finish very quickly. It's really just minutes. The result of the steel wooling is already very even, you just need to shine it.

[Zerberus]

Steel wool alone won't do shiny frets. You need some metal polish, too.

Yes it will. If you can use 0000 to bring zippo lighters (usually brass or chrome), stainless steel handrails and even "shiner´s nightmare" aluminum siding to a high luster (not mirror finish but most definitely shiny), then it will easily work on frets, too

That said, you and I are 2 of the people that I proudly define as "superanal perfectionists". We´re the kind of psychos that would rather relevel the whole fretboard that allow even one scratch to remain.

While people like us are often the only thing standing between some standard of quality and total chaos, we also need to realize that what we usually consider "barely good enough" is for most people "better than anything I´ve ever seen in my life". This is one of those cases

For those that truly wish to try Brasso or other metal polishes on the frets but don´t want to risk the Dremel: tape off the board, get some polish (preferably liquid) on a rag, grease your elbow, and rub over the fret sideways for about 15-30 seconds. Repeat until you run out of frets, polish, elbow grease or patience

[uOpt]

Well, going to insanely fine steel wool is effectively the same as using a polishing paste but messier. But you can't use that super fine wool for the initial work so either way it's two steps.

[CrookTele]

Gorgomyte!

[formula73]

Well, going to insanely fine steel wool is effectively the same as using a polishing paste but messier. But you can't use that super fine wool for the initial work so either way it's two steps.

Yes, you can. I don't see how this wouldn't work, considering I've been doing that since I started worrying about scongy frets, years and years ago. Maybe there are people out there, like me, who don't like the idea of masking off the entire board and screwing around with polish paste that gets everywhere and dries white. I spend no more than 10 minutes every 6 months or so with a 0000 pad and my frets look great and feel slick.

It is absolutely possible. Have you even tried it or are you knocking it because it's not what you do?

[WoodGrain67]

I've been using this stuff for years and never had a problem with it! Works on a lot more than just frets as well.

+1!
Good stuff.