How I Did A Refret On My Indio Boardwalk
I chose to try to re-fret my Indio Boardwalk because it was a relatively inexpensive guitar and some of the frets were raised up on the ends allowing the high E string to get caught underneath the fret. If this works out I will also try re-painting it.
Tools Used
Flat blade screwdriver already owned
End cutting wire nippers already owned
Small chisel already owned
Xacto knife with concave carving blade already owned
Various grits of sandpaper already owned
StewMac Fret slot depth gauge $17.77 Amazon
Holmer Pre-cut frets $12.50 Amazon
Graph Tech Tusq XL nut $16.89 Amazon
5” long 12” radius block $10.00 Amazon
2 C clamps $10.00 Harbor Freight
Gorilla Super Glue $5.00 Home Depot
Music Nomad fret beveling file $37.00 Amazon
Fret crowning file $30.00 Amazon
StewMac Refret saw $45.00 Amazon
Dead blow hammer set $28.00 Amazon
Removing the frets
I started by removing the frets by prying them slightly up from the end with a small flat blade screwdriver and then using a pair of end cut wire nippers to work across the fret pulling it out completely. This did cause some chipping of the fretboard so I recovered a few of the bigger chips and used the Xacto knife to place and glue them with some super glue. Finally, I removed the nut with a couple of light taps with a small chisel and hammer.
In hindsight, I should have moistened the fretboard so it would expand a little, heated the frets with a soldering iron so they would contract a little, and maybe even taped the fretboard before pulling them out (or so I have since read on the YouTube). I also should have tried grinding down the top of my end cut wire nippers to make them slip under the frets easier (also read on the YouTube).
Installing the Frets
I lightly sanded the entire fretboard with the 5” long sanding block just to smooth it a little. After measuring the slots depth with the StewMac fret slot depth gauge I used the Refret saw and Xacto blade to slightly deepen the slots at the ends near the binding.
I installed the stainless steel pre-cut frets after thoroughly cleaning the fret slots and making sure they were deep enough. I used a little glue on the ends and hammered the outer edges in first and then the center to help keep the frets in the slots between the binding. I devised a crude method to clamp the frets at each end while the glue dried.
Preparing to file the frets
Now I have to file the ends, angle the ends, level the frets, crown the frets, and dress the ends. The fret beveling file is shown in this picture with the fretboard taped for protection. You'll notice 2 slots on the beveling file. One is straight and one is at a 32 degree angle.
Frets Have Been Filed
Pictured are the frets after filing and the Baroque fret crowning file from Amazon I used. The file is a diamond file and was extremely good at finishing the job! I obviously am an amateur at doing this kind of work - there are plenty of scuffs on the binding from filing, and a couple depressions in the fretboard from the way I pressed the frets in with clamps.
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It took me quite a while to finish this process. At first, I started filing like a madman and probably did about 15 frets at once. My index fingertip was numb from pressing down the file and the file itself warming up to a gradual burn! It took a couple weeks to regain the feeling in my fingertip!
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From that point I only did a couple frets at a time. I'm trying to think of some way to improve the condition of the binding before I start painting the guitar black. I may try just lightly sanding the binding with 2000 grit paper and, if that doesn't help, maybe try some white epoxy. I'll document whatever it is I decide to do.
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I also still have to polish the frets to get them silky smooth but the stainless steel frets sure feel pretty smooth as is right now. I also have to install the Graph Tech Tusq XL nut and file the slots to adjust the string height.
