Steel Wool to polish frets?

[LoverMan]

So I called a local music store to find out if they had any fret polishing cloth because mine are shot. The guy gets on the phone and tells me that I want to use steel wool. Am I crazy for thinking this is absurd or is this guy wacky?

[LoverMan]

Okay, so I've just looked online and apparently I am in the wrong here. Sorry to waste the space.

[vaijem777]

I've always used #0000 steel wool for removing tarnish and polishing frets. Of course, I also use masking tape to tape off the fingerboard and pole pieces of the pickups before doing so. It works fine as long as you're careful. After the steel wool, I like to use Flitz to get the frets extra shiny. It's a blue metal polish that comes in little tubes. Great stuff!

[nuno]

LoverMan,
dont forget to mask the fretboard while you're polishing frets! and if you're going to clean the fretboard itself, you want to follow the grain of the wood.
and of course, dont do that on a maple f-board!

[LoverMan]

Much appreciated vaijem and nuno.

[RSVampire]

that's #0000 steel wool...not the kind you use to scrub your dirty disty with.

[JESTER700]

I've never felt the need to mask the fretboard, as long as I follow with doing the wood with the grain. In fact, it seems that the only negative about NOT following with the grain is that you get light scratches remaining - purely aesthetic. Is I wrong?

[frankfalbo]

Originally Posted by JESTER700

Is I wrong?

Well your grammar is, but your idea is not The only trouble there is that if those little scratches represent .000xx" of wood removal, eventually you have put more wear on the fretboard. But once or twice a year is nothing. If you only use steel wool, and not polish, then going with the grain will put the abrasive in the direction of the strings. So bending will be a little gritty for awhile, until your strings "polish" the frets themselves. So if I have to use steel wool, I will go in the direction of the frets, or cross-grain. But then again, I'll usually mask the board. If the board has gunk on it, though, the steel wool is gentle enough to remove the grime and pretty much leave the board alone. So sometimes I'll intentionally go against the grain with steel wool. Just make sure it's 0000, because even 000 is unacceptable.

[JESTER700]

Yeah, I was assuming 0000. And that's why I go across grain - for that "smooth bendiness". Even the Scotchbrite I've used doesn't get 'em so sparkly. I have to try that flitz stuff...

So, what do you recommend to knock down some light tool marks from a fret level & polish that wasn't really "polished" much? I hit a fret for 30 seconds with 0000 and it's still rough on a bend. I'm living with it, and I may just let the string do the job over time, but is 000 OK for this purpose, or would you use some grade of paper?

[Rich]

More than likely it's grooves from 220 or 320. I always finish running 320-400-and 600 with the fret [against grain] to take them out, then polish.

[darren wilson]

Rather than masking my fretboard, i use a pair of Post-It notes. Slap one down on either side of the fret being polished, buff away, peel them up and move on to the next fret. If they start wearing through, i just peel off a fresh one and stick it down.

I find that using this method, i can very quickly give the frets a "final shine" when i change strings, and it's not very much bother at all. No gummy tape residue, either!

[bob mclaughlin]

Go to Rich's web-site and follow that, I did.....

[Rich]

Don't follow it, it needs alot of updating [I think I wrote most of it 3 years ago]. Go to an art or drafting supply and buy an eraser template [just a thin piece of metal with a 2mm slot cut in it for using as an edge to erase on blueprints, drafts, etc.] it's perfect for everything but jumbo frets but still works plety fine even on jumbo's [it just doesn't fit flush to the board]

[The Madness Here]

so your fret board cleaning thing isn't good then?

[Rich]

Fretboards should not be "cleaned" with steel wool, you're removing wood everytime you do. Every now and then just to blend the wear to the wood out is fine, not as maintanence. Use a cloth like everybody else