Fret Tang Nipper - The Next Project
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- Can a $15 Amazon Case Nibbler be used to trim the tang from stainless steel fret wire? I don't know, lets find out as we start the Next Project.
So, I purchased 2 pair of the "Case Nibbler" tool from amazon. At the time of the purchase, the tool was about $12US each, but with the world-wide supply of everything important, prices have gone up. Some people may blame Brandon for this, but I think there are other things at work. (that's a joke folks).
00:05 - project intro
01:21 - the goods
01:38 - prep
02:45 - groove
04:33 - recap to this point
06:12 - reverse style mod (pair #2)
08:18 - stainless tang test
10:02 - of interest
11:47 - outro
Simple enough to take the nipper apart and cut a groove in the top cutting deck. I used a dremel style tool, with a small cut off disc. Finished things up with a half-round file. I also think this could be done using a hacksaw with the proper kerf and temper blade.
My initial expectation was that the stainless fretwire would fatigue and break the cutting head off. So, after the nippers had been modified, they were tested.
To my surprise, I cleanly nipped both sides of 24 pieces of fretwire without issue. A good day in the garage.
Amazon: Case Nibbler, or Nibbling Tool...
www.amazon.com...
This video and all of my projects are just for entertainment. Use proper safety practices and improve upon whatever I’m showing you here. Be safe, not sorry!
I hope you enjoyed this video!
Great video! Concise information and right to the point. Definitely gonna give this a try. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Hope you can take any idea you see and make it better.
Be safe and take care!
I had picked up a pair of sheet metal nippers at a flea market a year or two ago with the idea of making fret tang nippers. Thanks for the video to give me the kick in the pants to get it done! It works great!
Good luck with the project!
Oh S... It actually worked ! Love the realism and the surprise in your voice.
Hey Chris, yep I'm keeping it honest :)
Hope all is well for ya.
Enjoy the holidays, be safe and take care!
It's not just the content, your videos are always very well done and entertaining. My favorite part: at 8:32, "Oh Shit it actually worked". I love it. Thanks for the video.
Hey John, thanks for watching!
Glad you liked my reaction to the "eureka" moment. I was actually a bit surprised the nippers did so well.
Nickel fret wire clearly cuts easier, but something about the ss wire...has a nice "pop" to it.
I'm glad the project went well and hope it benefits other.
Thanks again for tuning in.
Take care!
Good job pal!!! You saved some people a lot money. Others… well… not very intuitive. But no disparity 😬
Hey man, good to hear from you!
I just hope it offers an idea to those who want to give it a try.
I like the option to have a "disposable" alternative for the occasional SS fretwork.
If this thing fails, I'm not out much cash.
Hope all is well, take care!
@@theNextProject , all is well!!!!!! I just wish you were a bit closer so I could give you some wood. I really don’t think I’m going to use much of it as I don’t have the shop to work with it. But! If you’re ever down this way let me know and it will be yours.
@@kmichaelp4508 Many thanks and glad all is well.
I may be over your way in a couple weeks. I'll check in with you if I do.
Take care!
Only come across this now, but have ordered the device any way after seeing someone else's video, which was informative but not as much as this one thanks mate
Sculpture's Hard, thanks for watching!
Hope you enjoy your new nippers. I've used the heck out of mine, they're still going strong.
Take care!
Anxiously awaiting mine to be delivered tomorrow. I ordered from amazon about 2 minutes after watching this morning. Great content as always, thanks!
Hey Robert, thanks for watching!
Let me know how your project goes, if you keep the cutter as it arrives or reverse the orientation of it, how it cuts for you and any thoughts you wish to share.
Take care!
@@theNextProject Hey, I kept the original orientation because god forbid i loose one of the tension pins. But man does it ever work great! I was blown away at how easy it cut and had the frets installed in no time flat. No more filing tangs for me! I'm going to order another and reverse the cutter for stainless frets. Man, what a huge help this has been. Great video!
Robert, glad to hear it worked so well for you.
Thanks for commenting with your results!!!
Cool. Only done one fret job and couldn't consider doing binding on fretboard yet! But if I ever do I will be back here
Hey Graham, I like to nip the tang back a little even when there is no binding on the fretboard. Then fill the slot and sand smooth, no tang shows and no sprout either.
Either way, it's all good.
Thanks for watching, take care!
@@theNextProject I'd worry that they might raise at the fretboard edges myself. Not confident with my fretting yet for that
@@Furtheronmusic Sounds like a solid concern, but so far I haven't had any issues.
The tang doesn't have to be cut too far back to be hidden. On a board with no binding, 1/16" should be plenty to cut away from the ends.
It can be a bit of a juggling act to get the fret pressed in, and keep the tang centered if the ends of the tang are nipped back a bit.
Either way, keep on building, experimenting, and just have fun!
Take care!
Great tip. Mine's now ordered!
Martin, thanks for watching!
As you saw, it's a pretty easy mod to do. I had considered using a hacksaw to make the slit for the fret wire. So that may be a good alternative to using a dremel tool.
I do think the little half-round jewelers file is a good idea, but that's just me.
Good luck with your mod and let me know what your comments are and how they work for you.
Hope all is well, take care!
I like it. The video explains everything I didn't understand in your instagram post!
Jurgen, good to hear from you and thanks for watching!
My Instagram post was a bit confusing, sorry. Glad this vid helps make sense of it.
I'm really surprised and glad these cheap nippers can do the trick with the ss wire. Even if they are only good for a couple complete fret installs, I can either resharpen the cutting head, or buy another pair of nippers and just swap the cutting deck onto the new pair. Easy is good!
Hope all is well for you, and your git project. Be safe and take care!
Great video!!! - you didn't show if the reversed head set worked better???
Hey David, the reversed head works the same as the standard, but... I like being able to see the Fretwire easier using the reversed head.
So, for me, the reversed head is a bit better. Only because I feel I can see what I'm doing a bit better.
Not a deal breaker either way.
Thanks for the great question, take care!
very good tip
so far I was just filing the tang as I am just a hobbyist and it does not that much time I you only work on 1 guitar per year.
But I will try it out if I can find something similar here in Sweden
Kick, thanks for watching!
Greetings from Florida US.
I'm a hobbyist too, and have had a couple years of getting almost nothing done. That's how it goes at times.
Sounds like you have a good process to do the job, and it fits your situation. No need to add tools you don't really need.
I completely understand.
I hope all is well for you, be safe and take care!
Great video, thank you!! I just received mine and reversed the cutter.. but I forgot to look how the spring was loaded.. do you have a hint for me how to get it back in?
Thanks for watching!
Ah, the spring...
I'd have to rewatch the video to hope to get a clue, been a while since I took it apart.
Maybe you can watch this part, maybe slow the replay down. Hope it helps
th-cam.com/video/mhuahzrDONY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=woLx7EabkuNztlCB&t=425
I think I had to fumble a bit to get it back together.
Keep tryin', you'll get it!
I can't figure it out either and the video cuts without showing it go in. The way all the parts are laid out made sense but the spring does not fit or I'm inserting it wrong. Does it go in th hole at the bottom of the cutter piece? Does it stick in on of the indents on the handles? Who knows? Not me!
Did you ever test facing the shear the other way when doing the stewmac method? So that the sharp end is facing the other way? Which works best?
Felix, thanks for watching!
I have used both, but only the reversed "stewmac" way a couple of times so far.
One thing I really like about that orientation is that I can easily see where i have the fretwire placed as I nip the end.
I'm also still testing feed direction of the fretwire into the cutter. It is easier to nip off small amounts at a time, creeping up on the final amount.
Both cutter directions seem to work equally well, but the best version may be up to the user.
I'm just glad they are so affordable. Not perfect, but affordable!
Take care!
@@theNextProject right on, thanks for answering! I typically use my Dremel with a jig I made to nip off stainless steel, but it's a bit time consuming. When doing nickel frets, I almost always reach for these nippers. But I've never reversed the blade. I'll definitely try it next time. Cheers!
Esse cara parece com nosso professor pardal Miguel Cardone
Obrigado por assistir!
Well, yes.
Next thing you do, you measure the fretboard, and you round off the frets before you install them!
Nah, that takes all the challenge out of it, LOL.
Stainless is a bugger, and I honestly don't know if the benefit of SS frets are worth it for most people. I know I'll never wear out a set of SS frets.
I've only done a couple ss fret jobs in the past. I didn't use the nippers I had, figured they would get destroyed. Now I can use the nippers and repair or replace them when needed.
Hope you are well, thanks for watching and take care!
Amazon has generic fret tang nippers now. No need for this. They're like $35
J.C. thanks fro watching!
Also, thanks for letting me know, I wasn't aware nippers were now available.
Please send me the amazon tang nipper link, I'd like to check them out.
Time to go shopping... wait, I don't need more nippers. Darn!
Hope all is well, take care