flat fret stock

[John Bertotti]

Curious but there isn't a lot of supplies of bar fret material. I wonder anyone ever think of using Stainless Feeler gages for frets? I think it is on the soft side but perhaps it could be hardened?

[doc holiday]

For bar frets... TJ Thompson is your man https://proluthiertools.com/product/bar-fret-wire/

feeler gauges would be way too thin.

[John Bertotti]

Thanks! I'm going to have to measure my Vega again I think it is smaller than what he has.

[pops1]

If it is for a mandolin they don't have small enough frets, too bad. You could have some rolled to thin them out tho.

[John Bertotti]

Yes and kind of leads into what I was thinking. I have seen feeler gages .030, .032 and up as high has .045 and there may be others. So I was wondering feeler gages and shim stock come in all sorts of thicknesses. I don’t know what composition they are but if the stainless or spring steel was a suitable composition perhaps it could be pressed into service for mandolin frets. Maybe the pieces would have to be heat treated maybe not. Just a thought.

[rcc56]

Stainless would be very difficult to work with.
Your best bet is to have some re-rolled.