what is your preferred way to bend fretwire for radius boards

[darylcrisp]

for radius boards, what tool/tools do you use to bend to your preferred radius?

thank you
d

[rcc56]

An old pair of long-nose pliers with a semi-circular notch cut in the upper jaw for the crown and a triangular notch in the lower jaw for the tang has worked well enough for me for over 20 years. Stew-mac sells their version of it [#1696] for $46. Mine cost me nothing but the 15 minutes of time it took to cut the notches.

I bend by hand and eye to somewhat more radius than the finished fretboard; and drive the wire with a pass from end to end with a hammer and hardwood block, followed by another pass with the hammer alone. I use Titebond liquid hide glue in the fret slots. I've had less than half a dozen frets loosen up later in 150+ fret jobs over the 20 years that I've been doing it this way.

You can spend lots of money on a variety of radiusing tools, but the modified pliers have worked very well for me.

Save your money for a fret crimping/flattening tool [#4900] and a tang nipper [#1645]. These two tools are worth their weight in gold if you do a lot of fret work.

[darylcrisp]

An old pair of long-nose pliers with a semi-circular notch cut in the upper jaw for the crown and a triangular notch in the lower jaw for the tang has worked well enough for me for over 20 years. Stew-mac sells their version of it [#1696] for $46. Mine cost me nothing but the 15 minutes of time it took to cut the notches.

I bend by hand and eye to somewhat more radius than the finished fretboard; and drive the wire with a pass from end to end with a hammer and hardwood block, followed by another pass with the hammer alone. I use Titebond liquid hide glue in the fret slots. I've had less than half a dozen frets loosen up later in 150+ fret jobs over the 20 years that I've been doing it this way.

You can spend lots of money on a variety of radiusing tools, but the modified pliers have worked very well for me.

Save your money for a fret crimping/flattening tool [#4900] and a tang nipper [#1645]. These two tools are worth their weight in gold if you do a lot of fret work.

thanks for all this.
d

[Marty Jacobson]

I use this. http://www.guitarbuilderonline.com

[sunburst]

I use this. http://www.guitarbuilderonline.com

I use that one also.

[artdeco]

I use this contraption'

[Wrnchbndr]

I use what Marty uses but in the stewmac variety.

[j. condino]

I use the same one as Marty and John. The old stewmac model would not bend evo wire far enough. I believe the new one is copied from Marty's link.

You can make your own for about $8 in materials.....

[darylcrisp]

I use this. http://www.guitarbuilderonline.com

that's a sharp looking tool!
I like this a lot!!
I'm buying one!!!

thanks
d

[pops1]

I have a pair of end cutters that I ground down for pulling frets. They are only about 1/2", I hold the fret by the tang with them and gently work my way across bending the wire.l I slightly over bend.