Snap files for leveling and beveling guitar frets
V-2256
Erick Coleman demos the Snapfile Leveling System: a 4-in-1 combination of our best leveling and beveling files.
Video Transcription
[on-screen text reads: Erick Coleman - Stewart-MacDonald]
Erick Coleman: Don MacRostie and Al Rorick came up with this tool in our R&D shop. It's a custom fret working system with a magnetic handle and four interchangeable files. We call it the Snapfile.
Fretboard leveler
This first file is a fretboard leveler. Its teeth are chemically treated to be super sharp. It removes a lot of wood in a little bit of time and makes easy work of leveling inlays. This file cuts very clean, leaving very few marks to clean up once the board is leveled.
Fret leveler file
Here's the fret leveler in this system. It's the same file that tons of our customers have been using for decades. It has single cut teeth cut at a steep angle so it doesn't chatter on the frets. I'll follow the fret leveler with this 300 grit diamond file to smooth out any marks left over from the leveling file.
Diamond file
On new fret jobs, or when old frets are still relatively level, I'll use this diamond file exclusively in order to save time during dressing. It's the perfect file when very little material needs to be removed.
Beveling file
Here's my favorite, the beveling file. Its got custom teeth cut at 90 degrees. This keeps the file moving straight along the fret ends instead of angling away. It doesn't hop up and damage the fret tops. This new system does the job of four files, and it's a real space saver in my toolbox too.
