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Permalink Reply by Phil Delpierre on February 21, 2010 at 5:09am

Estaban, Elmers will only bind 2 pieces of wood together, as it needs to soak into the grain. Superglue would be your best best since the fretwire is not porous.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on February 21, 2010 at 5:42am

I experimented with a number of adhesives. Superglue does not bond well to metal. The initial bond will seem strong, but eventually they may pop off.
I've had best results with "JB Weld", a two-part epoxy. It's readily available at most hardware stores. You have to work quick, as the stuff sets up pretty fast.
I just mix enough for half-a-dozen frets, and work it into the pre-cut slot with a toothpick. After it sets a bit, you can easily rub off any excess.

Other glues may work as well; I haven't tried the "Gorilla Glue" line of products.

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Permalink Reply by Wade on February 21, 2010 at 6:16am

I like super glue. It is thin and will "suck" itself into the fret tang.

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on February 21, 2010 at 7:17am

If you use the right saw and do the fretting right, you should not need glue. Superglue is what I have seen used.

-WY

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Permalink Reply by Skeesix on February 21, 2010 at 8:06am

I would invest in the right size saw, but it sounds like you've already cut the slots for this project with a saw that's too big? There is a guitar technique of cutting the slots too wide, then using epoxy.

Elmer's and superglue are used if the slots are the right size. They are mainly for making sure the fret ends stay down on a curved fretboard.

I use thin superglue, which you run alongside the frets after they're installed. As someone else indicated, the glue will suck into the slots. If you get too much on there, you can scrape it off with the non-cutting end of an exacto blade (the part that you would stick into the handle).

Duco is mainly acetone which causes binding to melt into wood. It's really not a glue at all. It would have no effect on metal frets.

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