Fret Hammering Ballast
© Frank Ford, 8/28/98; Photos by FF, 8/28/98
I made this tool for my very first guitar fret job, back in 1968:
And I've used it ever since.
Here it is in action.
I made a small wooden box by nailing up some 3/4" scrap pine shelving and lined the box with aluminum foil. Then I took a piece of 1/2" square steel, heated it and bent it into a rough handle. With the end of the handle held suspended in place, I poured lead in to fill the box.
Some duct tape and a bit of shrink tubing to pad the handle, and the tool was completed.
Ever since, I've used this lead weight to back up my hammer blows as I fret the end of the fingerboard over the body. The large handle makes it impossible for me to drop the tool, or "lose" it inside a guitar body.
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