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Dam Chips! Well, anyone who has fretted for any amount of time will run across a brittle fingerboard that has a tendency to chip when pulling the virgin frets. Heat helps but some old ebony gets brittle and chips happen! Here is how I correct the problem in preparation for installing the new frets in a banjo fingerboard. By damming the fret slots with plastic from a juice container that happens to be .021" thick (nearly perfect for the fret slot) I can then fill the chips with ebony dust (rosewood dust would be used for a rosewood fingerboard) and then adding Cyanoacrylate glue then removing the plastic inserts after the glue dries. This photo series should explain everything pretty well. The pieces are cut to fit and to stick up about 3/8" above the fingerboard and inserted into the fret slots. The dust is added and then the glue. The whole thing is allowed to set up for about an hour.
The dams are them removed by gently pulling them out with pliers and then the surface is sanded flat using 220 grit sandpaper. All done!
A special note should be added: Rosewood fingerboards are more difficult to fill as much lighter dust is needed to match the color of the fingerboard.
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