Refretting of arch top with floating neck extension

[Bob Steinarsson]

I am going to refret a Hofner 455S archtop with a fairly thin laminated top. This guitar has a neck extension that is without body connection from the 15th fret and upwards. I am usually hammering frets in, but in this case it may be difficult. 

I used the Teeter method the last time I refretted an archtop, but I think there must be many ways to solve this problem, and I would like to see some suggestions.

Thanks

BS

[Greg Mirken]

Squish the barbs flat with StewMac's fret-barb-squisher, press them in, wick in a drop of superglue at each end. You could, of course, grind off the barbs as well.

[Matt Haugen]

You could also partially fill a baggie (plastic bag) with plaster and push it under the overhang. Once it dries it will provide nice reinforcement.

[Bob Steinarsson]

Thanks for answers. I am, however, still wondering if there are not more possibilities. As archtops probably are getting refretted just as often as other guitars, there must be more ways to do this. I have searched the Internet without sucsess, but I think there must be many of the members in this forum with experience with refretting archtops.

Thanks

[Greg Mirken]

I've refretted scads of instruments where it's impractical to tap in frets conventionally, ranging from archtop guitars to dulcimers and 19th century banjos with extended fingerboards, and the method I described is pretty standard, I'd say. FF may have another technique if he sees this.

[FRANK]

i think matts idea is a good one

[Frank Ford]

The problem with supporting the end of the fingerboard with wedges or plaster is that the top is freslient underneath, so that support is limited in its ability to handle the shock of tapping frets in.

Here's how I go about it -

Cantilevered fingerboard refretting

[Murray Powell]

The link to Cantilevered fingerboard refretting doesnt seem to work.  HELP please!!!

[Thomas James]

Try this one....

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Frets/FretTrouble...

[Kerry Krishna]

Dead link Frank...

[Ned Knepp]

I'm sure that I'm showing my ignorance again but do you really need to change those frets? I understand that sooner or later they probably need to be part of a re-fret but most people don't use them at all so do they always need to be changed?

[Eric Steven Johansen]

Ned, Two reasons I can think of. First is that the new frets do not match the old ones exactly (weird size, crown change, brass, etc.) or there is a need to plane the board to correct for a twist, or lack of proper fall away. Oh and not to worry, you're keeping your ignorance hidden just as well as the rest of us are. LOL