I am never cutting any fret work again

[Oldmansbike]

I just got done dusting all the fret work I have made over the years for the wife. I used a product with bees wax and citrus oil in it called Howard's Feed and Finish and a small brush to get into the small cutouts. It worked pretty good. My pieces look new again. By the time I got to the last piece I told her I'm not making any more fret work pieces.And yes I will keep cutting fret work projects. It's too much fun.

[Dan]

If I have fretwork in the house I frame it behind glass. It's much easier to clean. 

[amazingkevin]

4 hours ago, Oldmansbike said:

I just got done dusting all the fret work I have made over the years for the wife. I used a product with bees wax and citrus oil in it called Howard's Feed and Finish and a small brush to get into the small cutouts. It worked pretty good. My pieces look new again. By the time I got to the last piece I told her I'm not making any more fret work pieces.And yes I will keep cutting fret work projects. It's too much fun.

I'm so glad you were kidding,I can't fathom giving up scrolling

[EarltheScroller]

Clean it? Never thought about. It's hanging all around the house and ain't been dusted yet!

[lawson56]

I give mine a good dusting ever so often.I have several pieces around the house I made for my Wife.Can't imagine giving it up.But I do know where ya coming from.

[crupiea]

I just have an agreement with the dust. It coats everything evenly and I leave it alone.

[ScollSaw Slasher]

Hey, if you're cutting an heirloom fretwork piece, the dust is just a sign of the antiquity of the work of art.

[Oldmansbike]

All the ones I cleaned were like the clock in my picture. Lots of detail in them. Some of them haven't been cleaned since I made them back in the 90s. They sure do look better now.

[RangerJay]

Don't worry about dusting ..... every now and then just add another coat of wax over it all ...... in a decade they'll "ohh" and "ahhh" over the "patina" ..... in another decade (or so) after that your heirs will take it to the Antique Roadshow ....... and it'll get appraised as a priceless heirloom ...... or ....... maybe not ......

Jay

[CharleyL]

For the few pieces that I've kept that are in the house, I was told a long time ago that cleaning them is my job, so about once a year I take each piece out to the shop, blow it off with compressed air, and then put it back in the house where it had originally been located. I've been told to do it more often, but tend to forget, until I can easily see the dust on them. Fortunately, I did not use a soft finish. They are either tung oil  or poly finished.

Charley

[stoney]

Yeah Dale I can see where you would have issues with Howard's Feed-N-Wax with fretwork.  If would be hard to get any excess out of the frets.    I usually spray fretwork with a hard finish like Krylon Crystal Clear Acylic satin.