Fret Wire Bender & Straightener

At a glance:

• Raise the center roller just enough to feed the wire in
• Bend slow and even; don't adjust the thumbscrew mid-length
• Check against the included gauge; drop the roller in small steps until the radius matches

Step-by-step:

1. Mount, clamp, or handheld.
Screw the base to your bench, grip it in a vise, clamp it down, or run it handheld. The bender just needs a stable hold.

2. Set your starting position.
Raise the center roller enough to feed the wire in. Seat the fret tang fully in the center roller's collar groove, then lower the roller to your starting position. Whether you start flatter and work tighter, or start tighter and unbend, depends on your wire stock and target radius.

3. Feed the wire.
With the tang seated and the roller set, start cranking. Steady pace until the wire engages all three rollers. Don't force it. Don't adjust the thumbscrew mid-length.

4. Tighten in small increments.
Drop the center roller a quarter turn at a time. Re-run the wire. Check against the included gauge. Repeat.

5. Over-bent? Flip to the straightening side.
Raise the center roller enough to feed the wire between the flange bearings, then lower it in small passes. Each pass flattens slightly. Big drops will compress the crown or lock the bearings. Keep passes small.

6. Trim the ends.
There will be a small unbent section at each end of any length you run through. Cut these off when you cut frets to length.

Why doesn't my thumbscrew setting from last job match this time?

Different wire type, gauge, alloy hardness, and crown profile all change how much each turn of the thumbscrew actually bends the wire. Jescar and Dunlop won't behave the same even at the same gauge. Heat-treated wire resists the bend differently than standard annealed. Wider crowns hold their shape differently than narrow. Run a 6-inch test piece any time you change wire source, brand, or gauge, then dial the thumbscrew to match. Once you've got the setting for a given batch of wire, it holds until you run out.

What if my fret wire is already bent tighter than I need?

Normal situation. Fret wire can ship straight, coiled, or pre-radiused, and pre-radiused stock may not match the radius you need. Same goes if you over-bent on this tool by accident. The straightening side is built for both. Raise the center roller enough to feed the wire between the flange bearings, then lower it in small passes. Each pass flattens slightly. Don't try to flatten a tight radius in one or two big drops. You'll compress the crown or lock up the bearings. Check between passes against the included gauge.

How do I avoid twisting or deformation?

Four rules. First: pressure on the handle stays slow and even. Jerking the crank is how you twist the wire off-axis. Second: the tang seats fully between the collars before you start. A tang riding high on the collars twists as the wire feeds. Third: never adjust the thumbscrew mid-length. Every adjustment moves where the bend happens, and the wire comes out with a kink instead of a clean arc. Run a full length on one setting, check against the gauge, then adjust for the next piece. Fourth: radiusing an entire coil at once? Fight for your life.

Can I bend pre-cut single frets or only full lengths?

Yes. Roller spacing was picked deliberately: close enough that a single pre-cut fret still engages all three rollers cleanly instead of pivoting between two, far enough apart that a full length feeds stable and doesn't twist off as you crank. There's always a small unbent section at each end of any wire run through. Every three-roller bender has it. Trim those ends flush when you cut to length.