I'll share anything that I can. I have no building secrets--I just work really hard to do what I do well. And I'm always willing to learn from others, which is why we should all share freely. As my mentor says about his web site where he posts a very lot about building ( http://www.bearmeadow.com/build/index.html), if someone wants to work as hard as he does to make an instrument then that person should have all the information we can share. I love that about him.

This is the fret wire I use: http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Fretwire/StewMac_Medium_Fretwire.html

Really big smiles to you!

I LOVE my arbor press for putting in the frets! Dwain, the guy I learned to build from, made his own, and it worked great. I tried to make my own, and I failed, as it broke after the second use. I have a great design, but once I could get the arbor press I didn't need to remake it. 

I'm not sure which part you're talking about, but the part at the end is called a caul. Then there are radiused/grooved brass inserts for the caul, and they are made (radiused is the term I've seen used) to fit the curve of the fretboard. I worked with one builder who had the caul and radiused/grooved parts and put them in his drill press, which was brilliant. That is the route I'd have taken had I known I could do it because I could have saved money on tools and bought more wood! But I really love my setup now! 

Here's where I got mine: http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Fretting/Pressing/Fret_Arbor_Press_System.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=2016-05-gp&gclid=CjwKEAjwya-6BRDR3p6FuY2-u3MSJAD1paxTE3_SHm8gAd6C760-xLuikhoUBr9tde7lrErpw-X9mxoCF43w_wcB

Love the pun!

Really big smiles to you!

 yeah, I found you again.  It looks like a different type of fret wire then what I use.  I need to learn more from your posts here.  I hope you'll respond.  thanks for posting and sharing what you do know!!!  aloha, irene

WOAH, I use an Arbor press to put in all the hundreds of zither pins in making bowed psalteries and other instruments, but I've not seen this for putting in frets.  HOW COOL IS THIS!!! Is that a special tool you put at the end of the press part?  do you cut the frets BEFORE you put them in? I'm really impressed.  (ha, that could be an oxymoron?) or a pun. ha ha ha.