SixStringers' Precision Compact Fret Bender

A simple logically engineered compact high precision Fret Bender. Entirely made in the USA by SixStringers.

Carbon fiber body fitted with Stainless Steel Drive Wheel, Steel Guide Bearings, Brass Threads and a Brass Push Bar that protects the Bearing Block from screw wear. Nylon washers and bushing for anti-wear longevity.
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Every other fret bender multitasks the crank to drive the fret and also move up and down to adjust the bend, this introduces wobble that can twist and deform the fret. You never want to force a warped fret tang into a straight fret slot
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Our crank has one task; drive the fret through the radius form without wobble, without deforming the fret.
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We adjust the bend radius by moving the guide bearings that are mounted on a stout bearing block, no wobble, no opportunity for deforming the fret.
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We use a compact crank because there is no substantial torque or resistance requiring a massive crank; we’re not cranking over a Ford Model T motor. And our crank faces the front, not awkwardly on the back side.
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Fret bending covers a wide range of radii. When the requirement is for a 12”R fretboard, bend to 11” to prevent the ends of the fret from springing up. Hence: for 16R bend to 15”R, aim for between .75” and 1” sharper bend than the fretboard radius.
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Built-in 10 radii gauges around the perimeter of the tool to conveniently check the bend.
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The full travel of the adjusting screw from bottomed out to sharpest radius is three full turns, it only takes an eighth turn to reasonably increase the bend. Walk it in, be patient, once the setting is dialed in you can zoom through bending the fret wire. You don’t want to overbend.
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A frequent question is why aren’t there scales for setting the radius? It is not possible because a shorter crown height means a shorter distance between the guide bearings and the drive wheel than a taller crown. There are a dozen or so crown heights multiplied by a dozen or so fret radii that amounts to at least 144 different settings, each is so tiny that the mechanical hash marks become functionally invisible. Perhaps one day a built-in pre-programmed digital gauge having selectable variables can be made, but at a much higher price.
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Other fret benders claim they can straighten frets, “straighten” does not mean “flatten”. None of them can effectively flatten a fret. Straightening is different, it refers to the side-to-side shape of the fret, not the top to bottom, but their wobbly drive fails here.
Our Fret Bender can make a sharper radius flatter, but not flat, and with no wobble can straighten a mildy out of line fret.
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The other guys guide bearings are spaced so far apart that they cannot effectively decrease a bend, nor can they bend all radii, nor can they bend pre-cut frets because the drive wheel only contacts about 1/8” at the middle of a precut fret, and for longer wire they waste 2” from each end, that’s 4” of lost fret wire, or 33% loss from a 12” stick.
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There is no real need for a flat fret, not even for a flat fretboard because it is best to bend the fret to at least 20”R so that the fret ends don’t spring up.
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Consider the values presented... does SixStringers Fret Bender make more sense now that you know more about how these tools work?