We have all seen the fancy fretwork designs and wonder what is the easiest way to do it. There are a lot of techniques for doing fretwork and we will try to cover some of the more common ones here. If you are already doing fretwork you should see if you can pick up any new tips here.
After choosing the pattern we want to cut the first step is to select the wood. Take a minute to examine the pattern and wood grain. Many times there are grains or defects in the wood that could compliment the pattern. But only if the pattern is laid onto the wood in the right direction. Try to imagine the colors and grains of the wood that would be left on the final piece after cutting is complete. It is surprising how much you can change the looks of a piece just with the grain.