This was my first time to do ANYTHING like this. And it was a random and somewhat spur of the moment decision. (I thought it Jaco-esque.) I grabbed one of my basses, a screw driver, pliers, clothes iron, tape, and a hammer.
This is a very amature and botched job, but so far this is how things have progressed.
To get an idea of how easy or difficult this was going to be, I just decided to do a few frets at a time. I used a technique to somewhat chisel them out. I used the clothes iron to heat all of the fret evenly, hoping it would make it much easier to take out. I did much what Jamie did, even hits around the fret. I found it easier to get them out but hitting the corners and progressing towards the middle of the fret, though that led to some dings. But with that route I didn't have to hammer both sides of the fret.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ff/P1010023.jpg
I thought that was going well, so I continued, tell:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ff/P1010026.jpg
I should have noticed before hand, but it was only after sanding that I noticed the dings in the fretboard:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ff/P1010030.jpg
(Sorry, I don't have pictures after sanding.)
After going from grains 80-120-180-240-300 on the board, I started with the wood filler. I applied it with just my finger, literally rubbing it into the frets. I actually used a machine "mouse" sander. It made the job much quicker, and as far as that goes, it was pretty good quality.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ff/P1010031.jpg
Once satisfied with that, I sanded once more paying a lot of care and attention to detail. (Well, as much as I could at this point.) And applied my first coat of polyurethane.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ff/P1010034.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ff/P1010035.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ff/P1010036.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ff/P1010038.jpg
I'm going to apply a second, and maybe even a third coat, but I haven't gotten that far yet. The instructions on the polyurethane call for you to use a fine grit sand paper to sand some off, then re-coat. In the meantime I've purchased these supplies, awaiting for the finished product.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ff/P1010039.jpg