Cutting fret slots

[Blackstar1099]

Hey all.

Do any of you use a mitre saw for cutting fret slots. I want to upgrade from the mitre box and fret saw blade but don't have the space for a table saw. Any recommendations? I'm guessing I'll need a sliding one?

Thanks,
Piero

[rocket]

You would need a sliding drop sawfor that but I made myself a sliding table saw specifically for this job. Used an Ozito table tile cutter saw , replaced the blade with a Stumc fret slotting blade made a sliding table wilts some drawer slides.
Goes under the bench when not in use.

Cheers

Rod.

[blackalex1952]

You would need a sliding drop saw for that but I made myself a sliding table saw specifically for this job. Used an Ozito table tile cutter saw , replaced the blade with a Stumc fret slotting blade made a sliding table wilts some drawer slides.
Goes under the bench when not in use.

Any chance of posting a photo, Rod? A picture tells a thousand words! The photos I have posted were lifted off the net, how one guy made one.
I use the mitre box system but self made and the cutting templates for the scale lengths I made myself on a mates milling machine. If you have an iphone, there is a free app called 'fret calc'. I just dialed in each scale length and set the distances on the milling machine. I used a 6mm drill to mill accurate holes in perspex templates. Then I use a 6mm drill to locate the template on the mitre box for each fret slot. The fretboard blank is double sided taped to the perspex. When I get around to making a machine, I would think along the lines of making one which would follow the neck radius. That way the fretboard would be crowned first before slotting, and the slots would then follow the curvature of the neck. My method at the moment is to mark the fret slots with the saw, then radius it, then final depth cut the frets with the saw and depth stop. It might even be possible to design a slotting machine which could do both jobs somehow-radius the fingerboard then cut the slots after that, ie no sliding table, but a swing arm which mounts above the saw. It could be detachable and also mount above a belt sander. . I also saw a machine that Ian Noyce made years ago which had multiple saw blades and spacers on a shaft for different scale lengths. That machine cut all the slots in one pass-but back then he was making quite a few guitars in production runs. I never saw it in use, but quite possible with a machine like that to cut a number of fretboards in one pass if they were mounted together side by side. -Ross

[TallDad71]

I have made all manner of contraptions for cutting fret slots in the past all with varying degrees of success, the most successful seem to be a faff to use. Since I only make 6 guitars a year I have resorted to using two blocks of 25mm MDF, the first gets clamped on the cut line, the second gets clamped a blade thickness in front of it. The Japanese blade goes through very nicely. 15 minutes its all 20 are done.

The only other thing I prepped is a technical drawing in Photoshop. This prints out a fretboard template which I glue to the neck blank and use to inform all slots and dot markers.

Im in awe of the machine above but there just isn't enough room in my workshop for such.

Happy Christmas everyone.

[demonx]

My first version I bought a sliding mitre saw. My advice is DON'T. They are not suited to the task.

When I did make the mitre saw version I shopped around testing several trying to find one with minimal flex, however even if you spend over a grand on one, a mitre saw has too much movement/flex to accurately fret slot and have the same depth over and over.

My current version which I am happy with is made using a Dewalt Radial Arm saw, safety guards removed to accommodate the small stewmac blade and stewmac mitre box which is modified.

Again, I would not ever go the mitre saw route again. Waste of time and money.

[Trevor Gore]

Can't recommend it as I've never seen one, let alone used one, but perhaps something to consider. Possibly useful for slicing rosette tiles etc. as well as other fine kerf duties. Currently on offer.

https://www.carbatec.com.au/tri-twx7ps0 ... 24400b8261

[demonx]

Another addition which may help:

If I was to build my setup again, I wouldn't bother with modifying and fitting the stewmac jig. Mine has cut so many slots that I'd actually worn the pin down so much it was unusable.

In repairing this I discovered it is just a pin pressed into a drilled hole, I knocked it out and replaced it with a nail which works very well.

I was to rebuild, I'd mount some angle with a nail in it as the locator and I'd definitely use the radial arm saw again. M

Cheers

[demonx]

I just remembered to take a photo:

[demonx]

Filmed this today on my mobile, however you can still see how solid the setup is.

https://www.facebook.com/searlsguitars/ ... 453782783/

[kiwigeo]

Filmed this today on my mobile, however you can still see how solid the setup is.

https://www.facebook.com/searlsguitars/ ... 453782783/

Definitely a solid looking saw....more solid than most of the saws Ive looked at.

[demonx]

Filmed this today on my mobile, however you can still see how solid the setup is.

https://www.facebook.com/searlsguitars/ ... 453782783/

Definitely a solid looking saw....more solid than most of the saws Ive looked at.

Being that I attempted a sliding mitre saw setup first, I knew what would and wouldn't work, I gave the mitre saw to my brother and moved all the jig over to the radial arm saw which slides in a different manner and doesn't flex and move like the mitre saws do.