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Fret Slotting Tools
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Author:  Mike OMelia [ Mon Feb 20, 2012 6:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Fret Slotting Tools
Looking for suggestions. I am looking at the Stew Mac jig. Thanks!

Mike
Author:  Jeff Highland [ Mon Feb 20, 2012 6:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Go with the japanese saw with it, much better than the other.
I just ordered the slotting box a few days ago after making do with a homemade one.
Author:  Michael.N. [ Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Here is my method Mike, for good or ill.
It's based around a homemade wooden 'rule' with the fret divisions not just marked but cut with the finest Zona saw. That makes marking the positions quick and foolproof. It's just a case of engaging a knife into the 'slot' and leaving a knife mark on the board, no squinting or using magnifiers. In fact you can do it with your eyes closed.
The knife is then positioned in the mark on the board, a square butted up against the knife, the saw then replaces the knife which is also guided by the square. I tilt the square up a fraction to avoid the set on the saw.
The description sounds a lot more complex than the reality. It may not be as quick as a table saw but it's still pretty fast.
The actual saw is also important. Many of them sold for fret slotting are hopeless. I just cut up a blade sold for hand mitre saws and glued it into an old Gents saw.
The actual 'rule' took me the best part of a whole day to make. That's largely because it has 4 different fret scales and the constant checking to make sure it was as accurate as I could make it. Once it's done it should last a long time.
Author:  DannyV [ Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Do you own a table saw Mike? If you do I would recommend that method. Way too easy.

Cheers,
Danny
Author:  gozierdt [ Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
I use and like the LMI fretting templates with the SM 6" table saw blade. As
said, very simple, very consistent. If I were buying another blade, I'd buy it
from Shane at High Mountain Tonewood. Half the price of the SM blade, and
Shane's a great guy to deal with. If you want to save money, you can get a
good 36" machinist's rule (you'll want one anyway), and make your own fretting
templates from plastic like LMI's, using a standard 1/8" kerf blade to cut the
guide notches.
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Mon Feb 20, 2012 9:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Yes, I own a table saw. What kind of blade? Aren't thin blades a pain? Also, how do u line up the cuts (visually)?

Mike
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Mon Feb 20, 2012 9:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Ok, so I looked at the stew Mac blade. What about templates? I need one for a 17" scale ukulele. And one other thing: should I use a zero clearance throat plate?

Mike
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
A long while back I bought the LMI blade and stiffners as well as the fret templates and index pin. Built the sled described by Sylvan wells on his website. This combo has served me well with no issues for 9 years. The only big mistake I remember making was cutting the fretboard to length before slotting. As the first slot is the nut there were obvious problems.
Author:  Mike Lindstrom [ Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Table saw here. Shane's blade. I think my stiffeners are from Lee Valley.

Templates can be bought, or are easy to make.

Makes it hard to screw up.

Mike
Author:  two dogs [ Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
I also use the LMI templates and built the LMI sled. A couple things I noted along the way...

The LMI template has 17" on one side and 13~1/?" on the the other side. The 13+/-" scale is exactly the same as the 17" minus a few frets. I use the 17 minus 2 frets for concert scale. It would have been nice if they actually gave a different scale on the other side , just to have another option. I've never checked, but I imagine the low end of a guitar scale might just give something very close to an ukulele scale.

I started with the LMI blade and stiffners, but the unthreaded portion of my tablesaw arbor is too short to handle the stiffners, and the blade slipped into the threads. Had to manually align the blade each time. Major PITA. Now i'm using the StewMac blade.

I don't use my zero clearance insert, the sliding table takes care of that. I just leave the insert out after changing blades until it goes back to sawing mode.

I never did try slotting by handsaw and am glad of it. I'm sure it saved some money in the long run and so easy to get it right on the tablesawn. One less thing to lose sleep over. :D

Steve
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Ok, so u will have to excuse my ignorance here. Just how go these templates work? I have a nice table saw, no sliding table, just the standard stuff. How is the template held? Keyed? Etc?

Mike (and can I purchase a template that will do 18 frets on a 17" scale?)
Author:  two dogs [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
The 17" ukulele template has well over 20 slots, 25 maybe, more than I could ever use.

The template has little triangular notches that key into an index pin. I double sticky tape the fret board to the template. The sliding table is basically a piece of plywood with runners that go in the miter guage slots on the table, and a fence that is set square to the blade.

The LMI website has some pics. I took some pics when I built mine, I can post if want.

Steve
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 8:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Steve, Todd, thanks. And all of you!

I get it now. I see where LMI has a large selection of templates including the 17" ukulele template.

Also much appreciate the tip about NOT cuttin FB to size until after slotting. :)

Mike
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 8:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
(double post error)
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
two dogs wrote:
I started with the LMI blade and stiffners, but the unthreaded portion of my tablesaw arbor is too short to handle the stiffners, and the blade slipped into the threads. Had to manually align the blade each time. Major PITA. Now i'm using the StewMac blade.


I've had that same issue Steve and just lived with it. So that hollow ground StewMac blade works just as well without the stiffners?
Thanks
Terry
Author:  Chris Oliver [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Mike,

I use the StewMac fret saw blade and their steel templates. Here is a tutorial I did on creating and using a table saw sled.
http://www.infinityluthiers.com/tutorials/index.php?id=tutFretSled
Author:  Robert Renick [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Love a timely thread, my Stew mac blade will arrive later today. Here is a Fox version, super simple, no notched template, he just line up pencil marks.
Author:  two dogs [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Terence Kennedy wrote:
two dogs wrote:
I started with the LMI blade and stiffners, but the unthreaded portion of my tablesaw arbor is too short to handle the stiffners, and the blade slipped into the threads. Had to manually align the blade each time. Major PITA. Now i'm using the StewMac blade.


I've had that same issue Steve and just lived with it. So that hollow ground StewMac blade works just as well without the stiffners?
Thanks
Terry


Yup.
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
What does "hollow ground" mean? Sounds religious. :)

Mike
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Religious or not, here is a very good description. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grind

I've heard that term forever, but never stopped to understand what it meant. I thought it was more of a "process" than a "result". It is more of a "result". And matches what Fillipo said.

So, the Stew Mac blade has essentially a built in stiffener.

Mike
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
two dogs wrote:
Terence Kennedy wrote:
two dogs wrote:
I started with the LMI blade and stiffners, but the unthreaded portion of my tablesaw arbor is too short to handle the stiffners, and the blade slipped into the threads. Had to manually align the blade each time. Major PITA. Now i'm using the StewMac blade.


I've had that same issue Steve and just lived with it. So that hollow ground StewMac blade works just as well without the stiffners?
Thanks
Terry


Yup.

Thanks
TK
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
BTW, I thought the price of the SM blade was high till I realized what kind of processing it went through. Most good table saw blades are in that range anyways.

Mike
Author:  woodbutcher50 [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
I am currently using the LMI blade with stiffeners. When I first tried it, the blade slipped into the threads on the arbor. This made it wobble up and down,and the only way to check the height of the cut was to make sample cuts to find out where the 'high point' was. After cutting the first fretboard this way, the wood residue on the blade only appeared on the few high teeth that were actually doing the work.

To remedy this, I applied Bondo tho the first couple of threads of the arbor and trued it up with a bit of sand paper when cured. This works well and doesn't get in the way when I switch to a standard blade, although I need to add a spacer between the dampening washer and the nut. This is so the threads on the nut don't cut the Bondo out .

The up side is that the thin blades are a lot cheaper to replace when that time comes.


Mark
Author:  Wes Paul [ Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fret Slotting Tools
Has anyone had an issue with the arbor using this blade on Delta Unisaw? The saw is about four years old years old.
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