I have a doubt (well I have many but I'll ask just one now:))

Do I HAVE to use Stewmacs saws for fret slotting work or could I use any saw for this work?

any saw? Highly doubt it. Gotta be the right size blade first of all.....

Luthier's Mercantile (www.lmii.com) also has fretting saws. Most fretwires require that you utilize a saw with a .023" kerf.

If you can find one locally, it'd definitely be a plus for you for sure

all the best,

R

I have a doubt (well I have many but I'll ask just one now:))

Do I HAVE to use Stewmacs saws for fret slotting work or could I use any saw for this work?

Woodworker's Warehouse or whatever they're calling it now used to carry a saw almost exactly like the stew mac one, it left a slightly larger kerf and I used to use it on ebony fingerboards since fretting was a little easier.

I just got back from Orchard (OSH) and bought a mini hacksaw made by Bahco with a metal cutting blade. It was around 11 bucks. I measured the blade thickness and it is almost exactly .023". The blade is around 1/4 tall, and about 6" long, and is pretty stiff in the handle (looks like a mini coping saw). I tried out a few cuts on a "test" fretboard and it seems to work quite well. Since the blade is almost 1/4" tall it is easy to judge when you are close to proper fret depth.

Since the length and shape of this thing precludes use in a miter box, I started the cuts with a razor saw and square, then switch to the new one. I tried using just the razor saw to cut the slots, but it is only about .01 in thickness and the frets are way too tight to jam in.

Jeff

I had in mind just that type of saws (didn't know it english name was copying saw). Went to Ace yesterday looking for something for the frets and found a saw that looks pretty much like that one. The saw is 0.023.

A good fret slotting can be done with this type of saws? Don't you have any problem witht he saw bending when you are using it with pretty hardwoods???

If you wanna go on the cheap, Ive used this one several times. It works better if you add a stiffener on the top it has a .023" kerf. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=39273 I got mine on sell at a local store for a little over 3 bucks. I mostly use it to clean out already sawn slots now but Ive slotted a few boards with it too.

This one looks good too, Im not sure of the kerf though.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94722

Eleonn,
I was thinking the same thing about bending with this type of sawblade, but two things help this one out. 1) The blade is shorter than a regular coping saw blade, and 2) it is twice as tall as a regular coping saw blade. End result is it holds up well. Of course, just like any other woodworking tool, using just enough pressure to let the tool cut on its own is key. I was cutting through a hunk of fretboard that had been finished with CA (leftover from a fretless project) and it worked fine. The teeth are designed to cut slowly through soft metal, so there's no problem with any wood I can imagine running into.

I think I'll go pick up some extra blades though, just to keep some fresh ones handy.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff!!!!