Fret Saw Recommendations: Odd Sized Kerf
- Luthier's Corner
- 6 Replies
Bruce's idea of checking out kerf widths on saws at the store is probably the simplest solution, but there are also saw tools made to bend the teeth side to side to adjust the set of the saw blade. This is a Lee Valley Veritas, so it's spendy, but there are cheap ones available on amazon and the like, probably with associated quality.
Full disclosure, I've used these on large handsaws when I learned carpentry at school in the late 80s, but I don't personally own a saw set tool, and have never tried one on the tiny teeth of a fretting saw.![]()
Hey Beej;
Yes, you can adjust the kerf width of a saw by setting the teeth. And you don't need a fancy Saw Set tool. They are really made for big coarse-tooth hand saws.
I use a technique with pliers, a Sharpie, feeler gauges, and a smooth-jaw machinist's vise to adjust the set of the teeth on my circular StewMac slotting blades in my power fret saw. I adjust them to cut the slots exactly 0.023" wide. The same technique could be used on a straight hand saw, to set it to cut whatever width you want.
Basically, I use small flat jaw pliers to bend each tooth outward, alternating in direction, a little bit wider than they need to be. Then I put the blade in a smooth-jaw machinist's vise and squish them back toward flat. The trick is to put a steel feeler gauge in the vise too, which limits how far they get squished. When you release the vise, the teeth will spring back out about 0.001". I've found by experience that, using a 0.022" feeler gauge, the teeth end up at 0.023".
Here's the post showing the process:

