DIY fret Slotting Jig

[Muswell]

The Rutlands sourced saw is perfect. The length means that you only need 3 strokes to cut to depth for the StewMac 0764 small fretwire.

Just out of interest, which Rutland saw did you use? The ones I found all seemed to have too wide a kerf.

 

[Mike Wingate]

This one,
http://www.rutlands.co.uk/hand-tools/ja ... aw---240mm

 

[Muswell]

In my last post I forgot to say how much I like your travel uke, very amusing. I'm puzzled by the saw because their spec says 0.3mm blade thickness and a set of 0.51mm which comes up to a 1.32mm kerf. Do you reduce the set or do you glue the frets in?

 

[Mike Wingate]

The kerf (sawn slot) is perfect for the StewMac fretwire I use. I use the fret press tool to seat the frets, using my drill press, after wiping the tang with pva. It is a good tight fit, far better than anything I have done or used over the last 40 years with the exception of Pete Howletts hand operated slotting machine, which uses a similar blade. I have not bothered with the V-notch that I used to file into the slot. There is scope to narrow the kerf but I have found the perfect match so far.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... _Caul.html

 

[Muswell]

Thanks for your comments. I have been tempted by the cauls but I make classicals and so would still have to hammer the most difficult frets, above the 12th, so I saved my money. With the original saw I was sold, not only was it difficult to get the frets in but I got back-bow above the 12th. I made a couple of guitars with detachable, adjustable necks and if I carried on with these I think the cauls would make their way into my toolkit.

 

[Mike Wingate]

One of the easiest fretting jobs I did, was a tele neck in Padauk with an ebony fingerboard many years ago. All the frets just went in perfectly. Backbow!