Fretting tools

[Eric Wallace a.k.a. Godzilla]

I'm seeking advice as to what tools I should get to start fretting my instruments. I have a woodshop and an excellent table saw. Should I get a .o23 in saw blade and make a sled or should i get the pull saw with a miter box?  I believe you can use an indexer with the miter box but not sure about with a table saw sled, whats worked out best for all y'all out there?
I'm short on time and money so your advice could potentially save me a little of both, orders for my guitars are stacking up and I need to get on the ball with the whole fretting thing.

Thanks a bunch.

[Eric Wallace a.k.a. Godzilla]

wow, really? i'm thinking i gotta be all totally precise what with all the thousands of an inch calculations. I should just not worry too much about being absolutely dead on!?

[steve "roots" howard]

Like Lowe I use a scroll saw with blade backwards. Best thing i've ever done. No more sore elbows. Done about 10 fretboards using scroll saw and haven't mest up yet. U cut saw blade thickness deep and frets will set perfect.

[Eric Wallace a.k.a. Godzilla]

Well I just ordered a pull saw and miter box, I think it will give me the control I want. Dont have a scroll saw and I much prefer hand tools when I'm doing such precise work. Thanks for the input, I just really need to get the CBG's I've built so far, six and counting, fretted, wired and out the door so I can get paid and get some more materials to make more, to get more out the door so I can get more money for more materials, Aww you get the point, I'm totally addicted......

[Eric Wallace a.k.a. Godzilla]

Hey Lowe, I just got your cone yesterday and I'm really looking forward to putting it to work. I'm already thinking of getting one of your new bigger sized ones to make a lowebo. While I was waiting for your cone to get to me I cut the bell out of one of my 18in Ziljian crash cymbals. Kinda thick but it might put out a good sound in a bigger sized cigar box. My first reso i used an aluminum pot lid about 6in in diameter, sounds super bitchin' and I haven't even cut the sounds holes or amplified it yet.

Old Lowe said:

Yeah
Just get you a fret chart or copy the frets over on a stick and mark your blank neck with pencil lines while the wood is still a block of wood not before shaping and stuff.
Then you can hold those pencil marks up to the backward scroll saw and cut them till the blade disappear into the wood that's about the right depth for a fret.
As long as you get your pencil lines good and straight across there and as long as the deck on the scroll saw is level at a 90 degree to the blade your good to go and no sawing!

[Eric Wallace a.k.a. Godzilla]

Yeh man, I'm impressed with your stuff, just the sound I'm looking for. As long as ya don't start jackin' up the prices, I'll keep the orders comin'. Maybe someday we can do a swap for one of my necks in the future.
Hey Lowe, what do you know about the big rock wall in your town, I've done a little research on it, is it all true? That whole story is kind of a trip.

Old Lowe said:

Pot Lids!
You won't be using pot lids any more LOL
Yep the Lowebro I put the big cone in sounds really nice if I do say so myself.
And the two big six strings I have put the big cones in sound really cool!

[Buttermilk Music aka Norm]

StewMac has some nice tools to look over

[Eric Wallace a.k.a. Godzilla]

Yeh, I'm actually patiently (not really) waiting for the delivery of my fret cutting saw, indexing jig, miter box, and fret wire from them. Maybe I can actually start finishing some of gitboxes I've made. I'll let y'all know how it works out.

Buttermilk Music aka Norm said:

StewMac has some nice tools to look over

[Buttermilk Music aka Norm]

You'll like them. It takes a bit of adjusting to get the depth gauges set to where you like them on the box, but once you do it'll give you really nice fret cuts each time. I got the jig as well and it proved to be a real time saver. Enjoy your new toys!

Godzilla said:

Yeh, I'm actually patiently (not really) waiting for the delivery of my fret cutting saw, indexing jig, miter box, and fret wire from them. Maybe I can actually start finishing some of gitboxes I've made. I'll let y'all know how it works out.

Buttermilk Music aka Norm said:

StewMac has some nice tools to look over

[Buttermilk Music aka Norm]

Randy I've been considering getting a fretting hammer. Sounds like a good investment. I was thinking about coming up with a homemade fret press using my drill press somehow. Good idea on cleaning up those fret ends, I've been using a fret file... kinda slow.
Randy S. Bretz said:

Here`s my fret saw and slotting box from Stew-Mac. Bought it over 20 years ago. Best investment I ever made. I also got their fretting hammer with one end of solid brass and the other end has a solid plastic cap. I made up a block of pudauk with a piece of leather glued to it to use to set the frets. I use my dremel with a light grit,pointed grinding bit and a brass wire wheel bit to finish the fret ends.

[Eric Wallace a.k.a. Godzilla]

Heh, heh, just got home and there it was. lookin' at your picture I'm thinking double sided carpet tape might work well for securing the finger board down while your cutting.