Fret Slotting setup?

[Chris Baird]

I would like to get a manual fret slotting setup. I see Stewmac has one for around $80 and LMI has one for $270. Any experience with either of these systems? I don't have a table saw so the power slotting is out.

[bobz]

Hi Chris,
I use the StewMac jig and am quite happy with it. The StewMac fret saws do tend to bind in the cut though, but I make this a little bit easier by rubbing a candle across the teeth of the saw with each fret slot. I feel the LMI jig is somewhat to pricey. It might be a vastly superior tool and worth the money, but the StewMac jig gets the job done.

[Rob Grant]

I second that.

I got a StewMac jig years ago. It's slow, but I haven't got any complaints with it. If you're doing standard mandolin boards and you live in the states, I can't really understand the advantage of slotting your own. I mainly do my own because of the cost of importing slotted boards from overseas and because I often experiment with different string lengths and local timbers.

Like Mandoplyr says, a bit of wax (I use bee's wax) keeps the saw from binding. Also wax the brass guide blocks. It also helps to go over the board twice. On my older unit I
made a special spring loaded tapered stop to help locate the plastic patterns when I'm doing traditional string lengths. I actually bolted my jig down to the work bench. The attached photo also shows two adjustable, slotted wooden guides that help stabilize the boards while cutting.

[amowry]

I use a handmade miter box designed along the same lines, with an indexing pin and a series of templates. It was free. You can use an existing fretboard to make the templates-- put the board in the miter box, put the saw in a fret slot, and drill a hole through the index hole into the side of the template.

I've been using the Stew-Mac saw, which doesn't have enough set to work well. It's a bit better after modifying it to cut on the pull stroke (and lots of beeswax). However, LMI now carries a Japanese dozuki saw for fretting that I'm sure works beautifully.

[Jim Hilburn]

Here was my answer to the elbow grease involved in hand-cutting frets. It's such a cruel joke, your halfway through the board, but then it becomes clear your only 1/3 done!
This is the smallest compound miter saw I've seen. It's basically a 7 1/2" saw set up as a compound. They now mostly sell this one as a battery pack model. Stew-Mac sells the 6" blade ground down to fret size. I need a little extra width of the rough blank because there's some blade distortion that takes place at the entry and exit points, but the slot size in the center is perfect for press in with no need for glue.
I got the Stew-Mac template and set it up with a pin and a monkey could do this job, which makes it perfect for me.