Build Muscle, Lose Weight, and more with Stewmac fret jig

[Woody OKeefe]

I can get four cut and radiused fret boards for the price of a jig. Better yet I just open the box from Ken or John or LMI and go oooh... that's pretty. I still cuss a little LOL.

[Ken Hundley]

It is very difficult to use.....definitely let the saw do the work. dont try to press down when cutting. I usually use carpet tape to stick the FB to the template, and I screw the jig to a bench.

[ColestineGuitar]

I screwed the jig to the workbench--the end of the workbench, since sawing from side to side can wobble the bench, depending on how much you cuss. I also made a cedar wedge to hold the double-sticky-taped fingerboard extra still. The stewmac jig works smoothly enough, but the saw fits so tightly in the kerf that it makes disturbing squeek/grunt sounds:

Me: %#*%@!
Saw: Squeeeee-grunch-erck!
Me: &%$##)*!
Saw: Squerrrck-RACH-erk-erk-erk

This was very disturbing to my dog, who prolly would have dialed some sex abuse hotline if he could only manage the keypad. Luckily for me, we have cancelled his cell phone service.

Ken, I wanted very badly to "let the saw glide" but it fits too tightly in the kerf. Given that the problem seems to come from the very tight kerf, would the LMII jig offer any improvement? Is it a problem with the way the saw is sharpened, or will any blade with no set bind this badly?

[Ken Hundley]

They will bind. I think a lot of it depends on the wood....some of the more oily woods build up a residue on the blade....lubricants or frequent cleaning should help.

[ColestineGuitar]

Any suggestions for lubricants that will not cause problems later with glue? I believe that some folks use white glue in the slot to lube the fret tang, and also for the bindings if they are used (I will).

I used gaboon ebony. It's dust combines with bee's wax furniture polish to create an incredible compound.

[kencierp]

Perhaps you have a bow in the spine of the fret saw? -- which fret saw do you have? Do the teeth have a set? What I am saying is the blade has to be stiff and straight and able to clear the dust from the slot -- I am sure this is a real problem for you and others, but with a good saw and good, well thought out miter box it should not be an issue bad enough to cause you such frustration. We only recently went to a power process -- an Ebony 20 fret board by hand only took a few minutes to complete.

[David L]

Could the saw be binding in the guides of the miter box? From the pictures I saw one side of the guides appears to be adjustable.

David L

[ColestineGuitar]

Yes, David, one side of the miter box is adjustable. This is needed, of course, to accommodate different sizes of saws. The brass saw guides are also adjustable, so that the depth of cut can be set. I tried loosening the guides a micro-smidgen, to no avail. When that did not work I tried cutting a little bit without the miter. The saw alone is so tight in the kerf that you can't move it unless the board is clamped down, so that you can apply your superhuman strength to the saw. By Placing the board in a vice and bowing it away from the saw (thereby opening the kerf a little) you can saw quite easily. This is like getting your chain saw blade pinched.

Ken, thanks for that information. If you were able to complete a fretboard in "a few minutes," then something is wrong with my setup. Since I now know that the saw is not binding in the miter box, as some have suggested, I'll concentrate on the saw. I don't think it is well sharpened, so I will take it to our local saw sharpening hero and he and I will work out how I want it sharpened (no set, please). From what you have told me, Ken, I should be able to have a no-set saw that moves somewhat easily in the kerf with very few cuss words applied.

I put some cedar in the jig, and was able to cut a really deep kerf without any distress or psychological trouble. Thus, I partly blame the gaboon. With a name like that you know it's gonna be trouble.

[kencierp]

I never tried a fret saw without a set -- so I can't comment on those. This is one of the saws we've used since they were made available. Teeth set to .023"

[kencierp]

Also -- most of these fret saws only cut on either the forward or the back stroke so the rhythm of cutting has to keep pressure on with the cutting direction and no pressure (or little) on the return direction -- trying to cut with the return edge of the tooth will bind.