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Widening fretslots
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Widening fretslots
Hello everyone,
I use a Stewmac japanese fretsaw (which produces .023″ wide fretslots, matching the width of the tang of stewmac wire) to recut my slots on refrets. The saw does a good job making the slots deeper, but struggles to make them wider and binds like crazy throughout the process. I think that is due to it not having enough (or any) set, so in theory it only cut downwards and does a poor job removing material from the slot walls. I find this saw works a lot better cutting slots on a virgin (unslotted) board, but it gets pinched on tighter, preexisting slots.
It helps to play with the angle of the saw on all different axes, but I often end up with slots that are slightly wider towards the edges of the fretboard and not deep enough towards the middle of the board. With enough persistence I get the slot to size, and I have refretted dozens of guitar with this method, but it takes a considerable amount of time and effort (especially on ebony boards) so I am looking for alternatives before I drive myself crazy.
Previously I simply bought wire that matches the tang width of the previous fret, but chasing wire with the right dimensions can be challenging. I’ve watched all fret-o-ramas, and other discussions on recutting slots and I am aware many people prefer dremels or dental tools for this job, but I am curious to hear if anybody else has had the same issues, and how to solve it if I want to keep recutting slots with a hand held saw.
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11 Replies
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Can I ask why you’re hesitant to move to a rotary tool for widening the slot ?
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I am not completely opposed to it, but I like to keep the noise down (I have a home shop and neighbors).
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https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/types-of-tools/saws/pull-stroke-gauged-saws/
These gauged pull saws might be worth looking at. Its still tough business trying to make a slot precisely wider with a hand saw.
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Thanks Ian. How is the teeth geometry of those different than the bigger pull saw they sell, why would those be better?
And do you mean that hand saws are just a poor tool for the job?
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I would imagine the tooth geometry is the same. It’s just more options for thickness.
Yep, it’s not how I would do it. Not to say it can’t be done, but I switched to rotary really early on, so my experience trying to saw slots to dimension isn’t super robust. It was kind of a non starter for me on bound boards, so I just wanted to develop a system that was universal.
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I’ve used the little push/pull stewmac saw for bound boards, to clean and deepen the slots, and I buy wire that matches the pre-existing slots.
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it!
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To anybody else struggling with the same issue, I had a breakthrough today and would like to share it with you: The music nomad .020 diamond nut file does an incredible job at widening slots since it removes material both from the walls and the bottom of the slot. Mine actually measures just north of .022 for some reason, and it widens the slot perfectly for the stewmac wire (which has a .023 tang, not including the barbs).
The slots come out straight, with even width all the way across and the process was pretty effortless. The pre-existing slot guides the cut, but it helps to bevel the top of the slot with a 3 corner file so the diamond file gets wedged into the slot due to the slightly larger opening.
The only thing to watch out for is the slot depth, since diamond files cut quick. I recommend taking a couple of passes once you hit the bottom of the slot and checking carefully with a depth gauge (or a fret with the same dimensions and the barbs removed).
In retrospect, it is pretty crazy I didn’t think of it sooner as it makes total sense to use a diamond file for this purpose. Maybe I should pitch the idea of a “Fretslot widening saw” to Stewmac?
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What do you use to hold the file?
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Nothing, I just pull the actual file out of the yellow handle and hold it between my thumb and index finger (same grip and motion of swiping a credit card). Some kind of handle like the ones on the link below might make things easier, but honestly the whole process was a breeze.
loothtool.com
Enhance your guitar maintenance with LoothBrush File Handles—ergonomic, precision-focused handles designed for Music Nomad diamond files. Perfect for luthiers working on nut slots, saddles, and string adjustments. Handles only—files and case not included.
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My fretboards are done with a table saw & correct SM blade, if i need to touch them up after radius i go between the jap saw & regular one sm sells. yellow wax to stop them from sticking when cutting & naptha to clean after will make the saws last longer. as far as width i use SM & jescar wire & never had issues. i will say i bought wire from All Parts once & it was garbage as it was to wide. Your jap saw should work for most wire
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Thank you for your answer 🙂 I didn’t like the idea of waxing the blade since I don’t want to introduce a lubricant to the slots (I thought it might cause the frets to pop out later, or any glue that I add not to stick). It seems my theory doesn’t hold water, since you are having success with it.
What had gotten me by was to “lubricate” the bade with mdf dust. I would do a pass with my saw ona block of mdf and bring it back to the board. It worked well, but I am not sure it ws an ideal solution.
In any case, using a diamond file really solved the issue for me.
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