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Either way you gotta build a fixture of some sort.

I like the idea of drilling the hole for the rod on the sled.

These pieces of rod will end up being the "nuts" for a bandura I'm building so it's pretty important that the bottoms are flat and that they are the exact same length. Hacksaw is fine but I expect that the bottom will have to be cleaned up more than on the table saw. I'm hoping I'll just need to clean up the burr using the table saw. Using a hack saw I'll have to make yet another fixture to clean up the bottoms once they're made.

I've attached a lousy picture of what I'm making - the camera moved when I was taking the shot and the instrument I took the picture of is no longer available to me. On this instrument, the nuts are brass but typically they're Al.

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That would work. If you can can cut through to the hole with a thin saw kerf that could be squeezed with a clamp it would act like a collet. Another way would be to cut a "V" in a fixture about 5/32" deep and then clamping over that (think caul) so the material is pinched on 3 sides. The longer the "V" the better.
Feed slow.

Tim

At 3/16" you could use your fret cutting saw and sled or just use a miter gage and a stop block on the tablesaw fence. Just like cutting wood pieces to length. I'm assuming your cutting them from a long rod. Use a zero clearance fence.

Chris-
You mean a zero clearance table insert - tight to the blade? I agree 100%.

Thanks John, that's right, insert. I cut that 3/8" brass and holding it with my fingers wasn't a problem so the 3/16" alu shouldn't be a problem. Go slow at first untill you get the feel for it and if you can't keep it from spinning then figure something out. Think of it like fretting a really big E string. Don't sweat the small stuff it's only 3/16" alu. for crying out loud.
Here's the piece, touch it on the belt sander and it will clear the burr left. You going to sand all the edges or do you know someone with a tumbler?

I get pretty clumsy-feeling when I start to mess with smaller stuff.
I had to make some 'pin saddles' for a Gilbert-style bridge recently, using 1/8 rod. Until I drilled a hole in an aluminum scrap so I could 'hold' those pins, I had a heck of a time filing to length- the vise tends to make a mess of them. I suppose some sort of collet would have done the trick as well.

Cheers
John

Hypocrite! I've seen your jigs before, you sweat plenty of small stuff



I will sand the edges but a tumbler is a great idea. Would be an easy way to polish them up. I'll have to ask around.

I'll probably make a little sled anyway as it sounds like an easier way to hold it and more importantly, an easier way to retrieve the piece once it's cut..

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

A nice mini lathe with a feed through collet chuck is the tool for this job or a torrit lathe(Sp?).
I guess you don't use a sled and table saw to slot your boards then or that sled should do the trick with the addition of a stop clamped to it.
You should see the sled I'm working on now to cut the peghead angle on a one piece neck on the table saw.
I think I'll make the left side for a lower angle slotted head. I think I'm going to also use the V block to hold the neck when I thickness sand the back side of the head too. Always a jig in process.

Quick, dirty, done....

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Chris , I love you but having seen what happens when things go wrong I can tell you that you did prove you can cut the metals but if that piece ever kicks back , that is a penetrating injury. I know 1 man that is without his spleen and lucky to be alive. The aluminum he was cutting kicked back and left a 4 inch scar where it went in. A few weeks in the hospital and he is lucky to be alive. I use a band saw to cut metal , it is safer.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
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