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Stewmac's fret slot cleaning saw http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=34840 |
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Author: | John Coloccia [ Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:14 am ] |
Post subject: | Stewmac's fret slot cleaning saw |
Anyone have any experience with these. I have their .020" saw and it measures much larger in set. I can't even get it into my slots without sawing down and widening them (I know my slots are .023 because I measure them with feelers periodically to keep an eye on things). I'm sending it back but I'm wondering if anyone else has any experience with these? I like the concept so I want to get an exchange, but I'm concerned that the new one will be just like mine. I'm wondering if I should exchange it for their .015" saw instead. |
Author: | Bob Matthews [ Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:31 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Stewmac's fret slot cleaning saw |
Well I made myself one from an old Japanese pull saw and an old X-Acto handle, I cut the Japanese blade with some tin snips and then super glued two pieces of blade into the original x-acto back. I used one piece of blade forwards and one peice backwards to be able to use it on bound fretboards. |
Author: | John Coloccia [ Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:19 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Stewmac's fret slot cleaning saw |
Todd Stock wrote: One of those things that everyone knew back when a variety of hand saws were in every shop. For fine toothed blades, stone the sides of the teeth (lay saw flat on diamond or whetstone, make an equal number of strokes on each side of blade until kerf is .023 or a bit less). Another approach for saws with fewer. larger teeth is to place blade between two pieces of flat, very hard wood (ebony scrap or some of the ipe I keep finding and throwing out...scrap from decks...hate that stuff) and use a medium weight hammer to tap up and down the blade taking out a bit of set with each tap (uniform number of taps per inch of blade at uniform force). The drawback to the first method is that the removal of set also causes some tooth geometry changes, but not an issue for the depth of cut we see in fret work. The drawback to the second method is that larger teeth on some very brittle blades may fracture if not well supported, although this is usually more of an issue with impulse-hardened teeth of Japanese pull saw teeth on cheaper tools. If I were you, I would ask for a replacement. If like me, you opted to make your own fret cleaning and recutting blades (instead of buying SM's tool) from lengths of Exacto or Zonasaw blades, I would reduce the kerf using the first method. FWIW, the Zona 35-380 has a 16 tpi blade with .020 kerf that can be cut into short lengths and glued into the spine channel. At under $8, it's a bargain. Remove the blade from the spine with a vise, then cut to length with an abrasive cutoff wheel in a Dremel, etc. I considered stoning them, but the saw plate itself is even thicker than it should be. I'm almost thinking that I accidentally got a .025" blade in an .020 handle. That would make a lot more sense. I didn't realize that Zona had such a variety of saws. I have a razor saw of theirs, which is far too thin, but that dovetail saw you point out seems perfect. I'd rather just get that and modify it instead of messing around with the one I have. Nothing at all against Stewmac...most of what I get from them is actually pretty well made in my opinion. Thanks, Todd. |
Author: | Mark Fogleman [ Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:08 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Stewmac's fret slot cleaning saw |
Mike Wenzloff's paper trick is an easy way to reduce and even out the set. |
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