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Dremel Fret Slotting


Vinny

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Tonite this hit like a lightning bolt, I've been trying to come up with an idea for a shooting table to do fret slots. The stumbling block has been the .023 kerf saw blade (I know, I know, why not just buy the blade stupid, right?) I wasnt crazy on buying a $70 blade and having to swap out blades from my table saw and go thru the set up every time I wanted to slot a fingerboard. I really wanted a small dedicated power slotting table. A couple weeks back I picked up a saw attachment for my Dremels (part#670 paid$20 US), I didnt have an immediate use for it but it was too cool an attachment to pass up, it looks like a micro circular saw with a spring loaded blade gaurd. It threads onto the nose of a Dremel in about a minute's time. The saw housing is not perpendicular to the Dremel but is angled maybe 15 degrees so you can make a 90 degree cut and the main body of the tool isnt hitting the board you're cutting. So I opened the package tonight and looked it over, I held the tiny saw blade in my hand and thought this is really close to a fret slot's width. I mounted it up and made a test cut on scrap that I compared to a pre-slotted fingerboard. It was close but a hair too wide. I then took a piece of 180 grit paper and lightly scuffed down the side edges of the blade, sanding back the alternating sharp side edges of the cross cut blade. I then put the blade back in the saw and BINGO! perfect fret slots! I hammered in some fret wire and its nice and snug. So my plan is to mount the Dremel under a small table with the blade coming up thru a slot and slide my fingerboards over it on a typical slotted track. I'll post some pics of the shooting table as it comes together. Take care -Vinny

dremel3.jpg

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The replacement blades (Dremel part #546) are about $7 each US. They have a .023 inch kerf, which is perfect for slotting but are a cross cut style, the tangs flare outward the tiniest bit, therefore the need to lightly sand down the side edges. -Vinny

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Got it modified it tried it on my mill. Using an attachment I machined. The tolerances are not accurate enough. the runout in the blade makes the slots about .040" with the blade dialed in on the mill. I sanded the saw to make it a smaller kerf and then it just started burning. Forget it. its a lost cause. Good theroy, but not accurate enough to be effective.

Edited by GuitarGuy
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