Official Luthiers Forum!

Using the Model Machines, or the Proxxon mini saw, and the .023” kerf blade, does anyone feel the need for blade stabilizers to ensure no wobble? Jim Byrne doesn’t sell them.

P.S. I tried the search function. Using the “+”s and other Boolean tomfoolery, but couldn’t eliminate the hits for each word separately. Admittedly need my kid’s help but they’re out of town

Any other advice on cutting fretboards with this tablesaw would be great.

Thanks,

Jon

I've used a Proxxon FET table saw to cutting fret slots for several years with a 63 mm diameter slitting saw blade and have no need for stabilizers

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

You can make blade stabilizers out of thin plywood or aluminium using hole saws and an appropriate sized drill bit. On my home made saw and with the thin blades I use I have noticed some blade flutter as the blade enters the cut, so I trim the board to size after slotting. I should add some stabilizers, but so far, trimming after slotting has worked for me.

yes you need stabilizers
Do a web search you should be able to get some. Mine stop just short the blades teeth.

Amanda Tool STF-4 stabilizers- 5/8" bore

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Mike Collins

I don't think 4" blade stabilizers will fit on a proxxon blade or the Model Machine.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Is that a knock off brand from the land of the panda? Spell check at work again!

It's AmanaTool STF-4stabilizer 5/8 bore
SORRY!!

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Mike Collins

Lee Valley Tools also sell blade stiffeners, go to the web site and search for “ Blade Stiffeners “.
At least they show them on the Canadian web site.

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Remember, there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers!

If you know the dimensions of the stabilizers you want, a machine shop can make them for you. Machine shop work usually costs a bit more than a manufactured product, but you can have exactly what you want. And, the machinist often enjoys weird projects.

Brass is another metal easily cut with a hole saw and probably available at a hobby shop in a reasonable thickness. It may be difficult to find an off the shelf stabilizer with a 10mm arbor and the proper size. The shop made wooden stabilizers I have used worked fine, but brass or aluminium would not be any more difficult to make them from.

forest saw blades sell 4, 5, 6" stabilizers

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Mike McNerney

your .023 kerf will limit the kerfed lining to bend I see issues ahead. especially with cutaways and 000 upper bouts

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Fretboard kerfs John, not kerfed linings. Thx

Not sure if you already own a mini saw. The Stewmac circular saw blade for fret slotting is great. Works like a champ on my 10" table saw. No stiffeners required.

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Stay with the happy people.
--Reynolds Large

I think Clay is right. Just make your own. Wood, aluminum, brass. I use 5" slotting blades that can be found in places where they sell supplies for machinists. You can get them in any thickness you might want. I use .023, .027..057 blades for various projects. 5" blades work just fine on my 10" table saw, for fret slotting and making kerfing. I stack 4 or 5 of them together, with wood spacers in between, to make kerfing go faster.My stiffeners came from the old Sears store. What a bummer it was for us to lose that store in our town!

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“ The meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away” Pablo Picasso

I think the Model Machines and Proxxon saws can take up to 3 3/8" blades - the same as the Makita battery sawblades I use on my home made saw except with a smaller 10mm arbor hole (the cheaper Makita blades could probably be used with a bushing). You probably want to make 1 3/4" diameter blade stiffeners with a 2" hole saw, and then bore out the center hole with a 10mm drill bit.

Like Bob, for cutting kerfed linings I will place several saw blades with spacers on the arbor of my 10 inch saw and cut multiple kerfs with each pass. I like the 7 1/4 inch diablo blades because they are thin kerf and have a coating that reduces the friction on the blade. Not sure if you could put more than 1 blade on the Model Machines or Proxxon saw.