Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anyone got any preferences on which fret slotting system to buy?
I have looked at the stew mac and luthiers mercantile ones. Are there any others?
As well as guitars and mandolins, I am looking to make an octave mandolin with a scale length of 515 to 540 mm.
I understand that a guitar template can be used by starting further up the template, can anyone suggest which template is most suitable ( I intend buying a Martin 25.4" anyway)

My fret slotting system....I try and keep it sismple...a spreadsheet with calculated slot positions, a steel ruler and a scalpel. Works for any scale length.

Cheers Martin

I've always used the Stew Mac mitre box and saw, I know there are more sophisticated systems out there, as well as table saw methods. But if you just intend to do a few instruments then the Stew Mac one will work just fine after 30 or more FBs I still have no desire to 'upgrade'.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I upgraded to the table saw method using Shane's blade and after 2 years, I'm very happy with the method. I use the 25.4/24.9 metal slotting template ... I believe I bought it from StuMac.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I've used the LMI power slotting setup for years, and love it. I've never had any intonation issues, and it works quickly and flawlessly.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

LMI just redesigned their manual system looks nice still a bit spendy...http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Fretting&NameProdHeader=Manual+Slotting+System

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Zac

Anchorage Alaska

Finshed my 1st! See #1 here

I use Lmii & Stew Mac templates but with Shane's blade.
His is just slightly wider and is less apt to cause a wedge affect on the neck by the frets being a bit tight!

I made a plywood sled for my old 9" sears saw & that's all i use it for!!
Perfect slots everytime!!

I got tired of cutting by hand after guitar # 90-took me 30 minutes to do it right-I can slot 15 boards now in the same time with much more precise slots!!

mike

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Mike Collins

Same here, Shane's blade with a simple homemade sled on a dedicated little table saw in the corner of my shop. The template was made from 1/4" stainless cut on a digital endmill, so it's dead-on accurate.

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

LMI's power system for the past 7 years, no problems. I think that metal templates will be more temperature sensitive than the Lexan LMI uses; not sure if the amount of expansion /contraction is significant.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Zak,
They made improvements AND reduced the price by $100. So it was originally overpriced. Now not so much.

Here is a tutorial on building a fret sled and slotting the fret board using the Stew-Mac template.
http://infinityluthiers.com/tutFretSled.php

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Chris Oliver
Infinity Luthiers
...in the shop.

live every minute...

I've been very happy with the LMI system. I made the table saw sled described by Sylvan Wells.
Terry

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Wood(Oak & Pine)- 0.0000027 in/in/deg F
Steel - 0.0000073
Polycarbonate - 0.0000375

Polycarbonate(Lexan) has substantially more expansion.

Thermal difference of 40º/18in fretboard.

Wood- .0019
Steel - .0053
Lexan- .0266

I'm amazed the wood coefficient is so small.

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

but I bet if we take into account the humidity affect on the wood the other 2 end up much more stable

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Zac

Anchorage Alaska

Finshed my 1st! See #1 here