Micro table saws for fret slots?

anyone use a micro table saw for the fret slots? I have only enough space for two small workbenches inside my spare bedroom turned office/woodshop so any tools need to be able to fit on a bench. I have one of the 6" fret slotting blades from stew mac which works well when I can get over to my father's house on his radial arm saw but that is wicked inconvenient. Dremel made a micro as well as harbor freight-argh, and a saw my micro-mark.

As long as the center hole on the blade fits the arbor or you have the right bushing adapter AND you use blade stiffeners, it should be just great. I just have a small 10" "Contractor's" table saw on which I took off the fence rails to make it take up less space, and it's dedicated to just doing fret slots. But I have to do ukes on up to 35" scale basses...

The saw needs to be powerful enough, accurate enough and accept the blade. Does it do these things?

I use a Proxxon miniature table saw. It's really high German quality, or as they put it "dental qualität". My exact model seems to be discontinued and replaced by one called FET. Check Proxxon's website for the catalogue.

Here's mine:
http://argapa.blogspot.se/2009/10/table-saw-for-slot-cutting.html

I looked at Harbor freight's mini saw which is really really cheap, but I don't think it's as good. If you want small AND good, you must be prepared to pay. I need small because I have very limited space in my apartment workshop. I'm really happy with the Proxxon.

I purchased an old, small cast iron craftsman table saw on craigslist for ten dollars, built a sled out of plywood. Got the blade from stewmac, and I'm getting perfect fret slots. I am also, thanks to Rick Turners influence, cutting some necks by hand, for the fun and challenge of it, and getting great results.

I would be careful about the accuracy of some of the cheaper mini saws. There should be no play in the arbor.

I have seen a shop built tool with a Japanese hand saw fretting blade, sandwiched betweeen plywood, teeth up, at a very slight slope with the end of the cut being the end where the blade is highest (set to the desired depth of cut). There is a precision rail system built from off the shelf materials that carries a Baltic Birch plywood sled. There is a reference pin in the sled that keys with the template. One pass and the slot is accurately cut. It requires slightly more effort than a table saw setup, but it is purpose built, so it is always ready. It is small, fast, accurate, and extremely efficient. It is kind of like an upside down miter box, with the work piece moving instead of the blade. If I did not have a table saw setup, and I knew about this tool, I would probably build one. If someone does not already make these for sale, someone should. It is a very elegant fret slotting solution.

Maybe the person who built this tool will post...

I think Peter Howlett had something like what you described

I have one of those antique cast iron Sears table saws, too. Tilting table rather than tilting arbor. Kind of perfect for a fret saw. Mine's in storage, but I used to have it in the middle of a larger plywood table, and we made a lot of speaker cabinets with it.

The Proxon and MicroMark table saws have plenty of power for fret slots. Just keep the blade clean and learn to sharpen it yourself. Hint, it takes a triangular saw sharpening file to do so! Sharpen every other tooth at a slight angle from one direction, every other tooth from the other direction. Learn to sharpen hand saws, too...

Rick Turner said:

I have one of those antique cast iron Sears table saws, too. Tilting table rather than tilting arbor. Kind of perfect for a fret saw. Mine's in storage, but I used to have it in the middle of a larger plywood table, and we made a lot of speaker cabinets with it.

The Proxon and MicroMark table saws have plenty of power for fret slots. Just keep the blade clean and learn to sharpen it yourself. Hint, it takes a triangular saw sharpening file to do so! Sharpen every other tooth at a slight angle from one direction, every other tooth from the other direction. Learn to sharpen hand saws, too...

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I have a feeling someone could learn more about wood and lutherie in a week at your shop than they could in a lifetime in most other places! Thank you for always sharing your knowledge and experience!

ChrisRCovington said:

I have a feeling someone could learn more about wood and lutherie in a week at your shop than they could in a lifetime in most other places! Thank you for always sharing your knowledge and experience!

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+1 I think so too

I think you might mean this Chris:

yep, that is the one. Thanks Pete. I have used that tool, it works very well.

I love that set up! What a great use for linear bearings.

Pete Howlett said:

I think you might mean this Chris:

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I was checking out some slack key on the YouTubes and saw this fret sled: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74r40X-oA7E

BTW, slack key: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZUN_n0xka8&list=UU1Kve1Gv1i_l0vSMJkkOQMQ

I've had my eye on a similar saw. Actually it's a 2" chop saw that I could use for cutting bracing. I know, I'm really getting lazy. Proxxon makes a nice one:
http://www.proxxontools.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=86&idcategory=29
I could find many uses for that little table saw as well.