Mini Radial Arm Saw ideas?

[Greigor25]

Have you got any good suggestions on the subject of building or obtaining a small radial arm type saw? The purpose of this machine will be used to cut the fret slots on a guitar fetboard. I am primary interested in the mechanical linear motions.

[tigga]

The method would depend on: Are you planning on doing just the one guitar or small production of them ?

[Greigor25]

I am planning on doing one guitar at a time inconjunction with a homemade template for the fret postions and not a group of fretboards adjacent to one another. I hope this answers your question.

[tigga]

Your question has me interested although i have only held a guitar about twice !.

In my job- engineering im always working on improvisation, jigs and fixtures for machining/ production etc. To build a machine would be quite expenisive and would probably only be feasible for some sort of business (larger than you are talking about i think). Have you considered a jig/fixture whereby you could set up your positions and depth, and use a hand saw ?.

Something similar to a mitre block that joiners use but taylor made to you specifications ?

You could make it fixed or adjustable with settings on possibly metric or imperial increments to suit your requirements.

[Greigor25]

I already own a manual mitre block just as you have described whereby I can adjust the height of small metal blocks with small allen screws. This I bought from a guitar building mag. It is fiddly to set up and I feel if I could make an electrical saw I would have more time to concentrate on other aspects. I guess I am really interested in the most cost effective way to get a fairly precise linear motion, for example some type of bearing, or metal sliding on metal etc. I would also need some way of setting the correct depth of cut and locking it in position.

[tigga]

The bearings and metal on metal slideways are the type of procedures im heavily involved in, however if you want something electrical and you have the facility to produce a jig, How about one of those 'dremmel' hobby kits ?. they have lots of accesories available including router attachments for cutting accurately set decorative paterns in materials (i.e. kitchen cupboard doors) maybe you could adapt one of these to suit ?

http://www.dremel-direct.com/acatalog/Attachments.html

 

[deepdyvr]

This is a Luthier fret saw which I designed and made. I am selling the plans for $150.00. Please drop me an email If interested. I can email plans in PDF or send DWG format If you want a scaled print out. Please add $50.00 more for the printing. But if you have the DWG files you can print them at a Kinko's. This fret saw has two linier bearings with a micrometer depth gauge and a bearing spindle. It is powered by a Dremel Drill but a flex cable is required. The spindle has two bearings. One up by the blade and Media URL: http://markkennyphotography.zenfolio.com/p1012676192
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