I am a new member and this may have been posted before but I just wanted to post a few pictures that may save someone from ruining a fret board or neck using the Harbor Freight Japanese Pull Saw as a fret saw. There are two models and I originally bought the wrong one and all of my frets slots are slightly too wide for the fret wire. A little super glue saved the day for that neck but it's probably going to effect the sound and intonation.
They have two models for the exact same price even on sale and hanging on the same peg One is part number 62118 and the other is 39273. The correct one with the 6mm .024" width is 39273. It is great for cutting frets. The other saw is fine for cutting and flush cutting but the blade is slightly thicker as the saw teeth are bent outward. I'm attaching pictures.
The correct saw is on the left. Part number 39273.
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The thicker one really cuts well. I use it to cut necks and notch boxes.
Bob, someone,some time back posted a similar tale and they got around it by flattening the teeth [in profile],reducing the kerf down to about .023 in.I can,t recall whether they squeezed it in a vice,hammered the teeth or whatever you might find it if you do a search.
That would work! Thank you! At the price I am going make sure I have a spare.
Thank you for the info! I feel better about my first fret board. The glue seems to hold them in just fine.
Thanks for the heads up on the Harbor Freight saws. I have a Japanese pull saw from Lowes and it is also a little wider than I would like, but workable if you use super glue.
Super glue is fine for holding frets in. I do it all the time on both CBGs and "real" guitars, especially for fret ends on radiused fret boards. I don't think it changes the tone any.
There are two schools of thought on frets. One is to make the slot just wide enough to have it hold in without glue. That being said, some of the old timers use water to swell the wood, or use shellac or white glue as the glue.
The other is to make the slots wide on purpose and epoxy the frets in.