I'm looking into buying this miter box and saw for fretting purposes:

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/saws/miter-box-set-37022.html

 

They don't have the kerf of the saw listed in the specs tab, but it looks pretty similar to a lot of hobby/craft saws that I know some people use for fretting. Do you think it'll be alright for a fret saw? I know that Harbor Freigh sells the popular Japanese flush-cut saw as well, but if I can safely save myself the $10, my shoestring budget would thank me.

 

A bit of background: This would be for making my 3rd cookie-tin banjo ukulele. For the frets on the past two ukuleles, I used a junior hacksaw with the waves filed/sanded/pounded out, but the cuts are still too wide, so I've had to superglue them in. This is a huge pain, it's ugly, and it doesn't work well at all.

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Replies

  • FYI I just bought a Harbor Freight "Flush Cut Saw" and it says the blade thickness is "0.6mm (0.024")."
  • Take a look at my page (blog) and see my depth gauge.
    -WY

    BenBob said:
    Have you rigged a depth guard for when you use the speed square?

    stan bryars said:
    This is what I bought
    I use a speed square to line things up, it works better and faster tna using a miter box that may allow the blade to wobble or get slightly of at an angle That is also the handiest saw I have for general cutting


    Wes Yates said:
    Grace,

    Buy a Japanese Flush Cut saw from Harbor. It has a .023 kerf which is .001 less (more?) than Stew Mac Fret tangs. I guarantee you this is what you want. If you don't. I will buy it from you. That's how much I think you will like it. Also check out my page blog for info on this saw. You can make your own miter. I did. Its simple.

    -WY
  • Buy a reasonably priced backsaw from a big box home store. Make a three sided box and cut 90 degree across the box sides. This will set your kerf to match the saw. Use a steel rule, or machinist square as a guide for the saw when you make the cut. Size the box for the depth and the width of the neck.
  • Have you rigged a depth guard for when you use the speed square?

    stan bryars said:
    This is what I bought
    I use a speed square to line things up, it works better and faster tna using a miter box that may allow the blade to wobble or get slightly of at an angleThat is also the handiest saw I have for general cutting


    Wes Yates said:
    Grace,

    Buy a Japanese Flush Cut saw from Harbor. It has a .023 kerf which is .001 less (more?) than Stew Mac Fret tangs. I guarantee you this is what you want. If you don't. I will buy it from you. That's how much I think you will like it.Also check out my page blog for info on this saw. You can make your own miter. I did. Its simple.

    -WY
  • This is what I bought
    I use a speed square to line things up, it works better and faster tna using a miter box that may allow the blade to wobble or get slightly of at an angle

    That is also the handiest saw I have for general cutting


    Wes Yates said:
    Grace,

    Buy a Japanese Flush Cut saw from Harbor. It has a .023 kerf which is .001 less (more?) than Stew Mac Fret tangs. I guarantee you this is what you want. If you don't. I will buy it from you. That's how much I think you will like it.

    Also check out my page blog for info on this saw. You can make your own miter. I did. Its simple.

    -WY
  • Wes, I'm going to buy this saw tomorrow thanks to this post and my own on fretting about fretting. Could you describe how you modified the saw with a depth stop?

    Wes Yates said:
    Grace,

    Buy a Japanese Flush Cut saw from Harbor. It has a .023 kerf which is .001 less (more?) than Stew Mac Fret tangs. I guarantee you this is what you want. If you don't. I will buy it from you. That's how much I think you will like it.

    Also check out my page blog for info on this saw. You can make your own miter. I did. Its simple.

    -WY
  • Here is a link to my blog about the flush cut saw.

    -WY

    Wes Yates said:
    Grace,

    Buy a Japanese Flush Cut saw from Harbor. It has a .023 kerf which is .001 less (more?) than Stew Mac Fret tangs. I guarantee you this is what you want. If you don't. I will buy it from you. That's how much I think you will like it.

    Also check out my page blog for info on this saw. You can make your own miter. I did. Its simple.

    -WY
  • Thanks very much for the responses, everyone! I trust your experience (that's why I asked you guys in the first place), so I'll go with the flush-cut saw. Thanks a ton!

    Cheers,
    Grace
  • I actually have the exact miterbox and saw set from HF. I bought it with the same intentions as you are considering. MY advice is dont do it. I dont know what the kerf is but it is too wide for fret slots. You will indeed be gluing the frets in. The box slot are sloppy and with use the saw chews the box slots up even more. As a general purpose set up that you dont require accuracy on go for it. What I have dont recently is picked up a HF Jap pull saw as everyone reccomends. I just use it with a standard square as a straight edge and hold it tight against it. Ill put a depth guage on it soon
  • Grace,

    Buy a Japanese Flush Cut saw from Harbor. It has a .023 kerf which is .001 less (more?) than Stew Mac Fret tangs. I guarantee you this is what you want. If you don't. I will buy it from you. That's how much I think you will like it.

    Also check out my page blog for info on this saw. You can make your own miter. I did. Its simple.

    -WY
This reply was deleted.