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My second fret slot cutting jig is complete.  My driver for building this jig is that I am manually challenged to cut vertical fret slots. This jig will ensure my fret slots are vertical. This second version has some helpful enhancements.

Rather than have a depth stop on the fret saw, this capability is built into the jig. This more easily accommodates a supply of varying thickness fret boards. More later on this. 

There is hopefully sufficient info here to produce and build your own design. As always, please do feel free to ask questions or suggest improvements. Apologies for the excessive spacing in this post - I have tried but could not get it any tighter. It seems to display better on mobile devices..

Here is a high level view of the finished jig.

Here is a view with a fret saw and fret board in place.

Inexpensive toggle clamps securely hold the board in place and allow one to focus on the sawing.

THE BASIC STRUCTURE

To start, there are five parts to the basic structure:

- 2 sides both the same height

- the jig base; the sides must be parallel to each other

- the top piece

- the support base (plywood or hardwood is recommended, not particle board which may warp)

Hardwood is recommended. If you are screwing anything together, hardwood will not have the give that softwood or plywood may have, which may upset the accuracy of the jig.

A sixth part, the stop piece, clamps down on the shims that set the depth of the cut. Wing nuts hold down the stop piece.

Screw or glue the sides to the jig base.

Drill the peep hole (optional) in the top piece.

If the depth stop is being installed, drill the holes in the top piece now. And to ensure the bolts can be installed afterwards to hold down the clamp, drill holes in the jig base large enough to accommodate the bolt head to allow the bolts to be fed into the top piece from the bottom of the jig base.

Screw or glue the top piece to the sides. You have completed the basic structure.

The next step is Very Critical Step Number One. Using a table saw or chop saw, cut the assembly in half with the cut at a perfect right angle (90 degrees) to the sides and base of the jig. 

SCREWING THE JIG TO THE SUPPORT BASE

For the depth stop, install the two bolts now before you screw the jig base to the support base. If not done yet, drill holes in the jig base large enough to accommodate the bolt head and feed the bolts into the top piece. These bolts are needed to clamp down the stop piece.

Use four screws for each side. Place the screws towards the edge of each side. Ensure the heads are below the top surface of the jig base.

First, align and screw the left side (or right) to the supporting base. Easy enough.

Second, align and screw in the other side. This requires patience and accuracy. This is Very Critical Step Number Two.

Fold a piece of paper over the teeth of the fret saw. Bring the remaining side over to the first and place the blade between the two sides. The saw must be snug, not floppy, but not tight. The paper allows clearance so you can fit and remove the saw easily during operation once the second side is screwed in place.

I used screws to temporarily tack the right side in place until I got a fit I was happy with. It took a few shots. I then drilled pilot holes into the jig base and supporting base and screwed in the permanent screws. 

HOW DEEP A SLOT DOES THE FRET SAW NEED TO CUT?

This photo shows the stop piece which clamps down on the shims. The height of the top surface of the stop piece establishes the depth of cut.

An adjustable stop allows varying depth of cut. If your fretboards vary in thickness, this is very handy.  I have access to scrap mahogany and ash boards which are  very close to standard fret board thickness. What I don't have is access to a planer to ensure they will all be exactly the same thickness. And occasionally with purchased fret boards, again they may be a different thickness.

If all of your fret boards are and will be identical thickness, screw a permanent depth stop of the required thickness in place to get the slot depth that is needed.

This photo shows how the stop piece does its job.

The position of the stop is set by adding veneer shims to ensure the fret slot depth will be exactly what is needed. One side is sufficient; the frame of the jig will guide the blade and keep the blade vertical.

The prototype model used screws rather than wing nuts to hold down the stop piece and the shims. This proved a bit of a nuisance and this solution should be easier to deal with.

THE PEEP HOLE

The Peep Hole was added to help align the cut line with the slot in the jig. It's doable without the peep hole but this allows a bit more light on the area. 

WHAT CAN YOU USE FOR SHIMS

Veneer is an obvious choice. It is about 0.6 mm, 1/32 inches. 

I have a supply of tongue depressors which are about 2mm, 5/64 inches thick. 

Stack the shims as needed. To fine tune the thickness, layer masking tape or painter's tape on the shim. This will increase the thickness in small amounts to get the thickness you need.

SECURING THE JIG WHILE CUTTING

There is a temptation to clamp the jig down to the workbench to secure it. Depending on where the clamps are placed, this may cause the slot which guides the blade to spread open. It is better to secure the support base to a work surface using bench dogs. My simplistic solution, as I have a very old work surface for a bench, was to drill two holes through the support base into the work bench, and drop in a 2 inch common nail to prevent the support base from sliding around. 

I hope this has been helpful. Please feel free to ask any questions or offer improvements.

Dear team

After many failed attemps at fretting I am planning to try again and after some help.

1) What is the best fret wire to use?

2) What's the best scale length to use?

3) What is any string height compensation required against scale length?

4) Could I be using incorrect strings and will that make a huge difference?

What is the trick to making these work and play well?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Mr Bug

(This is clever on an old banjo I have for just an interesting photo, note brass tube to typical 6 string tuners one not used, I kept my kids tooth to make a banjo nut from shhhh dont tell the tooth fairy)

Fretting seems to be one of those things about building that a lot of folks dread....I find it to be one of the best parts of building along with carving the neck; both are very rewarding upon completion. In the moment, I will sometimes wonder why I don't just take a Sharpie, mark the frets with it, raise the action, and play it with a slide. But after a good fret job, I feel great. Here's the way I do it and some things I've found to make it easier. If you have any other tips, please let me know.

I used to use a variety of scale lengths for my CBG's. I was all over the place. And that way lead to madness and frustration. I've settled in on a 23.5 (Byrdland) scale, 20 1/8, and a 17" scale. The latter two are Ukulele scales. I have yet to make a Uke but will be ready with those two options when that day comes. Because of the antique boxes I use, I prefer these smaller scales. The guitar seems to have a balanced look; rather than having a long, long stick jutting out of a tiny box. The madness part of too many scales comes from selecting (and buying) strings for the variety of lengths. String gauge needs to be matched up with scale length. I went thru a load of strings trying to get them to sound right up and down the scale. What sounds good at the top of the neck does not stay tuned as you proceed down the neck. Here's the string tension calculator I use: http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/stringxxiii.html

A great scale calculator can be found (like the above; for free) on the Stew Mac site: http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Fretting/i-fretcalc.html

I put frets on very early in the build. Once the neck stock is sized, I begin to layout the guitar. Measuring from the top, I measure the length needed for the headstock, locate the nut, mark the distance from nut to bridge, and then figure where the box top and bottom will be. I tend to put the bridge about 1/3 the box length up from the bottom. I read that that was a good position and gives the best resonance. I may have dreamed it to, who knows.

I'll then cut the angle for the headstock, make the cuts for the box and cut the layback angle for the box. Back on the bench, I'll begin to lay out the fret position. I use and recommend layout using millimeters. It is far more accurate and you do a lot less math: what the heck is 3.047 inches and where did you get that ruler? 

I tape the mm ruler in place and begin, making only one tiny mark for the fret position using a very sharp pencil. Sharp pencils are really important. Mechanical ones work well I suppose but I love using my antique Boston pencil sharpener. Using either my homemade mitre box or the Stew Mac version (whichever is closer), I begin to cut the frets. On the stew Mac one (an older model, I have to use a couple of shims (cut and thinned to the exact same thickness) to move the neck away from the wall. The little brass blade guides will get in the way. The mitre box is designed for thin fret boards to fit under these guides, not for thick stock CBG necks. Good point though: I use fret boards every once in a while, mostly I add frets directly to the neck,  and a lot of what I'm writing will apply to separate fret boards but only after gluing it to the neck stock.

Checking the marks, I cut the frets. I don't use depth gauges or stops on the Japanese backsaw (another Stew Mac investment but an important one for tight frets). I use the teeth as my guide. Saw to the depth of the teeth. If the teeth are not visible in the cut, that's deep enough. 

I like to lightly sand the fret board once all the frets have been cut. With sandpaper glued to extremely flat scrap thick wood, I will sand lightly from 120 to 400 grit and top off with steel wool. This will give the fretboard an incredibly smooth feel for fingers later. It's also the last chance to prep the fretboard before adding frets.  At this point you could add the frets but I taper the necks so I wait till after gluing on the headstock (angle and wings) and gluing on the brace under the box cut out for strength and stiffness. The neck taper is cut after all that.

Its a lot of back and forth in the process between the garage and the basement. My shop is in the basement and the saws are out in the garage. My basement floods every once in a while and the thought of my low mounted bandsaw motor under water just brings tears to my eyes. In case you don't know it, the bandsaw is the single best machine you will ever buy.

Now I add the frets. Clean out any dust in the groove from sanding. An old paint brush does a fine job of that. I used to re insert the fret saw and clean it out. What a waste of time that was in the past. Be sure there is support under the neck and it is held firm with clamps to you bench top. The frets tap in way tighter and eaier when the neck is firmly in contact with a solid surface, this is really important. Lay the fret wire on the leading edge of the fret and begin to tap it in as you tilt toward the far edge. Trying to hammer it in flat doesn't work well; fret grooves gets damaged or you'll dent the fret position. Let the fret wire hang over the far edge just a bit. Tap it in and trim off just the front edge. Cut off the other side later over a trash can so little tiny fret wire cutoffs don't end up on the bench top where the inevitably get pounded into the neck by accident.

Once all the frets are in and trimmed, put the neck in the vice (add wood to the jaws if you haven't already) with one side facing up.The neck should be above the jaws of the vice slightly.  Use a medium to fine flat file  and slowly and carefully file the fret wire even to the side of the neck. This is one of my new discoveries, may be old hat for a load of you. This works great and is very fast. Once it feels and sounds like the frets are even to the side, continue filing but begin to angle the file toward the fretboard. On my vice I can get about a 25 degree  angle before hitting my knuckles on some part of it. Angle as best you can. Flip and do the other side.

I have a piece of wood that I cut a 35 degree angled groove in and added a flat file using hot glue to hold it in place. This is another tool available from Stew Mac but at some point you just have to say no and build your own tools. I love the Stew Mac but they are really expensive!! Notice they never ever have a sale!? Once both sides are filed flat and angled a bit, reposition the neck in the vice so the fret board is facing up. Now I use my angled file and finish the beveling. Finish up with a light sanding of 220 sandpaper (on the bevel not the top of the wire) and then some #1 steel wool. 

That's it. Feel it. You can smooth it out further using 400 grit and finer steel wool but you know you are going to tweak it later anyway. Put the neck away and be happy with a nice job.

Well, on Monday (today's Wednesday) I went to Kansas City to a cigar store and picked up 8 cigar boxes for $24.00 plus tax. Three bucks apiece. Stopped by the hardwood lumber yard (Schutte) in KC and bought two poplar 1x2 and a red oak 2x2, all four feet long.  Laid 'em out in the shop to look at and make a decision.  Picked a couple boxes for my first two CBG's, measured the top thickness, and cut fretboards on the bandsaw.  Then came in and mortgaged the farm to CB Gitty.

The plan is to let the fret boards equal the box top thickness rather than to have to notch the neck to fit up even.  Just glue the neck to the back of the top and then glue the fret boards to the face of the neck so it all comes out even.  One of the boxes is pretty fancy and has a curvy top edge on it.  Having a separate fret board will let me file down the end of the fret board to match the curves of the box.  That one will be the second guitar.

Yesterday I got seriously to work.  Cut the holes in both ends of box #1 to fit the neck.  For that I used a Fein MultiMaster to cut parallel to the box top through the edge board, then marked down with a try square and sawed those two notches with a little tiny Japanese pull saw.  Then I closed the box and marked through the hole on the interior lip, opened the box back up, sawed slots down that lip from above, and cut the long line with a chisel,  

Next I sanded the saw marks off the front (top) face of the fret board and softened the corners on the top face of the fret board.

That was it for one day.  I'm doing some actual work around the place, too, so I didn't have all day to play with a CBG, but more to the point I was at the end of my knowledge.  I didn't know how to lay out the neck and fret board.

So-o-o-o-o-o... I came up to the house, snooped a bit on Cigar Box Nation, found a link to StewMac's Fret Position Calculator, and did some calculating.  I printed out a few different choices of fret counts for a 24" scale and then spent some more time on CBN reading about people's experience with, and thoughts about, fret counts.  I can maybe accomplish some more today.