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Fret Miter Box Jig:
Cutting fret channels is one of the most intensive and detailed projects you can do on a guitar. If just one fret is off by a fraction of a mm, you risk winding up with a guitar that has both tuning problems, and intonation problems.
I developed this jig to provide fast consistent results for this job. The only time that you have to worry about the extreme precision when sawing fret channels is when you make your fret spacing template for this jig.
Note that this jig should be used with this Brass-Backed Dovetail Saw. To Adjust the Depth You can add adjustment slots right in the blade, then clamp a strip of wood on either side and use bolts with wing nuts to make your adjustments.
This way with just a turn of 2 wing nuts, you can get your depth exactly where you need it.
You could also choose an even faster cutting Japanese Dovetail Saw, just make sure of the blade depth and the width of the kerf cut. Also Japanese Saws tend to taper the height of there blades, making an equal cutting depth setting a bit more difficult.
Tools and Materials:
Table Saw:
Stationary Belt Sander:
Drill Press:
Band Saw:
1/4″ Aluminum or Brass Plate:
1/2″ Aluminum or Brass Plate:
1/8″ Brass Plate:
Brass Screws
Brass Bolts
Tap and Die Set
2-Part Epoxy Glue
Taper Drill Countersink Set
4/4 Rock Maple:
Parafin Wax – or -
Self-Lubricating Jig Plastic – 1/8″ Thick:
First Get The Plans:
I have put together a great set of detailed plans for my Fret Miter Box Jig. They are 3 PDF drawings on 24″ x 36″ paper with all the detail and notation you will ever need to make one of these little time saving jewels. All the dimensions are in inches/fractions and metric/mm. Each piece is thoroughly laid out with top, side and end views and each is carefully noted.
The Plans are at the Plan Shop, in the Guitar Making Tools and Jigs Section:
Assembly of The Jig:
The Jig has two main components. The Jig Base, Sides and Cutting Slot, and the Fretboard Jig and Fret Spacing Template.
Jig Base, Sides and Cutting Slot: The base is made from 4/4 Rock Maple and is glued and screwed together. There is one saw slot in the sides of the base that is sized for your dovetail saw to fit through. The sides of this saw slot are lined with 1/8″ brass sides to make it durable and stand up against abuse from the saw blade. These jaws are removable for quick replacement when you notice wear on them over years of use.
Fretboard Jig and Fret Spacing Template: This is the movable portion of the jig. It consists of Aluminum or Brass plate stock that is designed to hold the fretboard blank in place with a couple of screws that lie outside of the finished fretboard footprint. Note that there is also a fretboard stop place at the nut end of the fretboard jig to provide additional support of the fretboard.
The second part of this movable jig is the Fret Scale Cutting Template that is attached to the side of the fixture. This is a removable portion of the jig that will allow you to make additional fret scale spacing template and bolt them into place on the jig, giving it additional flexibility.
Note that the movable part of the jig should slide freely within the wooden base of the jig. This means you may need to sand a whisker off the sliding portion to make it snug, yet be able to move it without binding.
Ultimate Guitar Building Tip: If you really want a slick way to make the movable portion slide much easier, you can place a self-lubricating piece of jig plastic in the bottom of the wooden base. You will need to adjust your jig base accordingly to accomodate the thickness of the plastic.
Cut all of the pieces from the Rock Maple. Be sure to make any adjustments to meet the varying dimensions of your particular Band Saw table. It is essential that you be very accurate with these parts so the jig will operate smoothly. You are used to working with infinite detail with making guitars, so that should not be a problem. 
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Guitar Assembly Workboard Plans:
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Tags: cutting fret slots, fret cutting template, fret cutting tool, fret miter box jig, guitar building jig
