How To Kick Ass At Cutting Fret Slots... Just Like I Do... And I'm A Rock Star!

[@MarioinRmd]

Your channel is quickly turning into my favourite guitar building one on KZbin. Your presentation style is low key.. Very informative, yet not super serious. Probably the way you run your shop, I would guess.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Wow, thanks brotherman

[@rickeydenler2385]

67 years old career wood worker still got all my fingers which is a lot more that I can say for a lot of my woodworker friends and coworkers tools have my respect for sure cheers

[@hogie1259]

Excellent video Matt.Thanks for posting it up. It's one thing for hobbyist guys on youtube to post up how to's but this is your bread and butter and the fact that you share with us your skills and knowledge says a lot about you and your company. Thanks dude!

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Thanks J.T. that is very kind of you to say. I hope y'all keep enjoying the videos... I'll keep making them.

[@asdfasdfasdfsadf7868]

will the template work with a zero fret? I assume the distance would be somewhat different for a nut and a zero fret?

[@BSMikkel]

Coolest looking drill press ever!! :)...and the guitars are nice too.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

It is a really neat drill press, we found a picture of the old Mosrite shop with one just like it

[@castle5711]

Thanks for the lesson, and the closeups on the pin jig. It seems that epoxying an extension on the left end of the jig would help keep the (left) support hand away from the blade on the first few slots. You could also set it to ensure that the head end of the fret board is set to at least the marker line (at 5:50).

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Thanks for watching Ed, that tool takes a little finesse to use and isn't... exactly safe. In other news that is a fine looking SAA in your picture brotherman

[@castle5711]

Thanks. cut my first (and only, so far) fret board by hand, with a similar peg setup for a fretted CBG class. May have to break down and get the template. Thanks for the note on the iron. Put it through its paces at 140 yds that day. I'll remember what that photo does to a Ruger SBH. ;)

[@rickeydenler2385]

i bought one of those radial arms one time i used it a few times realized how dangerous that thing was hardly used it then i got the news a friend cut 2 fingers off with his put the thing out back of my shop were it rusted for years before i junked it

[@TexasToastGuitars]

You know... Power tools deserve our respect. I don't believe that any are more or less dangerous. However, I have seen woodworkers that are more or less dangerous than others.

[@troy1258]

Yyyyeah! I really do appreciate it! Wish I could afford the Patreon thing. I'm not shamed out. Really love you're content.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Thanks for watching Troy, I'm glad you are enjoying the videos. Don't sweat the Patreon thing, I totally understand. If you want to help out another way share the video with some friends or even on forums. Have a great day brotherman.

[@johnnypk1963]

Yea hey Matt. Just set up my old radial arm saw to do fret slots. I spent a lot of time thinking through whether or not to use an offset. The only reason I could find to use an offset would be if u were gunna use this saw for fretboard end cutoffs. In my case I’m not, so I setup the pin directly under the blade.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

You know I probably should have done that too. I can't think of a good reason to use an offset either. Glad to hear you got your saw set up brotherman

[@j-mo2453]

Radial arm saws are great and really diverse in what they can do. Prone to some hazards that one must be diligent to circumvent for sure. My favorite one was free and 10” craftsmen in great functional condition and a plethora of blades, bits and attachments and all the instruction manuals too. Lol But was huge. Other tools I would also need for my trade, relegated it to an awesome workbench except rare occasions of being set up for repetitive processes that was worth clearing all that crap off of it. Lol

[@j-mo2453]

I’m kind of sad now. I miss that saw. Rabbits have never been the same without it. Shit you guys there might have found a pin router attachment in those old manuals. Sniffle. Lolol

[@TexasToastGuitars]

We only use the radial arm saw for frets, they can get out of whack pretty easy

[@j-mo2453]

Yes they can and certainly a saw you keep checking. I fucked some shit up with tools out of whack. Quite a few times to be honest. It’s going to happen again. Just no telling when. Lol

[@LovelyKauai]

Matt. Just in case a suggestion has not been made, I would consider a simple stop-block or bolt tapped into the rail to prevent the saw from kicking forward. Even a c-clamp would work. Thanks for all the advice!

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Oh hey, that is a great idea. Thanks Scott

[@MJ-nb1qn]

As a wood worker, not a luthier, yet, if room allows on a RAS you can pull the bade out, put the lumber between the blade and the back board, start the saw and push the blade back in to cut. No climb cutting. But this might be a PITA for the fret work. Just saying. Cool channel. I have a commission to build an electric guitar ( if I can figure it out) from a dude that played with Frank Zappa. How’s that for wild s...! And I’m 65 years old.

[@74dartman13]

Man you did kick ass! Beats the hell outta cuttin by hand, for sure!

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Ha, I'm still trying to come up with crazy titles to get a reaction. I had to cut 7 or 8 boards in a day once when I still was using the hand saw... I decided that was the last time I was going to do that.

[@74dartman13]

Texas Toast Guitars I don't blame ya! I just cut one by hand. That was one too many!😂

[@sgilly80]

What a great page. Appreciate the content!

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Thanks so much for your nice comment my friend, glad you are digging my page

[@Dude_Slick]

My last build I used Purpleheart on the fretboard. A tad splintery to work with, but it sound so crisp. I love it.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

What a great wood, I have done a few purple heart fretboards and you are 100% correct... a bit splintery but really beautiful timber

[@Dude_Slick]

Right now I'm doing two just like the last one, but one with an Ebony fretboard, and the other with Rosewood. They are semi-hollow, Mahogany, set neck, with Babinga sapwood fronts.

[@2869may]

You're splintery comment made me think of working with wenge..... you can get splinters just lookin at it.lol Why is the fret board separate? I'm thinking of trying to build a little travel guitar, I have some awesome walnut. Could I put the frets directly in the neck ? It's not going to be for a serious player. I just want to build it, and goof around on it. More of a showpiece than anything. (you can see some work I've done in my "I did that" video)

[@thomaswalz3515]

I've an older radial... not much older, but older. I just tried selling a fairly new De Walt one.... I had to give it away. Get vid. Thanks!

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Thanks for sharing Thomas, I just saw a memory on FB that I have been using that Radial Arm Saw of mine for over 9 years now

[@johnmeehan4518]

I like the LMI lexan templates. Vintage radial arm saws that are accurate work great for this.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Thanks for watching John

[@fat-hand]

What is the depth of cut for each fret slot? And, does the fretboard stay 5/16" at highest point (middle) after radiusing?

[@thomaswalz3515]

I've a Craftsman radial arm from the early 60's. It's a beast... all cast iron. Weighs a ton. The key to radial arms is buying blades with the least amount of rake... 0° is best...

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Lord knows we love ours

[@toddcrosby143]

Cool channel! I’m a cabinet finish carpenter and actually own a pin router. I don’t use it at all it’s a delta and most don’t even know what it is...

[@TexasToastGuitars]

I love the pin router though as a cabinet maker I can see how it might be cool to have but less used than some other tools

[@oneconsc3333]

I feel,it would be a good idea to clamp a stop block on top of the arm of the saw to restrict it going farther than it need to go.🙏🏻🇨🇦

[@TexasToastGuitars]

You certainly could do that, not a bad idea

[@eyeofamon]

CMG in Georgia is using Katalox in place of Rosewood.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

It's a fine timber, there are lots of good woods out there and it's cool to hear about other places using the less popular stuff.

[@gregaltenhofel7326]

I got an old craftsman radial arm saw off Craig’s list. There’s a recall on some old models. Gooogle it call em it’s free

[@TexasToastGuitars]

I'll check it out

[@cropduster001]

Where do you get those blades?

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Stewmac

[@whitewhaleguitars1443]

how did you fair with the chechen? I have a fuckton of it but it gives me some pretty bad contact dermatitis. In mexico if you rest under a chechen tree you're toast.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

We have used it for fretboards for a few years and so far so good. We try to keep dust control in mind... in spite of what we have done in videos. I got bit pretty bad once by cocobolo but not for a while now.

[@whitewhaleguitars1443]

Yeah, can't be too careful with dust. Cocobolo is a mean one, for sure. I have a few slabs of mexican cocobolo I'm scared to even work lmao. Granadillo is a nice alternative but swells the nasal cavities pretty good. I have a bunch of katalox, bocote, ziricote, chechen, pucte (bulletwood.. harder than ebony imo), granadillo. I could probably part with some, if you're ever interested hit me up on facebook (alejandro torres).

[@UrquidiGuitars]

Always headbanging to the intro song...

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Rock out Carlos

[@samuelperkins9170]

Fret slot width and depth?

[@TexasToastGuitars]

.023 wide depth is based on fretwire

[@StMoritzGuitars]

Cool video Matt. Gonna have to keep my eye open for a used radial arm saw. Sure beats the alternative of using that damn hand saw. On a side note: IF you really wanted to you could probably whip up a blade guard as I noticed there is, what appears to be 2 threaded mounting bosses in the front of the saw's body.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Yeah, we did find a link to some safety stuff for these saws it probably isn't the worst idea. Oh, you are so right about the hand saw sucking, especially when you have a lot to do.

[@MegaGuitarpicker]

Your shaper will eat you up also. I really like your videos. Gonna try a fabric finish next. Hope Solarez will work well on it.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

The shaper is no joke. I have no idea about Solarez, let me know

[@georgescarlett2320]

Y E S !!!!! TO Solarez!! I can do (Have done) an entire RIC Autumnglo Burst finish, (old RIC finish), including ALL prep., final sanding, and Buff Out in TWENTY FOUR HOURS, W/O Volatiles, or poisonous Vapors, at a cost of approx. $15.00!!!!!!!!!!!! Beat that "Nitro-Heads", Har! Oh, customers like all the aforementioned features as well, especially the part about the 24 Hours! Oh, did I mention you don't have to go beyond #1000 grit?

[@drgonzo305]

Never did a rosewood, I got a couples off some other necks that already have frets installed and for my first time I decided to go in opposite of what common sense dictates and I've spent the past 2 days sanding a piece of Brazilian ipe and your welcome if you've never heard of it because one you spend a little time prettying it up as you sand up the grits, go to 2000 and thank me again, I can't understand why any other wood would be considered for fretboards it's called Brazilian walnut and it's used by rich people for decking and I believe it is the hardest wood you can get, it's pretty ugly until its polished up and mine is quartersawn so you get richly colored shades of red and almost purple and black ribbons going from nut to saddles, dyes or stains can't really penetrate into the wood and will wax on wax off with little effect, I kept at it for a couple days with a mix half and half red mohagany and true black stain and might have brightened the reds a little but the thing that blew my mind was a quick wipe with Tung oil finish and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, if I had to choose between the scrap wood from a deck we were working on and Brazilian rosewood, ipe hands down unless it 2ws given to me and then id sell that back and buy up a whole ipe tree, get yourself a 5/4 board 1x6 for $15 and have the most beautiful, hardest,, resonate fretboard on Earth

[@grewejames1]

nice set up

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Thanks Jim, it works great.

[@patricklynchthesamsclubguy2174]

Looks like my Dad's old Shop Craft radial arm saw! Too bad I sold it.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Too bad indeed...Naughty, naughty, naughty!

[@patricklynchthesamsclubguy2174]

It was suckin up too much room in the shed. I need a pole barn to work in.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

For now it was lovely music that came to my aid. There was a window open with the stereo on and I viddied right at once what to do

[@ronstickle4694]

donated my dads as well now sorry! didn't know i would start building guitars but built a miter box and bought a mini table saw to do the job! giving up building cars guitars are so much easier and so rewarding. got some videos in the works on my KZbin

[@nimnim314]

"And that's not cool.. chicks don't dig it." I'm cracking up

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Thanks for watching Trufasa X... chicks digging it is kinda the whole idea

[@whynotme5926]

cool.

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Lord knows I love it!

[@steveredenbaugh9058]

Here`s my Witty Comment..

[@TexasToastGuitars]

I'll help you Steve... "Hey Matt, if you were really a rock star girls would be throwing panties at you when you were cutting fret slots!"

[@patrickkeenan6331]

Try using the other hand--it feels like someone else....

[@HBSuccess]

Matt - if you did want to put a basic guard on your blade, Sears made a plastic guard kit that was meant to work with their 6” moulding head on a radial arm (talk about danger 😂 - can’t tell u how many white knuckle moments that thing created) - anyway the stewmac blade is also 6” so I think it would work perfectly. I almost just grabbed it 4u but can’t find shipping address. r.ebay.com/GYFDOV

[@TexasToastGuitars]

Thanks my friend, that would make Mrs. Texas Toast feel a little better, going to check it out now.