John Coloccia
03-07-2010, 1:52 AM
So I finally figured out how to make a jig that will take StewMac's fret slotting templates and allow me to switch which template I use. I never liked the whole double sided tape thing, but I couldn't seem to figure out how to make it better AND be able to use different templates. Here's what I built tonight...
Here's what the jig looks like
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01923.jpg
First I have a base made out of 3/4" birch ply. There's a little chunk taken out of the back. I needed that for a different part of the jig but that has no relevance to the sled. The important part here is the front of the sled is exactly perpendicular to the saw blade. I have a trick for doing this very simply, by the way. If anyone's interested, I'll post it.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01924.jpg
Note the locating pin in the vertical member.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01925.jpg
Here's the part that moves. The blue thing is a Kreg fence. Takes T-nuts/T-Bolts on one side, and 1/4-20 nuts/bolts on the other. The little piece on the bottom is that piece that was cut from the back of the sled. You really want an exact match in thickness here. Actually, just a touch under is best. I put this on the belt sander for 2 seconds to make it just a little thinner.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01926.jpg
Now I can bolt the StewMac template to the top of the Kreg fence.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01927.jpg
Note that I'm indexing off of the template, not the fence. I don't care what the fence is doing. All I care about is the front of the sled is square to the blade, the vertical piece is parallel to the front of the fence, and the template is square to the vertical piece (which it will always be because I simply pull it up tight as I'm slotting....that's why the clearance is there).
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01928.jpg
Now I can just move it down from notch to notch as normal. The nice part, though, is I can swap in whatever scale length I want. No tape, no lining up center lines, etc.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01929.jpg
Maybe someone will find this useful. I saw something similar somewhere though it didn't have interchangeable templates. I wish I could remember where so I could give credit.
Here's what the jig looks like
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01923.jpg
First I have a base made out of 3/4" birch ply. There's a little chunk taken out of the back. I needed that for a different part of the jig but that has no relevance to the sled. The important part here is the front of the sled is exactly perpendicular to the saw blade. I have a trick for doing this very simply, by the way. If anyone's interested, I'll post it.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01924.jpg
Note the locating pin in the vertical member.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01925.jpg
Here's the part that moves. The blue thing is a Kreg fence. Takes T-nuts/T-Bolts on one side, and 1/4-20 nuts/bolts on the other. The little piece on the bottom is that piece that was cut from the back of the sled. You really want an exact match in thickness here. Actually, just a touch under is best. I put this on the belt sander for 2 seconds to make it just a little thinner.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01926.jpg
Now I can bolt the StewMac template to the top of the Kreg fence.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01927.jpg
Note that I'm indexing off of the template, not the fence. I don't care what the fence is doing. All I care about is the front of the sled is square to the blade, the vertical piece is parallel to the front of the fence, and the template is square to the vertical piece (which it will always be because I simply pull it up tight as I'm slotting....that's why the clearance is there).
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01928.jpg
Now I can just move it down from notch to notch as normal. The nice part, though, is I can swap in whatever scale length I want. No tape, no lining up center lines, etc.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/StewMac%20Fret%20Slotting%20Jig/DSC01929.jpg
Maybe someone will find this useful. I saw something similar somewhere though it didn't have interchangeable templates. I wish I could remember where so I could give credit.