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I need to purchase a fingerboard slotting blade. I see a variety of slot sizes - .023, .0245, .025. Which do you like and why? I remember seeing comments about the blade offered by Shane, but am not sure why you feel that is ideal.

I also see a wide swing in prices for blade stabalizers, from $20 to $100. Which stabalizers work best for you?

(been lurking for a while - finally decided to join!)

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John Ressler

I like the blade that I got from shane as the frets are easy to install in the slots they cut.

I bought a set of stabilizers from woodcraft that are about 3" in diameter. If I can find a set that are 4" in diameter, I will buy them as the 3" set still can let the blade wander if it begins to overheat.

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Reguards,

Ken H

Ken, go look at these stabilizers. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=30075&cat=1,41080,41165&ap=1 The 5" should still give you clearance enough for fret slotting.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Lee Valley 5" stabilizers here...Shane's blade and the stabilizers have worked great over 4 FBs so far using ebony, BRW and Maple.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Also Shane's blade (original blade at 0.025") and the Lee Valley 5" stabilizers, leaves lots of room for slotting as the blade is 6" diameter.

I had a stew-mac blade and returned it. I had heard that the blade did not cut the kerf stated (0.023" I believe) and some frets went in to tightly. I didn't even open the package, just returned it and got Shane's and the Lee Valley stabilizers (which I can use on the diablo 7-1/4" blades too) which were less $ total than the stew-mac blade (but I have a Lee Valley close to me so I didn't have to pay shipping). I've only used it on on board and the kerf sure seems to hold the frets just fine. The board is ebony.

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Stewmac fixed that problem with their blade some time ago. I had bought one, and called to return or exchange and they confirmed that I had the new one. It works great, I use their frets and it worked great, frets seemed to go in just right in my limited experience with it. I'm sure Shane's works great, too, just wanted to throw that in the ring.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Hi all.

I would also be interested in Shane's blade, but where can I find Mr. Shane to get a blade from him?

Thanks!

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

Click up top on High Mountain Tonewoods.

Got it, thanks!

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

I've used the LMI blade and stabilizers for a couple of years and it's performed flawlessly.
Terry

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I had trouble with a Stew-mac blade cutting slots in ebony, using their fretwire, and had to really mash the fret tangs. I called them to find out if I had one of the old blades, but they said no. Shane's blade works better.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Thanks for the feedback. I had purchased a Stewmac blade recently and it only cuts a .018 slot. They are still having problems with the blade and won't have any new ones for a couple of months. I liked it because it doesn't require stabalizers, but .018 is pretty tight.

John Ressler

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John Ressler

Thanks Alain for asking that question, I was wondering the same thing. I'll just go up yonder to ole Shanes place and buy me a blade....

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

I never had any problem with my Stew-Mac blade, bought in 2002... I've cut more than 100 rosewood fretboard with it. I use the Stew-Mac fretwire and it always fits nicely, not too tight.

Marc

I have been using the LMI blade for a few years and it works good with the provided stabilizers. One problem I have is that it seems to heat up quickly and start smoking going through ebony fretboards. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Jeremy

I have the Lee Valley 5 inch blade stiffeners. They are the $20 ones. They seem to work well but they don't support the blade over the entire surface area of the stiffener, just at the inner and outer edges. Lee Valley also sells a WoodWorker stabilizer which a little more than double the money. I believe it is a machined steel plate and is probably similiar or identical to the LMI ones. They are probably a level better, but still I have not heard issues with the $20 ones.

As for burning, these blades are fairly fine tooth with virtually no kerf to clear the sawdust, so slow feed rates are a must on hard oily woods.

Shane

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Canada

This thread piqued my interest, so I just ran out to my workshop and measured the slots my recently purchased StewMac blade produces - they are all exactly 0.0230" on the nose. There's nothing wrong with this blade at all. To me, it seems like it's actually a better deal than buying thin blades with separate stabilizers from elsewhere.

I have not noticed any heat build-up or other difficulty running slots in ebony with the StewMac blade. The blade cuts very smoothly, leaving no tear-out or chip-out at the end of the cuts. So far, I love it .

Cheers,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"