Is a 1/16 dremel router bit made?

[rjv494]

I checked around and only found an 1/8" dremel router bit. I am making a fretboard from walnut. Will the 1/16" dremel carving bit work to make slots? Thanks, Ron

[Swingman]

You'll be much better off using the correct tool for the job ... a fret saw:

[rjv494]

I plan on using a thin strip of maple for the fret lines. I thought about the fret saw, but the kerf is too narrow.

[Ferd Farkel]

What instrument are you making?

[Morris Dovey]

| I checked around and only found an 1/8" dremel router bit. I am | making a fretboard from walnut. Will the 1/16" dremel carving bit | work to make slots?

Ron...

I don't know anything about fretboards, but there are 1/16" (and smaller) end mills with 1/8" shanks.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[rjv494]

I'm making a lap steel guitar.

[Swingman]

Frets on a lap steel are like a screen door on a submarine.

[rjv494]

I could tape some pennies down for frets and still play a mean Sleepwalk!!!

[Owen Lawrence]

What? Keeps the bugs out?

- Owen -

[Phil-In-Mich.]

Sorry, but don't luthiers have special tools for that ultra thin kerf cut? I thought there was a special fret saw for luthiers which was a back saw with special saw tooth set for that narrow kerf.

Luthiers Mercantile International,

a 6 inch table saw blade with 92 teeth, 0.023 inch wide kerf search under Fretting, and then on next page scroll to bottom, and click on Power Slotting system.

Phil

[Steve]

Ron;

I've built several fretless bass guitars, and in each case I used the standard fret saw, which cuts a .023" kerf, then used maple veneer cut into strips and glued into the slots. I actually have a narrow-kerf

6-inch diameter blade that goes in my table saw for this. You have to sand the veneer strips down a little because veneers are 1/40" or .025" thick. In one case I used black dyed maple veneer in a birdseye maple fingerboard. The fretlines I get this way show up fine - they don't really need to be any wider.

Hope this helps!

--Steve

[J. Clarke]

Don't get locked into "router bit" or "Dremel". Just find a straight bit with the diameter you want and don't worry about whether it's called a "router bit" or whether it's "Dremel" brand.

In the Dremel line there are several "engraving" bits that do fine for routing down to about 1/32".

Practice with it to get the right feed rate before you do anything that _has_ to be right.

[Dick]

End mills with 1/8" shanks go down to .005 in .001 intervals.

Dick

[B A R R Y]

Speaking of submarines and out of the park OT, but check this out...

I work with a guy who commanded two nuke subs back in the 80's, in his prior career.

He recently explained to me that some diesel boats had fuel tanks with no bottom, as in open to the sea. The fuel floats on seawater pushing up from the bottom of the tank. As the fuel is used, the water replaces the fuel, and there's no air in the tank.

Well, _I_ thought that was interesting.

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[Swingman]

"B A R R Y" wrote

It is ... that's probably where the screen door goes. :)

[Nova]

I never have played a fretless bass, but wouldn't they serve as a position reference?

[B A R R Y]

Lines? My fretless bass didn't need no steenkin' lines!

It did have position markers on the side / edge of the neck visible to the player.

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[henry]

Drill Technology 616-676-1792 Michigan 1/16 th available or Stewart MacDonald stewmac.com