Tool making

I promised myself I'd kit up before fretting the next time. Trouble is specialist tools are hard to buy. They're reasonably priced in the US but the postage, customs and VAT charges, and worst of all the postal service's own charge add up until you hate people you never met. 

So I thought I'd build my own tools for seating frets and filing them. 

First task was sawing some brass into a suitable lump. 

I made the cut face flat on the sanding plate. Nasty business this metal work, not at all like wood. 

Then more sawing. A few drops of oil helped the blade. 

Then cutting a slot (with a dull blade). 

And here it is, more or less done. I'll try it in a few days. 

Tool number two is a dual purpose fret file. The file was a Husqvarna for chain saws, made in Germany. 

I planed the block flat and square, and one edge to 30 degrees, and put magnets into the edges. 

Here it is, the edge for levelling frets...

... and the edge for bevelling the fret ends to 30 degrees.