Dust free fret sawing

[marcus]

I've been doing some hand fret-sawing in the last few days and always find that the biggest annoyance with this is dust obscuring the cut line. Here's a simple solution I've come up with. I got a little aquarium air pump (dirt cheap) and a length of tube and stuck it to the saw with masking tape, so that it points down the blade. This blows the dust away and makes for much more relaxed working; you can focus 100% on sawing, rather than blowing dust or trying to see through it.

I also find that having the table at an angle and sitting at a stool rather than standing also helps with dust and is much more comfortable and accurate for me if I'm doing it for any length of time.

 

[xy mosian]

Nice one marcus, and a great use for an end vice too!
xy

 

[psm]

good idea

 

[Gill]

It's always good news when you find an arrangement that works for you . Beware of spending too long at a bird's tooth table set at that angle, though - working for lengthy periods at an angle or height where your forearms are not parallel to the floor can lead to spinal problems in the long term.