I use a simple scratch stock to cut grooves for stringing. It’s especially useful on small table tops, table legs, and jewelry boxes, where a router might be unwieldy. Tiny router bits also have a tendency to break. I made the blade from a short section of an old bandsaw blade, which was about 1⁄32 in. thick, and used my bench grinder and a file to form the narrow tooth. It helps to color the blade with a marker and draw the tooth shape on it with a scratch awl before grinding.

After shaping it, flatten the cutter on a sharpening stone to remove any burrs. The holder is made from maple, with a slot bandsawed into it. A small thumbscrew is used to tighten the slot, holding the cutter in place. I threaded the maple to hold the thumbscrew, but you could also screw it into a threaded insert, or simply use a common wood screw to apply the
clamping pressure. To use the tool, tilt it backward at first, like a scraper blade, and lower it until it just scores the wood. Make additional passes as needed, gradually bringing the cutter up to 90°.

—CHARLIE JAMES, Williston Par k, N.Y.