Handmade binding router tower

[Ben-Had]

This is what I did with mine. It's a pulley and screen door spring. Little more expensive but I can adjust the tension by where I hook it to the spring. I took the inner compression spring out.

download/file.php?id=1550&mode=view

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Okay so my wife gave me one of her old poly cutting boards, so I cut out a beveled donut and mounted it around the router bit tonight. the hole in the center is too big for the bit (closest oversize I could come was 1 1/8"), so I just mounted it close to the bit in the front since that is the only place making contact anyway. I also turned the router around so the height adjustment screw is now in the front so adjusting the bit height is swift and easy. Of course, now the collet nut is in the back so I have to dismount the router to remove the bit. @#!# I used rubber bands to take some of the weight off the router.

I also got the sled made last week. No picture yet, but it is along the idea of what luthier Greg Nelson shows on his youtube video. Mine isn't much to look at but it works. I go for function, not too worried about "pretty". I mounted a guitar body in the sled, laid a piece of scrap mdf on top, and fed it into the router. Hey! It worked! It made a nice cut along a straight edge and it was perfect. I'm not ready to cut channels yet for real, but will be doing it pretty soon I hope. I'll put a pic of the sled up in the next couple of days.

I feel real good about making this myself, and saved a bundle. That is the way I like it!

Kevin

[Jim_H]

Hey Kevin,

Could you point me at Greg's video(s)? I can't seem to find them using search.

Thanks,
Jim

[Kevin Sjostrand]

jIM,
Here is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4JRUByYB-4

Kevin

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Here is my "not so good looking but works" sled/guitar holder. The back dowels are stationary, the middle ones pivot and clamp like a cam, and bolt in place. It is set up for the OM, I will have to use some shims on the front holders for my dreds; easy to do. I don't need those front holders to rout the back of the guitar, just some 1/8" leather shims to hold the edge off the the sled because the top is arched, and does not sit flat. All made from scrap and nuts and bolts I already had.
I got a new rabbiting bit from Stewmac to day so I will look forward to putting this machine to work.

Kevin

[Jim_H]

Kevin,

I completely disagree. That is ... elegant! Thanks for sharing!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I plan to use just he right combination of rubber band size and length to match the height of my tower, and the heigth of the guitar body in the cradle.....I can even tie knots in them If I have to. :>)
Thanks for the tip.

Kevin

[penndan]

I made one from mdf, drawer slides and dry wall screws. And also used rubber bands to lighten up the weight of the router. Good enough for the kind of women I go out with.

[docsnnada]

if two is too little, and three is too much, you might want to anchor the third rubber band a little lower on the fixture. that would give you less-then-maximum tension on the third band.

[playonit]

Pretty new here and this was one of the first threads that caught my eye.... I was in the process of figuring out how I wanted to approach the binding process and was looking for ideas... This thread inspired me to build a binding tower.. I watched Chris Paulicks video to get perspective and this is what I got with a few hours to spend one afternoon... I am awaiting my guide bearing in the mail and am still trying to find a suitable pully wheel for the counter weight..