binding thickness vs side thickness

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Mark Scrivener
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Joined: Sat May 09, 2020 6:16 am

binding thickness vs side thickness

Post by Mark Scrivener »

I want to ad binding to a koa uke I'm building. The sides are approx .060" thick. The curly maple wood binding I found is nearly .090" thick. Even though the top and back would still be attached by the kerfing, routing a channel that goes completely through the side sounds like a bad idea, or is it? What binding thickness should I aim for?

And assuming I need to make the binding material thinner, any chance sending thin strips like this through a planner would work? Seems like it might destroy the strip, but will probably try unless someone can suggest a better approach (sadly I don't have a drum sander).

Thanks in advance,
Mark
Kevin Sjostrand
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Re: binding thickness vs side thickness

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Hi Mark,
I think you don't want to route deeper than the side thickness. You could probably do say .040", leaving .020" of the side....which isn't much but something. If your lining is solid and not kerfed, then you might get away with going deeper.
I'm pretty sure the planer would destroy it. Thinning binding can be challenging if you do not have a thickness sander. You can use a scraper pretty effectively if you figure out a way to secure, or hold the strips down. I'd suggest using a board a bit longer than you strips. Secure them with double sided tape, side by side, and then use a scraper to take them down. Barring no thickness sander, I believe that is your best bet.

Kevin
tippie53
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Re: binding thickness vs side thickness

Post by tippie53 »

that would have you into the kerfing
thickness sand the binding to ,065
not a fan of thick binding
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
Mark Scrivener
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat May 09, 2020 6:16 am

Re: binding thickness vs side thickness

Post by Mark Scrivener »

Thanks Kevin and John.

I do have some solid lining I could use that is about 0.090 thick, but I already put kerfed lining on one side (easy enough to remove if I have to though). It is only a tenor uke, so maybe not that much of an issue, but I thought the kerfed lining would support the top and back much better than 0.090" solid lining.

So how thick a binding can I get away with if I use the kerfed lining? If I use the solid lining?
tippie53
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Re: binding thickness vs side thickness

Post by tippie53 »

that is personal choice at that point.
getting it to bend is the hard part
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
Mark Scrivener
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat May 09, 2020 6:16 am

Re: binding thickness vs side thickness

Post by Mark Scrivener »

It is already bent. So no problem there.
Mark Scrivener
Posts: 29
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Re: binding thickness vs side thickness

Post by Mark Scrivener »

found this simple DIY jig for plaining binding to thickness

Bob Gleason
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Re: binding thickness vs side thickness

Post by Bob Gleason »

Mark- It does not matter if your binding goes beyond the side thickness. I've made around 700 ukes with sides about 1.7-1.8mm thick. My wood bindings are usually around 2mm thick and I've never made a uke where I did not rout past the side depth. Kerfed or solid lining does not matter either, just as long as it is thick enough and tall enough for the binding you want to do. It is more important that you don't make the binding too tall. If you don't leave enough kerfing height inside, you will weaken the strength of the side attachment to the kerfing. Tall bindings really don't look good on ukes anyway. It's a petite instrument.Once in awhile the binding height will get away from me due to the need to deal with a router chipout and I am never am pleased with the tall look.Even on guitars I always rout past the side thickness for the binding. If you try to make your binding very thin to begin with, that leaves you no room for cleanup of glue and irregularities and usually your binding job will end up thick and thin, and thats not good!-Bob
Bob Gleason
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Re: binding thickness vs side thickness

Post by Bob Gleason »

Mark- I was binding a guitar today and it occurred to me that I probably answered your binding depth question wrong. I only bind with wood and if you are using plastic, you would probably need to pay more attention the binding depth. Using wood, everything becomes a strong solid joint and that is probably not the same with plastic. I actually don't know because I've not bound a guitar with plastic in 40 years or so. Good luck with your building.-Bob
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Mark Scrivener
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Re: binding thickness vs side thickness

Post by Mark Scrivener »

Thanks Bob. I'm actually using wood binding (Maple binding with Koa top, back and sides). Your logic makes sense - with wood binding, as long as there is enough kerfing left, going through the side probably doesn't matter.

Assuming you have perfling that is not wood (abalone in my case), what glue would you use for the wood binding? Using a wood glue (HHG, Fish, PVA, etc) would hold the binding to the kerfin and sides, but I'm assuming it wouldn't bond it to the perfling all that well.
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