Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

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MaineGeezer
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Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

Post by MaineGeezer »

You shim so the sides are vertical. If there is variation in the sides, so if a side is vertical in one spot it won't be vertical someplace else, you'll have to adjust the guitar body as you progress around the cut. Set your starting point vertical, and cut as far as you can until the side wanders "too far" from vertical to be acceptable. Re-adjust the alignment so the side is vertical again, and keep going.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
ChuckBarnett
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Re: Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

Post by ChuckBarnett »

AH!!!

Watching Robbie O'brien's lesson on setting up the instrument is a cradle led me to believe the sides (at least on his build) would be vertical if the height of the top was adjusted the same all around. As I said earlier, something is wrong in what I've done and mine are off.
MaineGeezer wrote:You shim so the sides are vertical. If there is variation in the sides, so if a side is vertical in one spot it won't be vertical someplace else, you'll have to adjust the guitar body as you progress around the cut. Set your starting point vertical, and cut as far as you can until the side wanders "too far" from vertical to be acceptable. Re-adjust the alignment so the side is vertical again, and keep going.
MaineGeezer
Posts: 1711
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

Post by MaineGeezer »

ChuckBarnett wrote:AH!!!

Watching Robbie O'brien's lesson on setting up the instrument is a cradle led me to believe the sides (at least on his build) would be vertical if the height of the top was adjusted the same all around. As I said earlier, something is wrong in what I've done and mine are off.
Well, maybe. The top edges of the sides start out straight, which is the reference you use to glue in the end blocks. If you then sand the top edges with a radius dish though, the top edges will no longer be straight.

If you do it right, the sides should end up so all parts of the sides are parallel/vertical or however you want to describe it. That is, if you set up one spot on the sides to be vertical, the sides should be vertical all the way around. If that is not the case, just adjust so the side is perpendicular (or "close enough") at the point you are cutting the binding/purfling channel. When it stops being "close enough," reset the guitar body so the side is perpendicular again.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

ChuckBarnett wrote:Great input!! Thanks, all. Still researching...

I made some bindings (Koa). Seems there is a variation in the thickness and I'm wondering how problematic this is. I thicknessed the pieces by taping them to MDF and running thru my drum sander at 150 grit.

Chuck Barnett
The most important thing is that your binding is smooth on the guitar sides, ie. the inside and bottom that sit in the channel against the guitar. Any unevenness on the exposed edges, can be scraped down. Just make sure your cut channel is no deeper or thicker than the thinnest point of your binding.

I'll do some research for you. I've seen instructions for making a scraping apparatus in which the bindings are pulled through, resulting in evenly thickened bindings. I'll try to find the info and I'll post the url.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
ChuckBarnett
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Location: Arlington, WA

Re: Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

Post by ChuckBarnett »

Diane Kauffmds wrote:
ChuckBarnett wrote:Great input!! Thanks, all. Still researching...

I made some bindings (Koa). Seems there is a variation in the thickness and I'm wondering how problematic this is. I thicknessed the pieces by taping them to MDF and running thru my drum sander at 150 grit.

Chuck Barnett
The most important thing is that your binding is smooth on the guitar sides, ie. the inside and bottom that sit in the channel against the guitar. Any unevenness on the exposed edges, can be scraped down. Just make sure your cut channel is no deeper or thicker than the thinnest point of your binding.

I'll do some research for you. I've seen instructions for making a scraping apparatus in which the bindings are pulled through, resulting in evenly thickened bindings. I'll try to find the info and I'll post the url.
Good tips!

Thanks for that kindness!

I am meeting a seller tomorrow hopefully to purchase a KMG binding cutter jig. Looks like it attaches to a router base and you move the router around the instrument. He's replaced it with the Ensor Ultimate jig.
ruby@magpage.com
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Re: Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

I am meeting a seller tomorrow hopefully to purchase a KMG binding cutter jig. Looks like it attaches to a router base and you move the router around the instrument. He's replaced it with the Ensor Ultimate jig.


He made 2 and I have the simpler one - it bolts to the router, uses a 1/4" bit and you adjust the fence in and out and the depth, then hand-hold it and run it around the guitar. I have made 8 guitars with it, no mistakes yet, and the only thing I would replace it with is the Ensor.

Here are a couple of shots - scroll right or left, text below, click to enlarge

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/ ... 488198220/

The whole procedure is clench-inducing, but that diminishes each time you use it.

Ed
Ed M
Stray Feathers
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Re: Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

Post by Stray Feathers »

I built one of the Fleishmann-type jigs and thought I would just buzz around the edges to a perfect result. I can reinforce the point that, for whatever reason, your guitar sides may not be uniformly perpendicular all the way around (my first two builds were not) and you have to check frequently as you work your way around the body.

One other point: I have heard some say that the bindings should be a little shallow rather than proud (on the sides, not the top), and the sides scraped flush. If the bindings need too much taken off, they will not be a uniform thickness all the way around, which may be noticeable.

Bruce W.
ChuckBarnett
Posts: 136
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 7:46 pm
Location: Arlington, WA

Re: Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

Post by ChuckBarnett »

Stray Feathers wrote:I built one of the Fleishmann-type jigs and thought I would just buzz around the edges to a perfect result. I can reinforce the point that, for whatever reason, your guitar sides may not be uniformly perpendicular all the way around (my first two builds were not) and you have to check frequently as you work your way around the body.

One other point: I have heard some say that the bindings should be a little shallow rather than proud (on the sides, not the top), and the sides scraped flush. If the bindings need too much taken off, they will not be a uniform thickness all the way around, which may be noticeable.

Bruce W.
Thanks for the good tips, Bruce! I would love to know what you did to improve the perpendicularity of the sides?

My bindings are between .057 and .062 inch thick. I'm hoping to make channels that get the most thickness from them. If I have to work the sides down, I'm okay with that. (There isn't much on this first attempt that I'd call 'easy'!)
ChuckBarnett
Posts: 136
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 7:46 pm
Location: Arlington, WA

Re: Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

Post by ChuckBarnett »

ruby@magpage.com wrote:I am meeting a seller tomorrow hopefully to purchase a KMG binding cutter jig. Looks like it attaches to a router base and you move the router around the instrument. He's replaced it with the Ensor Ultimate jig.


He made 2 and I have the simpler one - it bolts to the router, uses a 1/4" bit and you adjust the fence in and out and the depth, then hand-hold it and run it around the guitar. I have made 8 guitars with it, no mistakes yet, and the only thing I would replace it with is the Ensor.

Here are a couple of shots - scroll right or left, text below, click to enlarge

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/ ... 488198220/

The whole procedure is clench-inducing, but that diminishes each time you use it.

Ed
Ed, I've scoured the web for this jig, looking for pics or videos. This is the one I just bought! Got my Bosch colt base drilled and the jig mounted. I need to buy a bit and then I can do some practicing. This jig is the only concept I've considered that looks do-able for me.
tippie53
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Re: Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

Post by tippie53 »

I have been doing this for about 20 yrs. Of all the jigs I used most of them. The KMG jig is a copy of a design that is in the guitar makers manual . They all have weak points. The best one I have found is the fleishman design. You are controlling the 2 planes and what makes this work is the donut .
I set it up so that the binding is just under the sides and you sand the sides to the binding not scrape the binding to the sides. If you make wood binding keep it at about 1/16 of an inch .
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
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