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I’m planning my next few builds and I would appreciate any thoughts on the purfling. On my first I used the SM 0.040 BWB, it looks great up close but even from a few feet away it’s hard to see. So I’m thinking about the 0.060 BWB or the 0.040 BW for the next few.

Thanks in advance, pics would be great.

SA

Herringbone or pearl. They will both show up.

Thanks John, I'm not a fan of Herringbone but I do plan to use .064 Zip Flex Abalone as purfling on the top of my next build.
I want to use the BWB on either side of the Abalone, as well as the back and sides. The build will be some very dark EIRW with an Adi top.
The binding will be Curly Maple, I'm leaning towards the SM .040 BW everywhere I'm just concerned the White might be to overpowering .

Scott

This is .040 b/w/b from stew mac- Adi top, EIR B/S, maple binding.

Zipflex already has a black line on each side so keep that in mind with your layout.

It can be a PITA but mixing several different colored lines together can produce some nice effects. On my first I mismeasured both the top and back purfling "stair steps" so that I had to get creative with multiband purfling. On the front I sandwiched a single band of flamed maple purfling between two bold BWB laminated bands and IMO it really set off nicely against the cedar top, mahogany sides and rosewood trim:



For the back I REALLY screwed up and and had to fill in even MORE of an area. I ended up sandwiching a single laminated band of fine BWB purfling flanked by two bands of flamed maple and framed by two bold BWB bands:



Would I have done this on purpose? No. It was in fact a PITA but I suppose it was easier than bending herringbone.

Thanks guys, the pics really help. Tim is the purfling on the top the same as the side, it looks bigger.


SA

CavalierKingCharles wrote:Thanks guys, the pics really help. Tim is the purfling on the top the same as the side, it looks bigger.


SA

OK, I lied (well actually I was just mistaken). The top is .060 and the bottom .040. So your perception is right, top is wider. Sorry, for throwing you off.

Thanks Tim, that shows the difference in the two sizes perfectly.


SA

CavalierKingCharles wrote:Thanks Tim, that shows the difference in the two sizes perfectly.


SA

I case you were wondering and didn't know - the white line in both sets is .020 but the black lines in the .060 are .020 and in the .040 are .010.