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Hi guys..so I just got Stewmacs binding channel tool and am looking for any one here that is using it for maybe some advise and or videos on its use..I guess my main concern would be cutting the top binding where the back does not sit squarely on the board they supply because of its curvature...Im afraid I wont get a good cut...any help will be appreciated all!

I make binding machines that are based on the same principal. this unit is one you can actually hold the trimmer on yours you have to move the guitar. Still the basics are the same

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lan2pKWE1Do

So in doing The top weather with arm set up like you use or the Stewmac true channel with the back on the cradle because of the back being so contoured do you just make it as level as possible and then just make sure sides are square?

on the back you most likely have a radius and a tape so always measure using the actual top. You are correct in you want the sides as perpendicular as possible but you still may need to adjust the carrage for the back a little around the upper bouts

EJ Crate wrote:So in doing The top weather with arm set up like you use or the Stewmac true channel with the back on the cradle because of the back being so contoured do you just make it as level as possible and then just make sure sides are square?

I have the StewMac. You make it AS SQUARE as possible, level does not figure in (you probably figured that out, ha).
ROUTE THE SIDES FIRST!! Write that on your cradle. Next to that, write ALWAYS KEEP BOTH HANDS ON THE BODY OF THE GUITAR. WIsh I had a video of how I learned that.

ROUTE THE SIDES FIRST: If you route the top first, when you get ready to route the sides, the white bearing surface that rides the edge of the top may only have a mm or two to ride on, because you just routed it off. StewMac does not tell you that, but believe me, it should be in the instructions. There is a work around, but it requires a lathe.

I use a machinist square with the thick part on the bench top and the blade on the guitar side. You will have to first carefully center your guitar in the clamps so that the square can touch the guitar sides all around. I go round and round the body, splitting the difference by moving the adjusters up/ down until its as close as I can make it to square all the way around. It wont be perfect (in square) so get it as close as you can to square (sides square to bench). You'll figure it out that you can hit the apex(s) of the upper and lower bouts for adjustments, and then the sides when you're getting close.

Your bench has to be clean and flat too. While in the process of squaring up the body in the cradle, spin your cradle/ body around 90 degrees and measure again to verify your bench is flat (if needed).

Maybe I make a video next time I rout the channels! Feel free to IM me if you have any more questions. It works really well, but it takes A LOT of manual setup to it right.

Please let us know how it went!

I should add, that if you have already cut your neck pocket waste from the sides at the neck block, you will have to cut that last inch or so of the channels by hand, or make other arrangements- the cutter bearing cant follow the top where you have cut it away. Need to have the end wedge installed for same reason.....

On my second build, I did not cut away the sides at the neck mortise until the top channels were cut with the Truechannel. That way I could route the entire perimeter of the purfling and binding channel with the router.

Believe it or not, after the channels were cut, when I went to remove the side material to expose the dovetail mortise, I started hogging out on the bottom instead of the top. I even chiseled a fair amount of material from both the bottom of the neck block and the back with a chisel! Excellent recovery, but it added 15 or so hours to patch it up. That is the current most dumb dumb misteak I’ve made to date : ))