Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

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PSmill
Posts: 111
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2018 12:23 pm
Location: British Columbia, Canada

Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

Post by PSmill »

Hi, I have been thinking about an upgrade for routing channels for a while, but for 1 guitar/year not too keen to spend $500 on a tower. I am currently using a stewmac base with dremel system. It works pretty well, usually I have to route the body, then reset for a deeper (wider) cut to re-cut a few sections to even it out, and then some filing to smooth it all out.

Anyways, I built this contraption from the Bogdanovich book as a prototype. The test cut looks pretty good. The lower half of the router base, which rides on the top or back of the guitar, is angled upward and concave across it's width for stability on tow outside contact points. I'm not sure I would try using this as it is, I see two issues...there is no fine adjustment, although repeated test cuts can compensate for that. The bigger problem is how to make test cuts...since the angled based rides on the dome of the top or back, you'd need to replicate that for test cuts, or use the guitar itself. Not sure making test cuts on scrap would be of much use if the result doesn't translate to the actual body cut.

Curious if anyone has experience with this jig or similar, or ideas on how to make test cuts. Thanks!
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TEETERFAN
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Location: Kansas City, MO

Re: Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

Post by TEETERFAN »

I built a KMG style binding channel router jig, which is like your jig, just upside down. The long vertical post, inline with the router bit, is held against the sides with the base touching the outer 1/2 inch or so of the top. On yours, I imagine it is the same, the long section of the jig, parallel with the router bit, fully contacts the guitar side and the angled base merely contacts the top or bottom’s outer edge. In use, that base’s angle would have to change slightly when the channel is routed if it were to maintain full contact with the top or bottom. The side dictates the actual angle. So my guess is trial runs on, say, a 4X4 wouldn’t be profoundly different. That said, my thinking is starting with settings that are obviously not deep or wide enough, then sneaking up on the final channel dimensions is the safest approach.
Certainly, other forum members with experience with your exact setup might have better insights.
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Kevin Doty
Kansas City
PSmill
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Re: Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

Post by PSmill »

Oh that looks pretty good thanks! I see on the KMG site there is no vertical post, is that an optional upgrade for additional stability?

I am kind of interested in this design as well....with a bearing guided bit set this gives that control of bearings, but still with a low cost and compact hand held set up. I may try to adapt my initial prototype or make up a second one.

https://www.harvestmoonguitars.com/kenn ... HMENT.html
TEETERFAN
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Re: Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

Post by TEETERFAN »

Yea, I kinda liked the long vertical post I saw on your type and some horizontal oriented router designs, so I went with that. In use, I encountered some slight side bulging so I removed wood in the middle of the post to accommodate that, but I filled back in later, after truing up the sides. I don’t know, I think good results are a blend of a good fixture/jig setup and experience. I didn’t mind the hand work cleaning up my channels, since I am retired and not really worried about the time any given procedure takes. Others, who have professional time considerations to consider, might go for a more complex fixture which produces better results quicker, minimizing the channel clean up by hand. Additionally, a professional (or a more prolific builder) can spread the additional fixture cost over many jobs. The KMG fixture seemed the safest design that wouldn’t be to expensive to replicate.
Kevin Doty
Kansas City
tippie53
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Re: Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

Post by tippie53 »

I have been doing this over 22 years and tried every jig out there.
The point is that you need to be able to control all aspects of location.

every jig has its good and bad points. These used to be called dog bone jigs.
I never had good luck with adjustable units there was always something that would happen.
so do lots of test cuts and be sure your adjusted where you want to be. Be sure it can't slip .

The top is actually the easy part the hard part is the backs with the radius and the angle. The point of most concern is the upper bout area on the back so look here before breaking down your set up.

Remember that with a smaller bit you have , a higher tear out risk so be aware of the angle of attack of the cutter edge to the grain direction of the wood.
Climb cuts can help with tear out control so its safe to rout from bout across to the other bouts center line and climb cut from the bout to the waist . Think of it this way if the spin of the cutter is rotating in a way that would cause a split , will the spit go into the body or out into the scrap.
Now the concern with the climb cut is compression fracture so , slow and steady and small nibbles for the best result.
find the tool and technique that works best for you. I also would recommend bearing bits to avoid a variable in the cutting width.
The weakness of the design is the radius of the location arm while central to the cutter while in tangent to the cut will vary if you don't keep it in line with the tangent so you can have wavy channels. Yes it can work but look close to see the variable of the process so you know what to expect. Make multiple passes and listen

one more thing is to be sure the collet is clean and tight.

Please post pictures of your work and share the success and failures so people can see how to improve.

Henry Ford once said " Failure is a chance to start over with more information "
Thanks for posting.
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

As John pointed out, these can slip. I had one slip while cutting the channels on the upper left bout, on the top of my second build. It happened so fast, and so smoothly, that I didn't see or feel it until I was a good 3" into it. It slipped so that the piece riding on the side went inward, allowing ~ 3/4" deep cut off of the top. You might say it sort of ruined my day.

Just go extremely slow and watch really carefully. Make a lot of test cuts. Use lock washers. I had wingnuts really tight, and it wasn't enough.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
PSmill
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Location: British Columbia, Canada

Re: Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

Post by PSmill »

On your second guitar!!?? Omg. I guess the fore/aft adjustment needs to withstand the force of the pull of the bit into the wood. Good point thanks.
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

PSmill wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 9:56 am On your second guitar!!?? Omg. I guess the fore/aft adjustment needs to withstand the force of the pull of the bit into the wood. Good point thanks.
Yes. If you go back into the past posts, you'll find an Engelmann/cherry build. I finally started completely over. However, on the second try, the jig did the exact same thing. I overcame it by reshaping the guitar. It was there that I realized that it would never tighten right so I made an entirely new jig.

But, it was meant to be. I found the craziest cherry known to man from Badger Lumber, a local lumber Place. They had stuff they didn't even know they had in stock. I made a white spruce/cherry guitar, with every mistake a luthier can make. I've been offered a substantial amount of money for it.

I'll never sell it.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Bob Gleason
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Re: Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

Post by Bob Gleason »

I think I've tried almost every version of purfling tool there is. Gramils, handheld routers, routers mounted on door hinges, routers mounted on drawer slides, routers mounted in Fleischman style fixtures. The one I have not tried is the one with the router mounted horizontally on the bench and you freehand the body vertically. That one scares me! All of the versions work to some degree, some slightly better than others. A huge ingredient in how well a jig works is your hand skills. No jig is ever going to be perfect. No matter what jig you use, it will take experience to get it right. I have, and expect I will always have occasional "incidents" while cutting binding ledges. My current favorite jig, though I'm told they are already updating it, is the tower sold by LMI. The depth adjustment on the base of the jig allows for depth adjustment in thousandths and is really good. Good luck, Bob
Diane Kauffmds
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Hand Held Router Jig for Binding Channels

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

What Bob Gleason said is an absolute truth; there's no perfect jig. It takes practice and experience to become good with a jig. You'll still run into problems. I had a stewmac tower, the kind where you move the box and not the router. First, I had a hard time seeing the bit and I like to see what's happening. Secondly, by moving the box around, I had no "feel" or feedback for what was happening. As a result, the bit jumped right up onto the top and cut the top, which I had to replace. I practiced and practiced with it. But, I put a bit too much pressure on the box and it slipped right under the bit.

That's when I sold it and bought a blues creek binder. Some people do much better manipulating boxes than routers. I prefer feeling the router. I've tried pretty much everything out there, including a gramil, and I still use alternatives.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
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