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I have a curiosity question. I have watched the Martin Factory Tour U-tube clips a few times, and been personally on the tour. In one of the clips, there are a couple of technicians routing binding channels. They are holding the body cradled in their arms, and it appears that they are using a horizontal router to cut the channels. The do a body in perhaps less than 2 minutes, in a few sweeping motions. Are they using a special jig that i cannot see? Is this simply a matter of practice and 100 ruined bodies before they got it right? What exactly are they doing in the clip, and how are they doing it?

bert

I am lucky in that I have seen that personally. This is not like anything out there. The cutter is a lot larger and has the profile of the binding and purfling. The operator does this 8 hrs a day 5 days a week and is very skilled at this job. There is a good bit of hand work involved. He also has to sight the body in relation to the cutter.
The cutter is more like a shaper than a router and the cutter is about 3 in in diameter. The rest for the body the operator rides the guitar on is flat and if you watch him he does a cut on the back and stops at the upper bouts. He then makes adjustment and cuts the upper bouts on a 2nd cut.
Once cut it is passed to another operator that does a little hand work to blend the 2 cuts.

I am lucky to be a repair center for them and I have done some consultant work with them. The process is one that takes skill from the operator.

Thanks for the info. I am planning a trip there again with one of my sons, and I will be sure to pay closer attention to that particular station.

bert