Routing The Channels on Radius Plates

[Kbore]

Thanks for all the replies. I've made my first BIG mistake. Using StewMac's true channel routing jig, I cut a beautiful and flawless purfling channel in the back of the guitar. The TrueChannel is a clever and elegant solution to the routing problem, I highly recommend the fixture. However, Since my back has no provision for purfling, that was a big mistake. : (. I'm just sick

[tippie53]

post pics
mistakes like this are design enhancement opportunities

[Kbore]

post pics...

Can't believe I did this

[johnnparchem]

I would stack up a bunch of thin purfling strips until it matched the size of the herringbone purfling you cut the channel for. I think it blends in nicely and you can pick your colors. I would pick black-maple-rosewood-rosewood-maple-black or something like that. Classical guitars often have purfling lines on the back, I think it will make the guitar look fancier and still maintain an elegant style.

[Kbore]

That's a great option. The side binding channel has yet to be cut so the purfling channel will actually be .060 narrower than the pic (binding channel is a whole nother complicated story I will post under another subject). So I'll either dye a herringbone purfling black or stack up .140" of strips. could even do a pearl band. Given my obvious experience level, the prevent herringbone option offers the least risk of another "design opportunity". I'm going to start marking the work with "do not cut" like they suggest before certain surgeries.

[johnnparchem]

That's a great option. The side binding channel has yet to be cut so the purfling channel will actually be .060 narrower than the pic (binding channel is a whole nother complicated story I will post under another subject). So I'll either dye a herringbone purfling black or stack up .140" of strips. could even do a pearl band. Given my obvious experience level, the prevent herringbone option offers the least risk of another "design opportunity". I'm going to start marking the work with "do not cut" like they suggest before certain surgeries.

Sounds like a plan. I might think twice about that wide of a black purfling as it will be a very prominent feature not represented elsewhere. Maybe brown or just the herringbone as it is in the front. In any case you have a clean channel to work in.

[Kbore]

I would stack up a bunch of thin purfling strips until it matched the size of the herringbone purfling you cut the channel for. I think it blends in nicely and you can pick your colors. I would pick black-maple-rosewood-rosewood-maple-black or something like that. Classical guitars often have purfling lines on the back, I think it will make the guitar look fancier and still maintain an elegant style.

If I choose to stack purfling strips, do the wood strips have to be pre bent on a bending iron? Can thin strips be bent using the steam from a tea kettle (I don't have a bender).

[johnnparchem]

They bend cold. It gets messy but you bend them as part of the binding glue up. If I am installing a bunch at once I will use CA at the very end of the stack to hold them together. I then use my fingers to fan the purflings and apply glue I am going to use for the bindings to the faces of the purflings. I then glue them in at the same time as the bindings. I will glue and align a section of the purflings and bindings and tape them in place. I just work my way from the tail to heel.

[MaineGeezer]

It depends, The thin strips bend easily as-is. Thicker stuff may be easier to handle and stay in plate better while the glue sets up if pre-bent.

You don't need steam. What you need is heat. For binding and such, I've been using a heat gun. Just hold the strip in the hot airflow and coax it into the bend you want.

You could also buy or make a bending iron. (n.b. a bending iron is not the same thing as a bending machine.)

[ruby@magpage.com]

A thought. Here is a copy of a Martin Style 3 ukulele:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/ ... 606115293/

There are 6 b/w, .020 strips there, making the total .12, plus the binding. This is the top of a uke, but it might not look bad on the back of guitar. Very easy to do too.

Ed