Thread: accurate miter cuts in binding/purfling

G'day Ray.......I cut mine with a japanese pull saw free hand, then dress up with a sharp chisel.
The chisel gives you much more control on your joins.

Yes we all will have different ways, a good long straight piece of metal with stick on sand paper can give extremly accurate results.

If you make a quick metal jig so the section you want to mitre protrudes from top then it just a matter of wiping the section with the sandpaper with quick very accurate repeatable results.

WayneW

The back of my chisels are honed to a mirror finish. I cut the scarf joint on my purfs and binding while they're on the guitar immediately prior to gluing up the last section of each respective length of binding/purfs. I place a cabinet scraper behind the binding/purfs and then cut against same with a really sharp paring chisel after adjusting angle using the reflection of the binding/purfs on the back of the chisel.

The use of the reflection on the back of the chisel is explained here although in this case theyre doing the cut with the bindings off the guitar. Doing it with them on the guitar ensures the fit will be perfect.

STEWMAC.COM : How to Install Bindings Free information

Originally Posted by old_picker

i have tried using a small miter box and a pax razor saw and i cant even get a decent vertical cut

Ray, the saw might work on binding but on purfling the workpiece is so small the saw will just crush the material..especially if its mainly fish paper or similar material. A razor sharp paring chisel is the weapon of choice.

thanks chaps
looks like chisel and paper is the way to go
also i may look at building a simple mter jig instead of using a miter box

say a block of hardwood with a squared end and a 1.5 mm slot at 45deg
the binding sits firm in the slot and you attack from above with a sharp chisel or razor saw resting hard up on the block - with everything steady it should cut perfectly -
well thats the theory anyhoo