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Hi everyone,
A beginners question, how do you cut the channels for your binding. I assume its a router arrangement of sorts but my router is way to big and heavy. Do people use Dremels? What kind of fixture, are there any other methods? purfling knives?
Sebastiaan
You can use a Dremel but I find the things grossly underpowered for anything but inlay work. I use a fullsize router (Trend T5) with an LMI binding cutter and bearing kit while alot of American luthiers use laminate trimmers. Its best to have the router registering off the side of the guitar rather than the top...this can be done by making up an angled base plate for the router or there are other more complicated means of achieving this.
See Jim Williams' book on acoustic construction for a simple router base with two bearings that register off the guitar side. Also see Stewmac website for the fancy universal binding jig.
If you want to do it by hand then get a Schneider Grammel from LMI. I actually run around the guitar with at grammel before routing out the channel...this makes for a cleaner cut and reduces chances of tear out.
I use a dremel, you need to take it slowly and use a sharp cutter. Combine that with the jig in the Williams book and you get a pretty good result.
i know stewmac has a router bit with the correct size bearing for their binding so you can just run that around then install the binding.
best way is with a rabett bit using a table mounted router
very quick and accurate
I use the Stew-mac binding cutter and their new tower style jig and it is great although it would have been just as easy to make one. I have set it up on two slippery boards to carry to guitar on and it is very easy to control.
I think the tower style jigs are also safer on both yourself and your guitar. I use a cheap laminate trimmer which cost about $60 and it is plenty powerful and since it only runs for no more than 30 seconds each side it should last a while.
Dom
Binding and purfling come in a variety of sizes so the Stewmac and LMI binding channel cutter kits have a set of bearings of differing diameters. If none of the bearings is exactly the right diamter you can wrap some masking tape around one of the bearings and get the right depth of cut.Quote:
Originally Posted by black_labb
Thanks for the input everyone. I guess I have some saving to do.... The scroll on the F5 is a proper PITA. May well be a darksiders job.
Ray, given your last post on table routing Im not so sure they are the way to go.... :wink:. Kiwi, do you have a link to the book you mentioned?
i found a table mountd router usefull for so many things
see my post "solid bodies on a table mounted router"
it aint a lay down mizere and it needs a bit of getting used to
i bought the egineered table top from proffesional woodworking supplies here in melbourne - good deal at $185 but theres lots of expensive addons
start with the top and build a split fence on your own table
you get the tracks i think with the top
Hi Ray,
Yes that was the post I was referring to. I have a lot to learn about routing, jigs and the other black arts.
I'm just about to make a router base for my laminate trimmer to do some binding routing..
I was just wondering if anyone could share some pics of their bases that they built from the jim williams book or any other design that indexes off the sides...
I haven't got access to the book but would love to see some pictures of the design that people are using.
cheers grant
Grant,
The pattern in William's book is very general and doesnt have dimensions as each router has different plate set ups etc.
Im about to buy the Luthier Tools binding cutting jig to fit my Porter cable trimmer. Its a fancy metal version of William's jig and it allows micro adjustment on two axes. Not cheap but I dont have alot of time and patience for jig building.
Cheers Martin