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Hi everyone,

I looked around and I don't see anyone addressing how to cut the binding strips so the widths are even between all strips. I have been avoiding my table saw - so I used my band saw to cut the binding strips. Needless to say they are all slightly different widths. I can plane the tops and bottoms - but it still leaves too much room for error. Should I worry about just planing the bottom edge, and then leave the top ragged, then when it is installed, use my scraper to even the bindings out, basically avoiding perfection and then scrape it flat to the top and purfling ? Assuming I cut a uniform edge ?

Or should I run out and grab the thinnest kerf table saw blade, 80 teeth and cut my binding using that ?

thanks in advance for the responses - I know it is a basic question - thanks for the patience -

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

HI john, I use a thin kerf blade on my table saw I picked up from Rockler which I think is brilliant, it is not cheap @ around $170 but it is promoted as cutting as thin as a dime and with the cost of some of the woods I use for bindings (snakewood for example) the blade will pay for itself in no time. The bandsaw doesn't save you much in the way of waste by the time you clean up the bindings you cut with it, so I feel you may as well use your tablesaw as long as you have a cleancut blade which doesn't leave any saw marks but as I said the thin kerf blades are the best of both worlds as long as you can justify the cost. Cheers Bob.

thanks Bob - I will probably get a 80 tooth veneer/ply blade for this and try it on the table saw - I need to have my wits about me and be safe. I avoid the table saw as much as possible. Anyone else using a band saw to cut these, or anything else ?

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

I still never cut bindings but I've seen many people doing it at school... You have one clean side, that's agains the resaw fence. cut on the band saw, then Thickness sander. And you always re-clean the surface before resawing on the band saw, that way you only have one side to clean on the sander, so it's more precise.

For sure we all want to save materials... but, if you can, something it's safe to give you more room (maybe cut them a bit bigger), then it's allow you to clean it nicely on a sander, and even on a planner.

My 2 cents,

Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

I use my fret slotting blade and a featherboard on top. Never had any problems. You can even rip to purfling width.

I run mine through the drum sander after band sawing a little over size.

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http://goatrockukulele.com

Are you talking about width when added to the guitar, or width when flat and to be cut from a plank - which becomes the height when assembled?
But anyway, I cut mine from sides (or lookalikes). I first plane the face as flat as I can (perfect is not necessary) and I stop when I have about 0.2mm more than the final thickness, so usually at 2.2mm. Then I straighten the edge with a jack same as I do when joining tops. Then I use a gramil to score the final depth plus 0.5mm and cut with a Japanese saw (0.3mm kerf) trying to stay right outside the scored line; if I stop seeing it, I know I need to steer back.
Then again I plane the edge (if not sawing under influence, the cuts need only minimal truing) and so on.

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Build log

Recently I do the job pretty much like Alexandru's way, except I reverse my homemade purfling cutter's blade so it acts like a single tooth saw. Dig a bit more than half the thickness, flip the side, and repeat the process.

Sometimes I do the same, as in dig harder with the cutter and do it on the other side too, when the saw (or the operator) is tired. But with a fresh sharp saw I just score deep enough to make an easily visible trace.

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Build log

I cut my bindings on a Bandsaw, 14 TPI, thin kerf. The only important surfaces are the two that mate with the binding channel, the other two surfaces can be left straight from the bandsaw cut - slightly oversized.
If you are using the method of scraping the sides to get down to the bindings (to ensure even binding thickness) you can put them through a pull through thicknesser. Having said that, varying width in binding thickness is something I don't lose too much sleep over - provided it isn't too obvious.

As Todd mentioned, Diablo blade on the table saw. It's a thin blade, inexpensive, and does a good job on binding.

I use the bandsaw, with the veneers on top to prevent chip out. I joint one edge and just cut till I'm done, unless the blade wanders for some reason and I'll clean it up again. I then run them through the thickness sander. My hats off to those using the table saw, but when I get down to what will end up being two pieces, I'd rather not be feeding it through a table saw.

Thanks guys - I know it was a basic question - but worth asking - I will probably give the bandsaw a try with a plane next to me so I can joint after every cut. I was a little impatient in my first one and neglected to do this. I knew better. Thanks everyone for the advice, and Todd, the table saw is the next step if I fail again at the bandsaw, thanks for the recommendation on the blade and set up.

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

I use a fret slotting blade as well with a .023" kerf. I keep a trued edge of the stock against the fence and run the binding off the 'outer side' of the blade using a featherboard set at the desired width and locked in the mitre slot as a thickness guide to ensure uniformity. I cut a strip, move the fence until the stock just touches the fingers of the featherboard and then go again.

With under .100" of waste for every 4 slices it does not get any more economical than that

Cheers

Kim

The key to success on this with a table saw is to use a zero clearance insert

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I get good consistent width bindings using the Rockler Thin Rip Jig. And a 7 1/2 inch Freud Diablo blade - thin kerf, smooth cutting, and inexpensive.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page ... thin%20rip

Cool, that jig does exactly the same thing I have been doing with a lockable featherboard but has a bearing instead of fingers.

Ditto.



Double ditto!

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

Never realized how many ways there are to cut binding strips. Good info here.

sounds like a great you tube video

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I cut bindings for the first time recently. First I sliced off strips from the billet (the width of the binding, not height), then thickness sanded the strips to .090", then sliced these strips up. Just realized that the bottom which needs to be flush will be a rough cut edge from the bandsaw and maybe it would of been better to cut the other way around?

Me, me just rip em on the table saw and thickness sand the glue face.
But then my bindings are up to 1/4" thick as me likes to round and sculpt the sides of the binding well down below the edge of the glue line and include part of the ribs as well. And yes some ribs are up to 1/4 inch thick and even over that if I am doing a relief carving on them. Ain't the easiest to bent, but well me talks to the wood and most of the time she listens and the sucker gets built.


blessings

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Just curious when you are adding say black/white purfling to the bottom of the binding do you add it after the strips have been cut or can you make a laminated board with fiber sheets or maple veneers at the bottom then rip it on the saw all at once?

thanks
Richard