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Well, I mistakenly cut the top purfling ledge a bit too deep on a guitar body this afternoon (the adjustment ring on the router must have been misaligned, then snapped into place as I began cutting?). It cut all the way through the top, so the only thing that's holding the top in place right now is about 2/3 the width of the kerfed lining-to-top glue joint.

I can source some taller purfling and fit it to this existing ledge. My gut feeling is that with a good purfling joint, and with binding in place, everything will be fine when all's said and done.

But I still can't help wondering if the integrity of the top/guitar will be jeopardized.

Anyone have any opinions or suggestions to offer? Anyone been there/done that?

TIA,

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

No problem. Mine end up like that all the time.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Once it's all glued together, it should be fine. I have gone through where my tops were thinned at the tail, with only a few mm left clinging to the dentellones.

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Waddy

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OK, I will go ahead. Thanks guys!

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

I don't feel safe unless I have at least one third the thickness of the top under the purfling. I think you guys live dangerously.....!!!
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Tom, I feel the same way, and would never cut all the way through the top intentionally, but given the alternative of pulling off this top and starting over... weeeelll... I'm going to live dangerously.

I'll feel much better when the purfling and binding are in place!

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

Were you using a PC 310 laminate trimmer? I've had that happen where the adjustment ring was not full seated in the spring clamps and it dropped down a fraction halfway through the cut. I always triple check that now.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Touche! That's exactly the model, and it's exactly what I imagined happened. There's nothing else that could explain what occurred. (And I 'thought' that I had checked EVERYTHING).

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC