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I've been tooling up for quite some time and I am close to having everything I need to move through the build process. The one thing I haven't invested in yet is a binding channel routing jig. When I imagine the process of cutting the binding channels, it feels more natural for me to hold the tool (router) and move it around the guitar instead of a fixed/floating router setup where you move the guitar around under the router. I'd like to hear your preferences and why you feel that you are more successful or comfortable using your method.

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jw ( o)===:::

That was what I felt as well, hence my jig.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cwJiOVzE_E
this is how I do it

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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

Could you post a photograph of the aforementioned jig perchance?

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

I've been using my Ribbecke-type setup for the last 8 years with no real problems but would probably go with the Williams if I was starting from scratch. Sounds like everyone that has one loves it.

Check out Jim Olson's rig, he made it out of the front fork of an old bike! I've seen it and it is very cool.

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

There are definitely more ways to do it than just a couple. Olson's is a great jig also, and I've seen a number of versions of the same.

John Hall's Universal Jig video is my design, or close to it. Or rather, my design is partially taken from Harry Fleishman's design from many moons ago. I simply swapped out his articulating arm with an extending arm with heavy duty ball bearing drawer slides and a swiveling base to make the motion move easily. It really is nice to use, and you have great control over the cut....provided you are careful to tighten your bearings and not plow into the instrument, and remember to cut downhill on the instrument grain if you can.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I use the Stew Mac Tru-Channel rig.

It's simple, compact, stores easily, and it cuts the channels perfect every time.

I set mine up without building the whole work surface to hold the aluminum channel. I just mounted the channel vertically on a pieve of 4X6" oak (3/4" thick) and I clamp that securley to my bench. I then use a piece of countertop to slide arround the carriage that holds the guitar.

takes up zero shop room, and if you just buy the whole thing from stew mac, it's done. Ready to route!

+1 on the True channel jig, I hang the board it is mounted to on the wall when it is not in use. My only complaint with it is when I do the wedge bodies there is not enough adjustment in the jack screws to level the body when doing the top routing. I made some spacers to raise the blocks so I have enough adjustment.

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I'm not quite sure I get what you mean here.

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Pat

A number of people have had the bearing on the bottom of their rabbet bit come off in the middle of a cut because they didn't tighten it. They do loosen up. So now with no bearing on there to hold the depth a a set amount, the bit is somewhat free to plow into the instrument and ruin all your hard work...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

There was a fellow that started making the Fleishman/williams design and he got out of that business 6 yrs or so. The upgrades that I did was take the plate design and simplified that and I use a heavy duty work station glide system . Also The old design called for a ryobi router. There are new ones today that are much better.
The ridgid is one of the best ones for use as amounted trimmer as it has more contact is more secure.

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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

+1

Works great for me. Only thing I do differently is that I didn't mount it to a dedicated piece of wood. I just drilled holes in my bench, so I just mount the jig to my bench when I need it and remove and store it the rest of the time.

I thought someone should at least give a link to Don's clever jig http://www.dewguitars.com/BindingJig/Binding%20Jig.htm

This web page was enough for me to build the jig. Hardest part was fabricating the UHMW plastic donut at the base -- took me two attempts. The jig is bulky, but lives out of the way on top of a cabinet beside my bulky Fox-style bender when not in use. I use it with a Bosch Colt. Seems more natural to me to move the router around a stationary body.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Had a chat with a fellow AGF'r - and this is what he uses and looks VERY intriguing to me.

http://luthiertool.com/binding%20cutter.html

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUSCb92-z88

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

Actually, the "Original" called for a Bosch Laminate trimmer, and then was switched to a PC.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I've used a few types of jigs, including a home made version of "luthier tool" type jig, which is again similar to older designs shown in one of the "Red Book of American Lutherie", Jim William's guitar making book, MIMF and other places, its one of the most common designs that's been around for years. I've also used a few different set ups for arch top instruments, but the the one I have will do both, and better and any system I've tried before. It was a limited run of jigs made by Garry Hallam in the UK, and is reminiscent of both an architect's lamp and Jim Olsen's jig (and I guess yours too, Don )...





Works great!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I first saw this style of jig in Jim William's 1986 book and I have a luthier friend who still uses a version he made from the plan in that book. The tool in the Luthier Tool video is nicely made, but its operation is identical. The thing I like is that there is no bearing on the cutter, so nothing spinning as it contacts the side (leaving a ugly mark on lighter, softer woods). It does the job, but the jig is a bit finicky, takes some practice and careful attention to avoid uneven cuts. Notice how in the video Robbie is supporting and controlling the position of the body as he is making the cut -- he's obviously done this before!

Yes, this one is the nicest I've seen. I think I also like it better than mine because it takes up so much less space on the bench. A wall mounted version would be even better for me due to space limitations. This one is so very nicely constructed...I'd be tempted to build one if I could find some parts that would work.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Hand held laminate trimmer with home made jig similar the one mentioned in the J.Williams book.It is minus the bearings and it's wood to wood registation. I hold on to body with my left hand and arm on a router pad and work the trimmer around the body one handed. Hard on the nerves but it sure wakes one up..........................!!! Almost 40 guitars and no major disasters yet. When I first started building there were no swing arm pentograph type machines that I knew of, started this way and have not changed.
Tom

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

Here's mine. Scrap Cumaru/plywood and a few nuts and bolts. Reference it off the side, rotate the guitar around the jig. Easy to use once you get the feel of it. It requires an element of skill and feel, but heck, we all build guitars. We have skill and feel.

It's really impossible for things to go irretrievably wrong. Takes me about 5-10 minutes to route the channels, half an hour counting resetting the jig if I do it in two cuts. Stole the idea from a video of a Martin Factory tour.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16476247@N06/6327439809/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16476247@N06/6328190300/

I liked mine too Tom, but I used it with the jig clamped to the bench while I fed the instrument to the tool. I saw a jig working on a similar principle in the Martin factory, and when I visited Santa Cruz this summer, I saw one there too, so you are in good company! I used a downcut spiral bit with my jig, so the cut was always very clean. The jig I use now is more fool proof though, which doesn't mean a knuckle dragging oaf (such as myself) can't mess up, but its usually less severe.

<edit> Tom P posted while I was typing, my post was in response to Tom W. Anyways, I guess I wasn't the only one picking up ideas on the Martin factory tour!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I made this after looking at a photo.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I also use the Luthiertools setup. It would be better if the tool was balanced better but it is really nice to be able to easily adjust the depth without bearings.

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Brad
Avon, OH

Another happy Williams jig user here. I just did the binding on my #1 and the jig worked perfectly and was easy to use. I used a 1/8" aluminum plate to mount my Ridgid trimmer. It had a little flex, so I added a sheetmetal strap from one of the screws in the top of the router housing to the vertical maple block.

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

I have one of the same one Arnt has, and it works well in my small shop. I have it mounted to a board that slides under the bottom of my solera, and the guitar in it's construction position is solidly held with the sides vertical to the board, and flipped over, a neck block levels things up nicely. When not in use the jig hangs on the wall, out of the way.

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Waddy

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