Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm using wood binding for the first time. It's Cocobolo so a dense, hard wood.

So I'm curious, how and when you trim the butt joints at the end of the binding? Do you use a saw in a miter box, use a 90 deg jig and sand it, some other method?

Also, do you have both ends trimmed before you start gluing or start gluing at the waist and somehow trim to correct length/angle while the binding is half glued to the guitar?

Thanks!

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

I rough cut with a saw a schoosh long and finish the fit with a sharp chisel.
I also tape the first side in place tightly, and then fit the second piece to that, also taping in place to check the fit. I find marking with a knife is more accurate than a pencil.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

When do you do this?

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

I just edit my post, so maybe I addressed you question, but I typically dry fit everything and the glue in place afetr eveything fits, but on more complicated binding scheme (florentine cutaway with mitered perfs) l glue one side initiantially and fit the other pieces as I go.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Darryl,

I wrap all the binding in with surgical tubing but do not glue down the last 4 inches or so at the neck and tail. Once the rest has cured I deal with the joint. I cut just long (1/16 or so) with whatever is handy (usually snips of some sort) and then pare off little bits with a razor blade (I feel more in control with this over the body than a chisel). I will use whatever thin offcut is around under these paring cuts as it is done over the top/bottom plate. I usually make it tight enough so that forcing the rest of that 4 inches of binding in place squeezes the joint together. I feel I have very good control this way.

Hope that makes sense.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

I also use a mini miter box. Here's a link. It really helps and it's easy to make several for whatever height binding you use so they fit snug.

http://kennedyguitars.com/_Kennedy_Guit ... g_Aid.html

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

I made a mini-miter box, but at a 60 degree angle so that my joint is a scarf joint, not a butt joint. The miter box ensures a good fit. With many woods, you can select the grain direction such that the scarf joint pretty much disappears in the grain. Doing this also gives you the option to cut off a broken end, make a new joint, and keep going. I bend one piece of binding and glue it while it is still soft. I then start bending the other piece that mates at the scarf joint. When I have it bent, I start gluing at the scarf joint, working around to within a few inches of the joint where they meet in the back. I mark it and cut it and make any necessary adjustments with a chisel or a sanding block depending on the wood. I use hot hide glue and the 3M high tack green masking tape.

Thanks everyone for the tips!

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......