Looks like something I wouldn't mind trying out. Height adjustment is on the router, right?

Looks like something I wouldn't mind trying out. Height adjustment is on the router, right?

Steve you know where I live, or better yet I'll bring mine to the meeting Sunday

I'm having an alzheimer's moment, but I built a binding jig much like that and am having trouble using it. I just don't know how to hold the guitar! Sounds stupid, but with two rollers about 2" apart, I can't use the traditional sled. The little "L" shaped legs come up the side of the guitar and get in the way. It seems like to avoid tipping the hand held router I need to contact as much of the side as possible. I'm making arch tops with 2.5" - 3" sides, so if the "L" shaped legs holding the guitar come up the side even just 1", I got no room for the lower bearing. With the Williams jig I only need one bearing.

Of course, I can stop routing and skip over where the guitar is supported by the sled, but that seems too inefficient. So what am I missing? How do you hold the guitar to rout the binding channel?

Chris,
I think I missed a change from the original drawing, in the thread above, to the current version. Did you abandon the original idea of having a different dumb bell for each thickness? I think 29 was mentioned in that original thread. Does the newest version use 1 dumb bell, that is close in size to the shear bit, and require you to hold the guitar body perpendicular to the adjustment arm. That is the only way that I can understand the zero bar, and inserting a piece of binding in it to get your channel thickness right. You may have covered this part somewhere else, but i missed it.

I'll jump because I have that version, you take out the supplied "dumbbell" place the centering rod in the V-block and center your router via the collet and tighten your router down. Replace the dumbbell, Then use the actual binding/purfling to set your depth of cut using the adjustment wheel lets call that X, use your routers depth of cut to set Y

Chris,
I think I missed a change from the original drawing, in the thread above, to the current version. Did you abandon the original idea of having a different dumb bell for each thickness? I think 29 was mentioned in that original thread. Does the newest version use 1 dumb bell, that is close in size to the shear bit, and require you to hold the guitar body perpendicular to the adjustment arm. That is the only way that I can understand the zero bar, and inserting a piece of binding in it to get your channel thickness right. You may have covered this part somewhere else, but i missed it.

Any demo for set up? Like binding channel, than the purfling channel -- honestly having difficulty visualizing how quick precise adjustments are made. I understand this is not a hand held device.

Chris, I have made several fixtures similar to yours although the center support on mine is not adjustable. The channel size is regulated by the difference between the cutter and wheel diameter. I am wondering what advantage you have found in making the center support adjustable?
This style fixture is very simple and fast to use. It does take a bit of practice and holding your breath when doing the first guitar. After you get past that and get a feel for it they can't be beat.

Tim

I am having trouble imagining how it would work on a F style mando scroll or a cutaway on an archtop. Can it go around a sharp turn? My current set up only cuts about 3/4 of a scroll as the neck gets in the way. As an archtop guitar and mando builder I need to cut around curves with a curved top or back of varying thickness. If it can cut a channel around a scroll on a F style mando then it is the ultimate and I want one. Correct me if I am wrong but it looks like a tight turn might be tricky to cut with this device. It looks like a great tool for cutting a binding channel on a flat top guitar.