Official Luthiers Forum! :: View topic - Binding Headstocks with wood.

I always used a router with a roller edge guide. But cutting the channel isn't the hard part...

I would make custom bindings by slicing them off of scrap wood of choice, bend them by boiling the wood in water and then immediately clamping it to the binding channel while it's wet and hot. The wood is pliable at this point and once the wood dries, it sets to the exact shape. I then use CA glue and acclerator to fix it to the channel, then carefully scrape.

The most difficult part for me, especially if it involves purfling strips and a bunch of other stuff is mitering them. It's never exact, always just .001" too much or too little. You can't see it from a distance but up close it's still there.

The most difficult part for me, especially if it involves purfling strips and a bunch of other stuff is mitering them. It's never exact, always just .001" too much or too little. You can't see it from a distance but up close it's still there.

The reason I boiled the binding was because the bending iron I had was too big to bend such narrow radius on the headstock. I would need to make another one with smaller radius.

Author:	RaymundH [ Wed Nov 25, 2015 10:09 am ]
Post subject:	Binding Headstocks with wood.
How do you bind headstocks with wood binding? (Dremel, laminate trimmer, process??)

Author:	DriftwoodGuitars [ Wed Nov 25, 2015 10:55 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
My process is as follows. 1: Trace and cut the headstock overlay to the exact size of the headstock. 2: Measure the width of the binding to be used. 3: Scribe a cut line on the overlay around the edges that is the thickness of the binding. 4: Use a hand plane and trim back the overlay to that new line. 5: Glue the binding material to the edges of the overlay. (I do this with superglue and on top of wax paper) 6: I then glue the bound headstock overlay onto the headstock. This process has turned out to work best for my building style. It makes for clean and consistent work. It also eliminates the chances of messing up the neck with a router.

Author:	DennisK [ Wed Nov 25, 2015 11:22 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
I glue the headplate on first and then use a gramil and chisel to carve out the binding channel. But I do need to try Chris' style sometime. Except mine has a tricky crest that wouldn't be easy to trim back after cutting out the unbound shape, so I'll just make a template of the inside-the-binding shape and cut it out directly.

Author:	DannyV [ Wed Nov 25, 2015 11:28 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
For me, I use my Fleishman binding cutter jig. Note. Cut channel PRIOR to gluing on fret board.

Author:	sdsollod [ Wed Nov 25, 2015 12:08 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
I used to do it as Chris describes, but for me, i found it cumbersome (I'm glad it works for you Chris). I attached an oversize piece of plexyglass type material onto the base of a laminate trimer. Not sure which it is. A friend gave me some extra he had. You can easily cut it on the bandsaw. This allows me to register the trimmer to the top of the headplate and with the appropriate bearing I can router the edge with confidence. You can see through the clear material.

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Author:	Rod True [ Wed Nov 25, 2015 3:00 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
Once the headstock shape is set I route with a rabbit bit and bearing the appropriate size for the binding and purfling. This is before the fretboard is attached and before the back side of the neck is shaped at all. I also use a template to shape my headstock, routing with a flush trim bit in my router table. Attachment: 12279160_10153817130043783_5332911017731225312_n.jpg

Author:	John Arnold [ Thu Nov 26, 2015 12:28 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
IMHO, it is much easier to bind the headplate before installing it. Just cut it smaller by the amount of the binding thickness. I locate the headplate on the neck with two brads, which I pull out once the glue sets. Those brads can be placed where the tuner shafts will be.

Author:	Clay S. [ Thu Nov 26, 2015 7:55 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
If you want to use the router method after you have installed the fretboard you can tack a shim to the headplate to allow the router to clear the board. Finish up the last little bit of the rabbet next to the nut by hand.

Author:	RaymundH [ Fri Nov 27, 2015 8:43 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
Thank you for the responses everyone. Very much appreciated!

Author:	Tai Fu [ Fri Nov 27, 2015 1:38 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
I always used a router with a roller edge guide. But cutting the channel isn't the hard part... I would make custom bindings by slicing them off of scrap wood of choice, bend them by boiling the wood in water and then immediately clamping it to the binding channel while it's wet and hot. The wood is pliable at this point and once the wood dries, it sets to the exact shape. I then use CA glue and acclerator to fix it to the channel, then carefully scrape. The most difficult part for me, especially if it involves purfling strips and a bunch of other stuff is mitering them. It's never exact, always just .001" too much or too little. You can't see it from a distance but up close it's still there.

Author:	DannyV [ Fri Nov 27, 2015 8:53 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
Tai Fu wrote: I always used a router with a roller edge guide. But cutting the channel isn't the hard part... I would make custom bindings by slicing them off of scrap wood of choice, bend them by boiling the wood in water and then immediately clamping it to the binding channel while it's wet and hot. The wood is pliable at this point and once the wood dries, it sets to the exact shape. I then use CA glue and acclerator to fix it to the channel, then carefully scrape. The most difficult part for me, especially if it involves purfling strips and a bunch of other stuff is mitering them. It's never exact, always just .001" too much or too little. You can't see it from a distance but up close it's still there. Tai. Do you own a bending iron. The long term end result may be better than boiling them. I hear you on the mitres. Especially on the light coloured woods. Darn CA glue and Maple. I even shellac the ends. Probably need stronger glasses.

Author:	Rod True [ Fri Nov 27, 2015 11:33 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
Tai Fu wrote: I always used a router with a roller edge guide. But cutting the channel isn't the hard part... I would make custom bindings by slicing them off of scrap wood of choice, bend them by boiling the wood in water and then immediately clamping it to the binding channel while it's wet and hot. The wood is pliable at this point and once the wood dries, it sets to the exact shape. I then use CA glue and acclerator to fix it to the channel, then carefully scrape. Really? Tai Fu wrote: The most difficult part for me, especially if it involves purfling strips and a bunch of other stuff is mitering them. It's never exact, always just .001" too much or too little. You can't see it from a distance but up close it's still there. You can see 0.001" up close.....? Thanks incredible.

Author:	dzsmith [ Sat Nov 28, 2015 12:54 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
I'm just a beginner, but I have had good luck cutting the channel with a trim router and bending the binding over a hot pipe. I make a two-piece jig to clamp the binding while it dries. I do not clamp the wet binding to the headstock channel. Dan

Author:	Tai Fu [ Sat Nov 28, 2015 1:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
The reason I boiled the binding was because the bending iron I had was too big to bend such narrow radius on the headstock. I would need to make another one with smaller radius.

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Author:	dzsmith [ Sat Nov 28, 2015 7:41 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
Tai Fu wrote: The reason I boiled the binding was because the bending iron I had was too big to bend such narrow radius on the headstock. I would need to make another one with smaller radius. Yeah Tai, I had to rummage around the junk box to find a small diameter pipe. It was very hard to regulate the temperature using a torch. I've done several bindings using Mesquite. It took lots of experimenting but what worked was to moisten the Mesquite lightly and bend over a wet rag placed over the pipe. I tried boiling, but the Mesquite got too soft and mushy. I tried boiling Maple with good results, I could almost tie it into a knot. I look forward to see what you make with your mill. Best Regards, Dan

Author:	alan stassforth [ Mon Nov 30, 2015 8:41 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
I use a gramil to cut the ledge, small diameter hot pipe, and I made an exact copy of my headstock, with the ledge, and fit the binding to that, then tape it so it dries perfectly to the shape. Works great!

Author:	Arnt Rian [ Tue Dec 01, 2015 6:01 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Binding Headstocks with wood.
Then there's the method where you glue the undersize headplate to an oversize headstock, and put the extra wide binding on. The reason for the wide binding is the angled sides of the peghead on these instruments; in order to end up with equal width on the face of the peghead, it has to start out thicker before cutting. Some like to bind the peghead veneer before gluing it to the headstock, the result will be the same. On simple "square" guitar headstocks it's just as easy to cut the rabbet and install binding after the headstock is done.