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Update pics and my latest favorite tool!
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=6855		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Alain Desforges [ Thu May 25, 2006 1:34 pm ]
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   My favorite tool as of late is my trusty Gramil. Man, I just love that thing. I free-hand my routing for binding and purfling. I use the Stew-Mac or LMI rabbeting set. Although my laminate router (grand-dady Rockwell 310M) has a small base I still can't get a perfect channel since I register from the top.

   With the Gramil I can get a very uniform channel. It's quick and easy to set up and very versatile.

   I guess the best would be to have a system where I register from the side... Another jig, another expense...

   So here are a few pics. The B&S are the best grade EIR LMI had, and the simple end-graft is flamed koa.





Author:  Serge Poirier [ Thu May 25, 2006 2:05 pm ]
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That's a cool lil jig i'd love to have, i think i'm gonna try and build me one!

Yeah, Al, show us more piccys of your awesome baby!

Serge
Author:  Alain Desforges [ Thu May 25, 2006 2:07 pm ]
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. Hesh, I don't have any other pics, except for these:







I still really like my Gramil... and yes, those are Cohibas...
Author:  Bill Greene [ Thu May 25, 2006 2:07 pm ]
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Yes, I'd love to see more of the guitar...but I'd really like an inservie on the gramil. Nice tool.
Author:  Anthony Z [ Thu May 25, 2006 2:18 pm ]
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Oh is but that gonna be sweet! Alain the figure in that EIR back is to die for.
Author:  Serge Poirier [ Thu May 25, 2006 2:26 pm ]
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Yup, another sweet box that will come out of Alain's shop, that Andre guy will just love this guitar! WTG bud!
Author:  Alain Desforges [ Thu May 25, 2006 2:36 pm ]
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   Thanks guys!

   Anthony, I too really like the figure. For EIR, it's pretty nice. Lot's of red. Should stand out under finish, I hope (fingers crossed... Murphy, stay out of my shop!)

   Bill, the Gramil I bought from LMI. In the forty-ish dollar range. Hock blade. Very solid and easily adjusted with an Allan key. Registers from the top or the side. Love it. I've heard of some people actually using just this kind of tool and a chisel to excavate binding channels...
Author:  Dave Anderson [ Thu May 25, 2006 3:59 pm ]
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Alain, I've been thinking about getting a gramil myself.I Read that about the guy doing all the channels with a gramil and chisel,Can't remember who it was!Nice looking guitar you got going there!
Author:  Serge Poirier [ Thu May 25, 2006 4:16 pm ]
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I wonder if any of you guys have built one, a homebrew version anyone?

Serge
Author:  Colin S [ Thu May 25, 2006 7:53 pm ]
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I've done a couple of guitars' binding channels with just the gramil and a chisel, it is surprisingly quick and accurate too. I still always use the gramil to define all of my channels before routing them out, this helps enormously with avoiding tearout especially on WRC and is a kind of insurance.

I've got a copy FE19 in the pipeline and will be cutting the binding channels on this one with just the gramil and chisel. We have to earn our honorific of "Luthier".

Colin
Author:  Billy T [ Thu May 25, 2006 8:38 pm ]
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Nice look'in! The neck is a little more square than what I would like but it looks good!
Author:  Dave Anderson [ Fri May 26, 2006 12:14 am ]
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[QUOTE=Colin S] I've done a couple of guitars' binding channels with just the gramil and a chisel, it is surprisingly quick and accurate too. I still always use the gramil to define all of my channels before routing them out, this helps enormously with avoiding tearout especially on WRC and is a kind of insurance. [/QUOTE]

Sounds good....On my way to LMI to order one!
Author:  Michael McBroom [ Fri May 26, 2006 2:22 am ]
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[QUOTE=Serge Poirier] I wonder if any of you guys have built one, a homebrew version anyone?
[/QUOTE]

Irving Sloane's book Classic Guitar Construction has plans for one. Dunno about his book on steel string construction. All you need is a couple of scraps of hardwood, a few nuts and bolts, an old jigsaw blade, and a way to put an edge on the tip of the blade.

I built one based on Sloane's plans. I'm not all that happy with it. It follows the grain more than I like, but then it might just be (probably is) my technique. The LMI one looks like it will work better and is probably well worth the money.

Best,

Michael
Author:  Serge Poirier [ Fri May 26, 2006 3:45 am ]
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Thanks Michael!

Serge
Author:  Todd Rose [ Fri May 26, 2006 5:00 am ]
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Gramil... now, there's another one of those words I don't know how to pronounce... GRAM-il (ending as in apple)? GRAHM-il? gra-MEEL? GRAY-mil?

Anyway, I have one. Very nice tool. I like Colin's idea of using it before routing. Might try that next time.
Author:  Todd Rose [ Fri May 26, 2006 5:04 am ]
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BTW, I see that you're still trying to decide between the blue headplate and the macassar(?) one. I think the blue one is really classy. Esp if it glows under a black light.   
Author:  Alain Desforges [ Fri May 26, 2006 5:09 am ]
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...Todd, you know it!
Author:  Steve Kinnaird [ Fri May 26, 2006 5:18 am ]
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Alain--another vote for the blue headstock.
That is, if you use the same stuff to bind the guitar!

Kidding aside, that guitar already looks sweet, and should make you proud!

Steve
Author:  CarltonM [ Fri May 26, 2006 6:34 am ]
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[QUOTE=Todd Rose] gra-MEEL?[/QUOTE]
That one.
Author:  CarltonM [ Fri May 26, 2006 6:42 am ]
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Gramil users...that teeny-weeny blade is driving me crazy. How do you sharpen it?

BTW...the Sloane purfling cutter was designed for violins, and all its weight is above the channel, with a small brass guide registering against the side, making it difficult to control. The Schneider gramil puts its weight (a piece of aluminum) into the side register, with an adjustable arm holding the blade. Much more stable for guitarmaking.
Author:  Alain Desforges [ Fri May 26, 2006 6:43 am ]
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Or is it gram - ill? Anyhow, I did use it before routing the channels. I'm glad that I did. No tear-out at all.
Author:  Alain Desforges [ Fri May 26, 2006 6:49 am ]
Post subject: 
Carlton, I'm not sure about sharpening the blade. It would have to be done free-hand, I guess. I know LMI sells repalcement blades at 3.65$ a piece. You can check it out here :

Gramil and blades

   Hope this helps.
Author:  Arnt Rian [ Fri May 26, 2006 6:53 am ]
Post subject: 
[QUOTE=Michael McBroom] [QUOTE=Serge Poirier] I wonder if any of you guys have built one, a homebrew version anyone?
[/QUOTE]

Irving Sloane's book Classic Guitar Construction has plans for one. Dunno about his book on steel string construction. All you need is a couple of scraps of hardwood, a few nuts and bolts, an old jigsaw blade, and a way to put an edge on the tip of the blade.

I built one based on Sloane's plans. I'm not all that happy with it. It follows the grain more than I like, but then it might just be (probably is) my technique. The LMI one looks like it will work better and is probably well worth the money.

Best,

Michael[/QUOTE]

The plans are in his steel string guitar book as well. I built one from those plans and used it + a chisel to do the binding rabbet on my first guitars. The results were OK, but like Michael I had problems with it following the grain easily. However, the cut is very clean and accurate if you take your time. Changing the depth of cut (by adding or removing tin shims between the iron and holder) is also slow and cumbersome, so bottom line is it gets old. I'm sure the Gramil is a much better deal.
Author:  Andy Zimmerman [ Fri May 26, 2006 7:45 am ]
Post subject: 
Beauty

I also see a peek of what looks like a mahogany guitar...show us that too.
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