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Yes, why?

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Is the top so dinged up that adding new binding & purfs.
would make it to thin or unstable ?

I must be missing something !
I'll read your posts over again!

Mike

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Mike Collins

Here's the rub, Mike. I already have nearly 5 mm of purfling on a top with 8 mm dentellones. Plus, as I was trying to cut a slot, as I was going to add two more lines, that would account for my screw-up, I did some more damage. I was doing it with a chisel, and I got a bunch of chip out around the edges. Too close a job for the tools I had, I guess. I made a little chisel out of a jigsaw blade, but it's not very efficient. I can't take it any farther or there won't be any support under the purfs. Not sure I want to trust the top to hold up to that. There is some variability in thickness of the bindings, which makes it nearly impossible to get a clean cut with a purfling cutter to make a groove that is even enough to create the purfling channel. Anyway, that's my read of the situation. Believe me, I wasn't planning to re-top this sucker! I was ready to glue on the fingerboard and bridge and string it up.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

My extra wide purfling scheme is nearly 5mm too but I use regular 5.5 linings....talk about building on the edge! I plan to switch to 6 maybe 6.5mm linings in the future but anyway you get the idea. As for extra thin chisels, i made a nice one from a 0.5mm sewing needle. Worked wonders for making room for a damaged veneer bit in a rosette.

Anyway if you actually have to retop... you have my full sympathy.

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Build log

Maybe I should look closely first, Alex! If there is a way to save it, maybe I shouldn't give up. I'll take a look at it and make sure I'm not making a hasty decision. The chip-outs, make it not likely though. They don't fill well.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Waddy. Take a look at some of the Baroque Guitars, the soundboard purfling/inlay is over 1 cm on some of them. That's without top linings, just the thickness of the sides. Once you glue the purfling onto a half edge the top regains it's strength - providing the purfling fits well at the mating surface of the half edge. Even on a soundboard as thin as 1.8mm you can cut a half edge. It's a little prickly if using hand tools. Of course you need seriously sharp tools and you have to be aware of grain run out. With a Router it should be a little easier but even with hand tools it's perfectly possible.
You can recut the inner line of the purfling scheme and remove all the purfling lines you have at present. In other words you are looking for a clean fresh inner edge. If the Bindings are causing problems - remove them. Chip outs can always be repaired - pretty much invisible if you have the off cuts.
It's still a lot of work and of course it's your call.

Most of my tops seem to end up at around 1.5 - 1.6 near the tail and a little thicker coming around the wings of the lower bout and through the waist to about 2.5 just above the waist and around. I think the problem I had here is that the purfling was so thin, it couldn't hold up to the planing, when I was taking it down. Anyway, I got the top off last night.

Here are a couple of shots of the mess I had made. Not proud, but learning!

Using the router, and a side roller attachment, I worked the top off the linings, inside the binding. It took a number of passes, and a few depth and width adjustments to get clear. The rest I did with a chisel.

I'm going to have to repair the TB#2, but it shouldn't be an issue. The others are fine. Couple more shots of the inside.

Checking the fit to my template. Not a bad fit. That helps.

I have already thicknessed and joined another of Shane's tops. What beautiful Spruce.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars