Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey Folks,
Lets talk shop improvements.
Some time ago I put together some scrap OSB for storing and organizing binding strips. Its nothing fancy, but it works.

But I still haven't got a clue what to do about the purfling strips.

Somehow I don't like the idea of storing them the same way as the binding. I think this calls for some kind of horizontal storage solution.

How do you store binding and purfling?
Pictures are always welcome...

Mine is similar to Todd's except I have them standing vertically with progressively shorter tubes for some of the smaller pieces.

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Gwaltney Guitars

Love the case there Todd. Going to, for sure, use that idea when I find the time (which is not anytime soon!)

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

The idea with the tubes is a good one for sure Todd. Will give that a try.

With my limited shop space, my solution was UP. I use a couple of similarly drilled boards spaced & screwed to the ceiling for the small stuff ... (ends up accululating more than purflings!) I use 3" core tubes you can usually sweet-talk off fabric stores for the long stuff (I inventory a lot of 65" strips). I staple them to the underside of the ceiling level shelving (old 18" closet bi-fold doors) I have around the perimeter. May give someone some ideas.

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Dave
Milton, ON

Mine is similar to Todd's, but is horizontal cardboard tubes, and without the fancy cabinet. You will be amazed at how much dust finds its way to the bottom of vertical tubes.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I initially was going to do the tubing thing but then there are always these 1/2 or less strips that you don't want to toss but would be hard to get at in the tubes. I ended up screwing a bunch of lengths of plastic eves trough to the side of a cabinet and I just lay the strips in there. Easy to see and get at as needed. New bundles I do lay in still in their paper wrap to keep them separate from older stock.

Alan D.

About storing small and straight items: I have, on occasion, make storage from pipe, but sometimes it irritates me how much wasted space there is. I changed my material! I now use the pvc material sold at the big box stores to cover 4x4 wood posts for vinyl fencing. An eight footer was less than $20. It is square and flat-sided, which means you can glue it together with pvc cement and use (mostly) square blocks to make up the bottoms. I like it so much better, I can't tell you. No wasted space anymore!

HOWEVER, I do have one more idea for binding and inlay specifically: at the big box store, in the lighting section, they have thin polycarbonate tubing used to surround fluorescent tubes to prevent breakage. They are cheap, just a couple of bucks each, can be cut with shop shears and held together with fat rubber bands. Transparency eases selections. There are two sizes, one about the size of a kielbasa, another smaller, so you have choices, even!

Good luck,
Mark

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Mark W. Lewis
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I'm tired of followin' my dreams. I think I'll just ask 'em where they are going and hook-up with 'em later - Mitch Hedberg

This is how they did it at Martin. I believe they called it the "frassing*" (sp*) department, perhaps Christoph can help us with that word?