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What exactly is radial purfuling? Did a search of the forum and didn't get any hits.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

So called "radial purfling" or "marquetry edge banding" has been used for hunderds of years as far as I can tell. I don't think it is possible to reliably attribute its use to lutherie to any one person in particular.

Cheers,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

The first I remember seeing it was on Jim Olsons guitars. This was quite a many years back, but I'm sure it was done before him. I don't get out of my shop much or see many others guitars though so I'm sure someone has a much more informed answer than this.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Why does it matter who did it "first"?

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Cool. I was just curious. Thanks for the response.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

that kind of purfling looks real nice and solid.
do you need to bend it on a hot pipe or it just bends cold?

Todd, do you cut yours close to width, and then dial it in with a thickness sander?
That seems one way to skin the cat...

Just wondering.

Thanks,

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

While I am sure the snapping in method works, I have had some trouble with consistence on width. I now glue up a few pieces to length, cut them a little wide, then sand them to exact width. I also laminate my outside purfs on it and bend them. I have found this method to work just fine.

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ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
http://elevatelutherie.com
&
http://ensorguitars.com

Thanks guys,

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean by a coverplate?

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

I just glued up pieces into a big stick and bent mine. Ignorance is !

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Waddy, that is the best rosette yet! Is that your latest?

Absolutely gorgeous!
Steve

Thanks, Steve. That is my most recent. It'll be #9, and my first WRC top - Pau Ferro back and sides. I thought the radial Zebrawood would fit nicely.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I also like zebrawood for radials. I am using it on a maple/sitka auditorium. It is paired with a zebrawood rosette and end wedge. Should be finished soon.

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ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
http://elevatelutherie.com
&
http://ensorguitars.com

I agree that it is cool but nothing new. One of my first guitars I built back in the 70's had brazilian tulipwood (Dalbergia frutescens) crosscut strips since it is very distinct in color with gold/red stripes.

The person that suggested it to me if I remember was Thomas Humphries who at that time was working in Michael Gurian's shop. He was talking about how the french bombard furniture would use tiles of tulipwood with the grain arranged like a checkerboard and that the english would use satinwood and other exotic grain woods but as lines to frame the tops and drawers of furniture.

He explained that rope, herringbone and other ornamental purfling came to be as a way to bend wood around a radius but that theoretically there was no reason why a thin crosscut strip could not be used if it was a species in which the grain was more pronounced.

Note that I never saw it one of his classicals as back in those days the guys in the Gurian shop were building mostly steel string with a much smaller number of classicals.