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I finally found time to finish my version of the Fleischman/Williams binding jig - Yay! I built it onto one end of a mobile work unit with a compound fretboard radius routing jig at the other (I posted a thread previously showing the fretboard routing jig). I decided to do the tower/drawers different from what I have seen other people do. I made the tower larger (width wise) and set the open side at 90 deg to the binding jig "jib" so that I would have unfettered access to the drawers, and so the drawers would be larger to hold more junk, while still providing a very stury base for the binding jig. Here's some pictures I took just now - it's dark outside, so the photos aren't very good, sorry. I'll post some more when I've built the drawers for the lower unit and the tower unit and have actually routed my first guitar.

I turned a UHMW ring on my lathe using a small bowl gouge:


It's mounted on a new phenolic router base using double-sided turner's tape - should be strong enough to hold it (we'll see!):


Operators view:




Offered up to my first guitar body mounted in the cork-lined holders:


The 1/8" wide lip on the edge of the UHMW ring rides nicely on the edge of the guitar:


I'll do the binding/purfling routing on my first guitar tomorrow (in the light), after a practice run on some scrap, of course.

Thanks for checking it out.

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"

Hi Dave,

Thank you for posting this. I too am gathering parts to build this but can't really start until I get a bandsaw. I hope Sears have sale soon...

David

You're welcome David - if the photos/description help someone (just one person!) make their own version more easily, then I'll be happy.

I spent most of the day at a Wood Turners and Carvers Show - I was manning a booth for the Northern California Marquetarians (we were invited to show off our stuff). When I got back, I got stuck into doing the routing for the binding/purfling for the top of my first guitar. The routing went easily - I believe it when people claim they could do the routing blindfolded using this jig now!

I remembered not to route the binding by the end graft (just in time!!!). Then I very carefully used a very sharp chisel to trim the miters at 45 deg so the b-w-b strip at the bottom of the binding would look right on the end graft. That bit went well too.





However, when I got to bending the EIRW binding strips to shape using my StewMac electic pipe heater, I ran in to trouble. I snapped 3 EIRW strips trying to bend them very very slowly to the right curve . I gave up on the pipe heater and switched to trying to heat the whole strip at once using a heating blanket between thin stainless steel sheets. The wood got a bit bendier, but it still snapped as soon as I tried to coerce it into shape.

At this point, I realized I wasn't going to be able to do the binding until I knuckled under and built my Fox style bending machine. I have all the parts. I just need to cut the wood and build it. Seems like it's just one jig/machine after another needed right now. At least when I'm done, I'll have all the jigs and machines ready to make #2 and subsequent guitars MUCH faster!!

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"

Dave, where there is a will, there is a way. Christian bent his in the oven around a form.

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Aoibeann

Don't think for a minute that you'll ever be finished making jigs. It never ends....and then comes along a getter idea that makes the old jig obsolete.

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Allen R. McFarlen
Barron River Guitars & Ukuleles
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Cairns, Australia

Dave,
I've been thinking the same thing. Seems like I spend more time building or buying some contraption rather than working on my guitar. For every step there is something else I need to complete the task. But, like you say, "At least when I'm done, I'll have all the jigs ready to make other guitars."
You've done an excellent job on this jig. Nice work!

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

In my defense, I actually bent them on a hot pipe first but after several cracks and an emotional breakdown I decided to make cocobolo cupcakes. I couldn't even get those right... but I did end up with uniform and (finally) smooth binding.

Lillian - come over any time if you need to use my oven...

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

Might just have to take you up on that if Ryan moves back home and wants to reclaim my shop, ah, his bedroom.

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Aoibeann

I made a simple set of plywood drawers for the tower unit this evening. They should hold quite a bit of stuff that would otherwise clutter the work surface!

Drawers closed:


Drawers open:


Cheers for now,
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"

Very nice, and useful, too!

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Waddy

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