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The other day I watched a guy using a dremel and the Stew Mac attachment for cutting binding channels on a mandolin. I think to myself, there has got to be a better way. Since the arch top and back are so extreme on a mandolin a tilt base laminate trimmer would not work. Would the Don Williams type binding cutter jig work for a mandolin? If not, does anyone have a better way of cutting mandolin binding channels?

Hi Robbie.
I`m no authority on mandolins, but FWIW, I would suppose that you could use Don`s jig if the binding itself doesn`t need to be the same thickness from top to bottom (thinner at the bottom). Does the binding necessarily have to be the same thickness? One thing for sure, though, that`ll be a tedious setup getting everything lined up!

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Robbie, you are right, the Dremel/Stewmac attachment is far optimal for this! I use the "Binding Router Bit Set" (also from Stewmac) in a router table, and level the mandolin to the table with small spool clamps. Works great! You can see this method described on their "Free Information" pages (scroll down):

Stewmac binding router bit set for mandolinArnt38823.4861111111

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

You can't use my binding jig on an F style mandolin for obvious reasons. It won't get into the sharp recessed corners with a rabbet set, and with a strong recurve on the back and top I would expect issues with the base following correctly.
That said, if you were able to retrofit it to work with a small diameter spiral cutter and outboard bearing ala Dave White, and make some minor modification to the base, you might just be able to get a good bit of it done. But not in that big curvy spiral thingy up in the upper bout. I gotta say I kind of like the idea of the router table as described on the StewMac website. It can (at minimum) get the bulk of the work done on an F but a certain amount of handwork will still be necessary.
Don Williams38823.3937615741

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Arnt, why not use the same router table method on a guitar? It seems it would work also! Am I missing something?
Tracy

Tracy, Jonathan Kinkead's book shows just such a method (p89) and I have to say it has always appealed to me, though I have never tried it, it should produce remarkably consistent results.

Colin

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Thanks Arnt for that great tip, like Tracy, i was wondering the same thing, would it be possible?

Tracy, you could do it on a guitar, but you have to move the spool clamps around to get access everywhere and it just takes longer than some other methods.

Don, I don't know any cutter exept perhaps some CNC set up that will cut every part of the F-mando binding channel. I'm pretty sure makers like Gibson or Collins have some tricks up their sleeves, just check out how they (Collins) avoid having to do some of the mitres:

Here's how Dudenbostel does (did?) it on a home made router table with a spiral cutter. This method also obviously leaves a lot of hand work to do around the scroll and the points.

I think John Hamlett (aka "Sunburst" on the Mandolin Cafe web site) mentioned one time that he cuts the tops and backs undersize before attaching them to the rim set thus creating a binding channel...

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Thanks for all the input. I will pass this on to my friend.