Official Luthiers Forum!

I just built a Williams-style binding machine and thought I might post this as my take, with materials and dimensions info.
I didn't include the play-by-play on the assembly as the pictures and dimensions should be sufficient.
The most important task is to ensure that when the base is clamped to a level surface, the arm and the router base are level as well.

Materials:
3/4" Baltic Birch Plywood (approximately half a sheet)
1 3/4" Robertson Deck Screws (about 50)
4 x 3" Robertson Deck Screws (to mount router base)
1/8" Cork to wrap carriage height adjustment
4 x 5" 1/4-20 Ready-Rod for Parallelogram, with nylon locking nuts and washers
2 x 3" x 6" x 3/4" Oak for Parallelogram sides
2 x 3" x 8" x 3/4" Oak for Parallelogram arms
4 x 1/4-20 x 1" nuts and bolts for the Lazy Susan (fastens into the bottom base)
4 x #8 x 3/4" Robertson pan head screws for the Lazy Susan (fastens into the upper arm 10" x 10' base)
Amber shellac to bling it up a bit.....

The following hardware I got from Lee Valley:
1 x 9" Lazy Susan Bearing
1 x 22" 100lb Drawer Slide
12 x 1/4-20 Snap-Lock Star Knobs
6 x 1/4-20 x 2" T-Bolts + nuts (Lower carriage bracket)
6 x 1/4" Stove Bolts + nuts and washers (Upper carriage bracket)
2' T-Slot for lower carriage brackets (6 x 4" pieces)
6" of 4" x 3/4" UHMW polyethylene for router base

Dimensions:
Lower base: 10" x 10" x 8" High
Upper arm:
____Internal Arm: 25" x 3" OD,
____External Arm: 22" long, (ID is critical, made to measure based on Internal Arm OD plus drawer glide thickness + 1/32")
Carriage: make it 1" larger than your guitar outline
Carriage L-brackets: 2 1/4 x 4"
L-Bracket Height adjusters: Cut with a 1 1/2" hole saw, face with 1/8" cork

Looks good Robbie! How'd it work for you?

_________________
change isn't synonymous with improvement
instagram.com/bucketguitars/

Robbie, I'm not done with that binding machine yet, so I'm willing to betcha that I will have some questions. I had to do kind of a combination of yours and Don Williams, because I had already purchased the 12" lazy susan. Too large to put at the top of the box, although I would have preferred it there so I could just clamp the bottom to my workbench. I'm using phenolic for the parallelogram sides, since I already had it. Which brings one question to mind. I am making the UHMW for the trimmer base like you did. Is screwing into the end grain of the verticle piece really enough to support the weight of the trimmer and keep it verticle? I also haven't figured out yet how to make the circular lip or donut in the UHMW for the base. Did you just freehand rout that? Too bad I don't have the circle cutter made yet, or I could have used that. I can post these questions in your post on the forum so that, if anyone else has the same questions they can see the answers. Thanks for your help, Wendy

Hi Wendy,

I used 4 x 3" deck screws to mount the router base into the parallelogram - plenty strong...!
And yes, I did freehand the circle, but now that you mention it, the circle cutter would have been better.
When cutting the hole for the cutter after, I imagine one would have to clamp the UHMW to the drill press pretty securely because the 1/4" hole for the circle cutter would prevent the forstner bit from tracking cleanly down the center.....