Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi Everybody!!

I am interested in learning how to install and set up a neck with binding.
Is there any detailed info in the archives?
If not, how or where can I obtain this procedure?

Thanks for your help.

Walter

Walter - im sure its covered in the archives, but not all in on placed -

For me, I start by slotting then tapering the fretboard to the width minus the binding, then I glue on the binding material, one side at a time. You want to be sure not to use TOO much glue, as it will ooze into the slots. If it does, and it probably will, you can heat an excato knife blade and cut it right out of there.

Hope this helps.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Walter, John's neck building video covers it, and if you check the tools and jigs section on the forum Sylvan and his fingerboard tapering jig cover how to use it to cut the taper for binding without all the math, measuring and touch up!

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I have found that if you use purflings with the binding it is nice to put the purflings on first then go back and reslot them before you add the binding. That way you don't lose so much width.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I just bought John Mayes' DVD set on guitar building and his DVD on building a neck covers it and is fantastic. Well worth the money spent. I highly recommend it.

Walter, it realy is one of the easier steps in building in my opinion. Do what Lance and brock have said, also get Johns dvd's (I don't have any but I'm sure they are well worth the money) and keep asking questions, You'll get it.
As for purfling, if you plan on using it, do what Brock suggested, glue on the purfling than re-cut the fret slots, than glue on the final binding.
I tend to leave my binding a tad thicker than final thickness, than once it is glued on and set, I draw a final line for the final taper and use a flat piece of maple with sandpaper taped to it to true up the edge and get to final widths.

So to recap,
*cut the fret slots on the rectangular board as usual.
*cut the taper of the board minus any binding and purfling.
*glue on purfling if your using it.
*re-cut slots through purfling.
*glue on binding, (minimal glue here) try to make it as flush on the back as possible, a little overhang is better than underhang (is that a word?)
*use your cabinet scraper on the back side of the fretboard to level the binding, make sure you don't make the edge lower than the middle, if you do, you can use a flat sanding board to level the entire bottom.
*true up the edge to final taper.
*glue the board onto the neck.
Hope this helps.

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Rod, Brock,

Do you use purflings that are the same depth as the fingerboard (and bindings)? I'd always assumed that a ledge was routed on the tapered fingerboard's edges for purflings like on a top and thought this must be very tricky to do.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

And to add to Rod's list... somewhere in the mix you might want to radius the finger board. I am sure you want to do that before you glue it to the neck.

One thing I have struggled a little with on fb bindings is when you put purfling under the binding (lines that run between the fingerboard and the neck). As you level the fingerboard's bottom after it is glued it is hard to not make the purfling lines thin in spots.

It took a lot of trial and error to figure out a gluing system that will allow this to work ok... and even then it is more "touch" than process.

If you are just binding your first... I would recommend NOT putting purfling lines under the binding between the fb and the neck..

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Hey Brock, what about routing a small ledge on the bottom of the board after the side binding is on, than gluing the bottom purfling on. Just a thought.
I have radiused my boards once is is glued on the neck, same as C&N book, don't have any fancy way of radiusing it though other than jack plane and sandpaper on a radiused block. Should think about tring it a different way for the next one. I think there are some jigs and such in the jigs and fixtures section.

Dave, I have always, (ya, my 4 guitars to date) used binding which is as thick as the fretboard. But your thinking of inlaying something eh. Just like a nice abalone strip, that would require a routed channel like the purfling on the body I would think.
A purfling strip the same thickness as the fretboard can make a nice visual at the end of the board where it curves around the soundhole, or what ever else shape you do there.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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Dave

I do them the width of the board too, but some people do, do it the way you describe.

[QUOTE=Rod True]
Dave, I have always, (ya, my 4 guitars to date) used binding which is as thick as the fretboard. But your thinking of inlaying something eh. Just like a nice abalone strip, that would require a routed channel like the purfling on the body I would think.
A purfling strip the same thickness as the fretboard can make a nice visual at the end of the board where it curves around the soundhole, or what ever else shape you do there.[/QUOTE]

Rod,

I didn't mean the binding, which will be the same depth as the fingerboard or slightly more. I was referring to purfling between the binding and fingerboard on the top (not the purfling at the bottom of the binding that sits on the neck). Given the fingerboard is some 6-7mm this means that the purfling used is much deeper than the stuff I am used to for tops.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

I do it just like Lance. Be sure to get the tool from Stewart MacDonald for undercutting the fret tang.

Thanks for your help Rod.
I appreciate you taking the time to help.

Walter

Dave, sorry, I did mean to say purflings, not bindings.

No prob Walter. I have learned so much from so many others that it's the least I could do.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson