Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi guys,
I am curious how you guys fit your bindings at the end and neck joints. I spend a considerable amount of time sanding and cutting to ensure a tight fit with no visible gaps at the ends of the bindings, but after last night spending more time than usual with some bloodwood bindings I wondered....Is there a better way?

How do you veterans do it?

_________________
Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Peter I just butt join mine. Some people scarf join.

Al

I butt-jointed the ones so far, but I'm seriously considering scarfing the next set, see how that agrees with me. One thing: DO NOT use CA to glue up the butt joints on light woods. Not unless you want to accent the joint.

Thanks, but I was wondering how you gyus prepare the wood for a precise fit! To get the angle right, etc...peterm38851.7003356482

_________________
Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I've only done it once, so I shouldn't even be responding, but:

I scarfed mine. On the back side, I cut the top first, at "about" a 45 degree angle. Then glued. Cut the bottom dry and made the fit through trial and error...and because it's the bottom cut, it can be wedged in fairly tight.

On the top, the part under the neck isn't an issue...and depending on where your heel falls the bottom might be fairly invisible. Even so, I did the same thing, cut the top joint first, and them did a dry fit to make sure I had the approximate angle/length right, and then did final trim with a straight razor blade (and the wood was very wet to help with the cut). Also, I used .60 binding, and some people like lots thicker.

_________________
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

I made a jig that I use with a Zona saw. I have 90° and 45° angles. It works pretty good.
I have stopped using that and just use a good sharp chisel now.
If the back side of you chisel is polished and gives a nice reflection,
you can use that reflection to make great 90° or 45° cuts.

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Hesh, that X-acto miter box looks like a nice asset! Thanks Hesh!

_________________
Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Thanks to all for the great tips!

Serge

I also stumbled upon the trick Steve mentions. If the back of your chisel has been polished to a mirror finish you can use it to get the angle of the cut just right.

For example if you want a perfect 90 cut, you turn the chisel until the reflection of the binding lines up with the binding. When you slice off the end of the binding, the cut will be perfect.

_________________
53% of all statistics are made up on the spot
http://driftwoodguitars.blogspot.com/