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A decade ago, I built a binding fixture like the one at http://guitarjigs.com/
5-6 years ago, I started modifying it so it was almost exactly like the guitarjigs machine in concept, but never finished. I only saw the guitarjigs outfit for the first time in the last month. It's a pretty obvious design in my mind -- just an overgrown router edge guide. The main difference between the designs was that my dimensioned rods are solid rather than barbell shaped. I know you have to be careful with these things, but I can just see my guitar slipping down in the large groove, and I also want to be able to bind electics and thin bodied acoustics.

Originally, my design just had one bar the size of the router bit to hold the guitar side. You then adjust the depth of cut by dropping the bar below the top of the router bit. This works well, but you must be careful to run the entire rim of the guitar tangent to the top point of the router bit or the channel is cut at different depths. In fact, instead of tape as recommended by guitarjigs, my fixture has the height of the side support adjustible to tweak the depth of cut. It simply isn't that important to have the side support bar and the router bit concentric. The original side holding rod is now serving full time as a bending iron. It is a heavywall stainless steel tube, and I got a heating cartridge from McMaster that fits inside. In fact I used to use the binding jig as my bending iron.

The final touch that my fixture is currently missing is the cone-shaped surround for the router bit. I'm curious what cone angle is used on the guitarjigs jig. And for that matter, what is the outside diameter? I just ordered a 3 inch diameter rod of uhmw plastic from McMaster yesterday, and it came today -- gotta love McMaster's shipping. Too bad I've got my lathe torn apart.

I know this post is begging for pictures, but I don't really know the steps. I seem to recall you have to get an account at a photo posting site.

HI Eric,
To post pics, all you do is resize them to under 35K, and click the icon above that has th Green arrow and green tree, then browse for your pics, upload and they will forever be in your post.

Lance

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com