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Hello,
I have searched the forum and others and I want to do something that I can not get my head around. I am planning out my first guitar....an accoustic\electric. The top will have a slight round over on the edge only and I want to inlay a piece of purfling right past it on the flat area of the top. That is to say I am not putting a binding\purfling combination that is coustomary.

I want to inlay the purfling only. I have looked at SM and LMI and have not found bits that are the same thicknesses of the purfling that is sold. I would like a 1\16" thick B\W\B purfling and a bit that will match it so I can set it in the body with CA glue. Scrape flush and move on.

Any help would be appreciated!
Matthew

Matthew, can you explain a bit more how and what you plan to inlay? No bindings?
Inlaying on a top with CA may be a little tricky for a first guitar...taking the necessary steps to properly seal the top to prevent CA runs may not always work... I recomend inlaying the purfling with Titebond or LMI white. Also, its hard to use a bit with exactly the same diameter as the purfling so you can allow for some glue on both sides....no bindings?

Let us know more in detail what your plans are and I'm sure more will chime in to help!

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

Hey Matthew,

My calculator tells me that you would a .020/.020/.020 purflinf line. If you 1/16 inch bit cuts right on the money (and it probably won't) then you will have 2.5 thou left, that will be tight so the extra that the bit will give you will work to your benefit. Anyway, there has been lots of discussion on how on binding jigs and many of the people here have built or purchased a base for their trim routers that has an extended bearing affair hanging below the base that indexes off the sides. You could use a rig like that but you will need extreme concentration as you work your way around to ensure that you remain square to the edge of the guitar thereby maintaining your you reveal depth from the edge to the purf. I hope you get what I mean and good luck! Oh ya, I have .020 black and white fibre if you need that for your purfs in single strands, I also have black dyed pearwood/maple/black dyed pearwood that is .060 thick ready to go.

Shane

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Canada

Matthew, It seems to me that what You are describing is Violin type purfling, and if so I would recommend that You use violiin methods. Using a router will be difficult especially at the start and stop points. There is a very good chance that the purfling groove will be wider at these points. Let me recommend that you use a violin purfling cutter and a clearing chisel to do te job. This will take longer, but when You are done it will be right.

Al

Al, that's how it sounded to me as well.
I also thought that a violin technique was called for here. But Matthew, as your first guitar this type of approach seems mighty adventuresome.
How would it be to rout out the entire channel, then after the b/w/b was installed, bind the body with the same wood as the top? Round that over slightly, and you'll have something very close to your original vision. The orientation of the grain will be different, but no one will condemn you for that.

Just thoughts....

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

You want to be sure not to go too deeply with this channel inside the edge as the top will be unsupported by the linings in that area.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Matthew,

I think I know just what you mean. I inlay purfling in my head plates without binding. I do it with a dremel and the stew mac router base with the edge guide. I'll look for a picture. I also have a good source of down cut bits.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Here is an example of what I was talking about:



I just use a dremel with the stew mac base with edge guide. It works pretty well. Just be sure to keep it square to the edge. When you come to a sharp corner don't try to go around it. Rout to the corner from both directions a little at a time until the channels meet.

Use an end mill a little bigger than the purfling, .01 to .015 should do it.

Here is good source for end mills in small sizes.
http://www.microcutusa.com/

Good luck and post picture.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Thanks for all the info guys! After looking at all your advice and making the gray matter churn I am going to opt for a more traditional approach. I am going to get the SM # 2023 binding and install it with wood glue and tape to hold until dry. One question though....this guitar has a cut away. With this thickness of binding do you still have to prebend to approximate shape then glue or can I just go for it right out of the package and get to glueing?

Thanks for all your help here!

Matthew. You will have to pre-bend that wood binding (I looked up the call # at stew mac site, maple with purfling lines yes?) or it will break for sure. Not just the cutaway are, but the entire guitar. Wood, on it's own does not want to bend and hold without some heat first.

How did you bend the sides? just tape the bindings together, make sure you make top and bottoms with that purfling line (ie, face one purfling line with another), and bend them the same way you bent the sides.

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Joe, nice job on that inlay

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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

Also, Stew Mac has a very good article on binding

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"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

Sory for the late reply...been traveling. I did not bend any sides. This accoustic/electric has a hollowed out body like a chambered electric. I will get my templates out and make an MDF body and use it to bend the binding. My approach will be to soak it in hot water and then tape/clamp it to the "bending body". Does this sound sane?

Thanks
Matthew

Sounds like what Terry Kennedy does, very clever!

Joe--

Thanks for the link to MicroCutUSA. Good prices.

Thx --Jim

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC