bindings alert

If they do then it's probably 0.000001 %.
Of course you will always find makers who swear that they can hear a difference between bindings made from maple and bindings made from cherry.
I think they are an optimistic lot, to say the least.
 
Since some of you expressed the hope that bindings would fall out of popular favor, let me ask you: Do they make a difference?

Good question. First of all, bindings do not effect the sound of the instrument to any significant degree. The wood working rationalization though I think is valid. Bindings fulfill five purposes: 1) They close the exposed end grain of the top (soundboard) and thus stabilize expansion of the top due to moisture or dryness making the instrument more stable musically in differing climatic conditions. 2) They protect the vulnerable edges of a soft wood like spruce by providing a hardwood barrier like maple or ebony so that dents are minimized. Acts a "bumper". 3) Absorbs and distributes shocks to the instrument when abused like being dropped, thrown, etc.. Binding cracks and not the top. Binding replaceable. Not so much the top, and 4) Looks good and allows the luthier to show off his or her skills with purfling and adds bling. 5) Binds the instrument together securely by gluing together the sides, the lining and the top in a secure, stable way.

So bindings do serve an important function. This does not mean that ukuleles without bindings are inferior. Just that ones with bindings are better.
 
Ah, that is good info. Thank you for the answers!

Makes a lot of sense, although exceptions start to appear. Denser koa and mahogany soundboards, for example, maybe can fend for themselves a bit better? I haven't had any stability issues either with unbound Hawaiian ukes in So Cal.... but I should probably give it 10 years before I declare victory, and I definitely like the idea of binding taking the blow in a drop! :)
 
Anyway a bit of thinking and a rummage thro' the scrap bin, a bit of drilling and milling......And I came up with this device .. Next job "see if it actually works" ??.

The only improvement I would make to that Ken is to wrap Teflon sheet around the cauls to repel any glue.
 
In theory I suppose a stiffer rim to plate joint could contribute to the sound to some, if not minimal degree (like the debate over kerfed linings to solid ones). From an aesthetic viewpoint, if you are using nice wood I think the uke looks incomplete without binding. Like a fine painting is enhanced by a frame.
 
One for each size. Made the soprano one many moons ago. Packing tape on the waist cauls keeps glue from sticking.


Nice one Vic ..I luv e'm, good luthier type traditional design as well ;)..I don't do many with bindings...but waist clamps do make the job easier and are the way to go .. in fact I had no problems with this soprano...The bindings went on like dream compared to the nightmare I had with the last one.
 
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You know that :iwant: it
 
Like a fine painting is enhanced by a frame.

Yeah. It just looks good... Actually the argument I made that bindings make the instrument stronger and more stable might just be a lot of blather. There are many examples of antique ukuleles that didn't have any binding and they look and sound just fine. Then there are minimalist ukes with no binding at all that look killer good. Howlett built one a couple years back that was a classic. Bindings would have detracted from the design. But like Kekani, I enjoy doing the things. Mostly. Key to doing good looking bindings: Sides that are 90 degrees to the deck. All around. Not so easy.

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A lot of blather is written on this forum - most of it by me....

In 2014 my assistant Tom was serving an internship - those of you who turned him down really missed a trick! After about 3 months with me he said, "Shall I show you how I learned to bind an instrument using rope?" Intrigued, I watched this fledgling master bind a hand bent (and not accurately at that) set of rosewood bindings using nothing but cotton washing line, glue and a brush. Gently and at a leisurely pace he roped the bindings in place with no gaps, no problems. Before he returns to Germany I will shoot a video of him doing this. It is masterful to watch!
 
For those of you considering binding for the first time I suggest you start with EI rosewood. It bends like a dream and will conform to any shape. Save the ebony and the cussing for when you feel a bit more sadistic.
 
A lot of blather is written on this forum - most of it by me....

In 2014 my assistant Tom was serving an internship - those of you who turned him down really missed a trick! After about 3 months with me he said, "Shall I show you how I learned to bind an instrument using rope?" Intrigued, I watched this fledgling master bind a hand bent (and not accurately at that) set of rosewood bindings using nothing but cotton washing line, glue and a brush. Gently and at a leisurely pace he roped the bindings in place with no gaps, no problems. Before he returns to Germany I will shoot a video of him doing this. It is masterful to watch!

This is one of Tom doing this binding - https://www.facebook.com/no1petehowlett/videos/10154063448366031/
 
This is the old time honoured method, it was how I was taught many years ago. An alert is necessary however.
Be careful you don't get your shirt tail caught up between the rope and the instrument. How do I know this.?HaHa. Memories.
Of course it would not apply to the T shirt wearing fraternity.
It's a very similar method I used to fit the backs on some island style ukes I made a while back..I made a video of me getting in a right o'll mess and cursing as the string got tangled around my legs :mad:..In the end I deleted the video co's it was so embarrassing :eek::eek:
 
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string got tangled around my legs :mad:..In the end I deleted the video co's it was so embarrassing :eek::eek:

Wouldn't it be great to have a Luthier's Lounge Blooper thread. What really happens in real life when things go south. That would be fun to watch....

Naw, ditch the string, the clamps, the ropes, the hide glue and just use binding tape and CA. Never fails. Just make sure you seal your wood with shellac or that tape will rip out some nasty grain. Then CA glue with a medium accelerator. Holds like the hammers of hell and a child could do it. Easy glue clean up. Not traditional and not as pretty. But it works a trick. Plus no wait time. Ten minutes later you can scrape and sand flush. Next!

Downsides to this method: How is it going hold 30 years down the line? Really nasty CA fumes with cyanide gas from the accelerator to boot (not a problem for me. I'm old school and tough. I laugh at poisonous gases! Ha!), and literally gluing yourself to your ukulele which is not pleasant and can be quite painful. I say we must suffer for our craft!

In my admittedly limited experience I would say Chuck is right. Rosewood bends nice and polite. All that oil helps. Ebony binding is the worst. A trick I have never mastered and really why bother? There is no grain and it just looks black. Black plastic is a lot easier and looks about the same. Maple falls in the middle in difficulty and looks great. Only problem is you will have to hide your end block butt seam with a light wood and this can be a challenge. Picture below of mediocre figured maple with exposed end seam. I hate visible seams and this is a tough one to hide. No hiding here.

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I used the rope method for many years. Now I prefer to use tape with hide glue.
Ebony is pretty unforgiving because there's actually little 'give' in the wood. It doesn't conform as readily as something like Walnut binding. There are little tricks that help. I wrap the waist area in foil before bending them on a hot pipe. That helps to retain both heat and moisture, otherwise the ebony becomes even more brittle.
Instead of spoiling the inside edge of the binding I tilt the plane a few degrees when preparing the lining. I never get gaps between the binding and the sides although I used to get the odd one when I was just spoiling the inside edge.
 
Following all the stress I had with this job, I couldn't switch off the brain..something tells me there has to be an easier way to do this job apart from rope and sticky tape and painfull fingers..and this is what I came up with "The Acme binding jig"....It's still in the prototype stage and there are a couple of improvements still to do before I make the final one...I knocked up a mock uke body out of MDF routed the channels and gave it a test run with CA glue and Zapper..It almost worked perfectly with no glue on the fingers at all, no gaps and it just took minutes..I started at the waist wicking in the glue and zapping..I worked outwards clamping about 30mm spaces two a time top and bottom bouts together...Here are a few pics.



 
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