Cutting Binding/Tolerances

tonewood

tonewood

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I have decided to start selling curly koa binding on my site. So I cut a few sticks yesterday to figure out how I can arrive at .0080. I obviously need to cut my stock bigger than this measurement so that I can run both sides of the binding through my drum sander and remove all blade chatter.And then I will ultimately arrive at this measurement of .0080. So my main question here is, I don't ever really deal with anything under 1/16th. Not to sound completely stupid but what does .0080 equate to if you don't have a digital caliper. What does this number mean? Is it 5/64ths? And as far as tolerances go in the channel that you cut for your binding, would 5/64ths have to much slop? Or is it a hair to big? Any feed back would be much appreciated. And by the way, I do have a digital caliper, but damned if I can find .0080 on it. Thanks, Brett
 
tonewood said:
I have decided to start selling curly koa binding on my site. So I cut a few sticks yesterday to figure out how I can arrive at .0080. I obviously need to cut my stock bigger than this measurement so that I can run both sides of the binding through my drum sander and remove all blade chatter.And then I will ultimately arrive at this measurement of .0080. So my main question here is, I don't ever really deal with anything under 1/16th. Not to sound completely stupid but what does .0080 equate to if you don't have a digital caliper. What does this number mean? Is it 5/64ths? And as far as tolerances go in the channel that you cut for your binding, would 5/64ths have to much slop? Or is it a hair to big? Any feed back would be much appreciated. And by the way, I do have a digital caliper, but damned if I can find .0080 on it. Thanks, Brett
Click to expand...
.0080 would be eight thousandths of an inch, which would be pretty thin. 5/64 is 78.125 thousandths, or a froghair under 80 thousandths. Just divide the numerator by the denominator to get the decimal equivalent.
 
tonewood said:
I have decided to start selling curly koa binding on my site. So I cut a few sticks yesterday to figure out how I can arrive at .0080. I obviously need to cut my stock bigger than this measurement so that I can run both sides of the binding through my drum sander and remove all blade chatter.And then I will ultimately arrive at this measurement of .0080. So my main question here is, I don't ever really deal with anything under 1/16th. Not to sound completely stupid but what does .0080 equate to if you don't have a digital caliper. What does this number mean? Is it 5/64ths? And as far as tolerances go in the channel that you cut for your binding, would 5/64ths have to much slop? Or is it a hair to big? Any feed back would be much appreciated. And by the way, I do have a digital caliper, but damned if I can find .0080 on it. Thanks, Brett
Click to expand...
.0080" is approx: the thickness of a folded dollar bill...Are you sure thats what you are after ???? or do you mean .080" which is about 2mm approx:5/64"

5/64" = .078125"
 
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I make all of my plain bindings to finish out at .08". They stand a little proud and I scrape/sand to flush out with the sides. For bindings that I glue a purling onto I start with .10" then run the combo through my drum sander to finish out at .080".
 
If you are resawing thin wood, I can not imagine not having a set of calipers close by...

This is a good set:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Mitutoy...153?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43d1fdd529

I have 2 sets of these, and an analog dial indicator style set of calipers. I have had at least one set for the past 25 plus years.


After a while you may feel naked without them.


I am curious about your set of calipers, why you cannot find 0.080"?


Cheers.
 
Thanks for the info

Timbuck said:
I prefer a standard 0-1" Micrometer for measuring thin stuff like this..I don't trust digital calipers .:uhoh:
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I do have a digital caliper, my problem was created by having the wrong measurement of .0080 for binding. When I saw on the caliper how thin that was I just decided that I was just misunderstanding how to use this thing. Thank you to every one, that really helped me out. I just had the measurement wrong.
 
I've only ever used $20 digital calipers from Aldi and now Harbour freight but i might fork out the $35 Homedepo is asking for the Metric/Imperial/Fractional calipers, which should be fractionally better :rofl:
 
Beau Hannam Ukuleles said:
I've only ever used $20 digital calipers from Aldi and now Harbour freight but i might fork out the $35 Homedepo is asking for the Metric/Imperial/Fractional calipers, which should be fractionally better :rofl:
Click to expand...

I have a $15 HF cheapie on the bench all the time. It is perfectly adequate for building instruments. I do have Mitutoyo digital calipers and digital micrometers but they live in a clean drawer and are reserved for metal work on the lathe and mill where ten-thousanths sometimes matter.
 
I've gone through lots of digital callipers. They don't like the humidity in the tropics apparently and batteries were always going dead. I switched to some Mitutoyo ones and they haven't missed a beat for 2 years now. Still the same batteries too. I got a pair like this shipped from China. If it's a knock off, then it's a bloody good one. Even said Made in Japan.

They certainly are heavier duty and better built than any of the cheapie sets I've owned.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IN-BOX-MITUTOYO-ABSOLUTE-6-DIGITAL-CALIPER-500-196-20-BRAND-2014-/121364794692?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c41e7cd44
 
I personally love my digital calipers. One of the few examples where digital technology really pays off and I'm a total Ludite when it comes to tools. I mean, just read me the number, don't make me squint. They are incredibly accurate too in my experience. Mine are made in Canada by Canadian technicians. I trust Canadians. Cost about 30 bucks. Gotta have tool. I do tend to ignore the hundredth of a thousands reading. I mean, really.... Do we need to go there?
 
Matt Clara said:
Good lord, man, $150? I've a $20 dollar digital caliper from harbor freight I've been using for five plus years now. It works fine, does everything a caliper should. I've never once thought I need something better.
Click to expand...


I use them every day that I am in the shop, which is most every day. They are reliable, and have a great feel to them. I take care of them. Great tools inspire me to do great work. I have touched some of the cheapie calipers, and mostly they feel cheap. My first set was a good set, and I learned to appreciate them. With the amount of time I spend using them, and to the extent that they are important in my workflow, for me it is money well spent. I would buy them again. If you are happy with cheap calipers, great. I am not.

In creating things, there is Absolute precision, and Relative precision. In woodworking, much can be done with relative precision, even in some elements of instrument building. If you throw some precision metal pieces into the mix, or complex, extremely precise setup geometries, like in the case of setting up a $5000 tonearm, with a $5000 cartridge, on a $10,000 turntable, absolute precision comes into play. Setting a saddle location relative to the nut, or measuring the tolerance of a spindle into a bushing, that is absolute precision. In relative precision, what matters is how things fit relative to each other. Absolute precision is when a tolerance is critical relative to when one or more elements are more or less 'fixed'. The measuring tools come in handy for achieving both types, but are probably more important in cases where absolute precision is what counts. A lot of woodworking can be done by eye, and by feel. Some cannot.

Some elements of precision are best gauged with the human ear. In instrument building, and in audio.

A couple of other measuring tools which I 'cannot' live without, are my 12" Starrett combo square, and it's attachments, and a 24" Starrett blade to go with it, which has a 32nd, and 64th rule on one face, and thousandths on the other. Sure, I could a combo square at Home Depot, and a 24" blade there too, but I choose not to, and they are nowhere near as nice, or accurate. And the Veritas 36" steel precision straight edge. And 4 Mitutoyo micrometers, and a few Starrett and Mitutoyu dual indicators. Oh yeah, and the Starrett 8" machinists level for setting up a turntable (yes, it plays into a workflow in which one can hear the difference) And then the 5 or 6 tape measures which live in random places. This is my approach to measuring, and I know that it is an important element in how I build what I do. Whatever works. This works super well for me, and I can recommend it!

Quality tools work better, and last longer. And, they are usually MUCH more pleasant to work with.
 
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Couldn't agree more Chris.

Recent example I had of really dialling in the precision on some woodwork was building a neck on my milling machine using the DRO for the critical measures and machining on the tenon, angle of mating surfaces, and the neck block with corresponding mortise and anchor bolt holes. All based of a careful plan I had drawn out to explain the process of instrument design to a student.

We just assembled that instrument a week ago, and it was so spot on without any adjustment to neck alignment, and bridge hight that I had to triple check everything just to make sure. Felt really good to say afterwards.....Well, we did plan for that.:cool:
 
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