How to make rope binding

L

luckyd

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
56
Reaction score
0
Location
Milwaukee WI
I searched the forum, because I thought I saw this on here before, but...How do you make rope binding? Is it similar to making a rosette? In that you build it up, and then cut it into strips, or pieces? I love the look, and want to give it a try. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Thanks for the tip. It seems like it could be pretty fragile. How long do you make the strips? I'll be whipping some up soon. I'll let you know how it turns out.
 
I'd like to revive this thread as the tutorial ecosteel refers to is no longer available. Searching for "Rope binding" in google and youtube got lots of unrelated hits, some of rather dubious nature :) but I didn't see anything related to instrument bindings.
 
Dave Means used to have a photo essay on his website. I got fed up of making it and had Dotzauer of Gdermany make a pile for me when I was building Weissenborn back in the 90s.
 
I tried making it several times and was not satisfied with the look I was trying to achieve. The solution was simple. Go to Michael Gurian and give him your specs. The strips he supplied are exactly what I wanted, and a very small fraction of the cost and no effort on my part of what it takes to make them in house.
 
I had half expected to be "ripped a new one" for suggesting buying the stuff rather than painstakingly making it, but come on now...do you want to build ukes or make binding? And would you like to be paid more than minimum wage for building ukes? Don't make what you can buy at reasonable cost unless you're making some sort of political statement and are a trustafarian...who very good at hiding the fact that they're spending grandpa's legacy...
 
Well, I like making my own rope bindings and I put it on the uke one block at a time. I don't care how long it takes, it is what it is. Besides, variations in design, the kind of woods I like to use and the size of the blocks can't be purchased without great expense. Plus, I don't want my stuff to look like what everyone else uses.
 
Very honorable.

I'm trying to meet payroll every week, though, and trying pay my guys something close to a living wage. I can't do this as a subsidized hobby...
 
Rick, I wasn't coming from a "we do everything from scratch" place when I asked. I hadn't seen anything except basic black/white rope when I looked around for binding to buy so I thought we were out of luck and would have to make it ourselves.

As far as political statements is concerned, I am most certainly not making any at all - I do enjoy working with my hands, but I can't say I really enjoy spending hours upon hours thicknessing the wood with hand planes and scrapers... Fact is, we're doing all this in a small apartment in the middle of the city. I might even be able to justify the expense of getting a band saw and a thickness sander, but there is simply nowhere to put them. So it's planes and scrapers, a dozuki, a kataba, a hand jig saw and a bending iron - that's it. No wealth, no politics, no drugs involved here.

Rick Turner said:
I had half expected to be "ripped a new one" for suggesting buying the stuff rather than painstakingly making it, but come on now...do you want to build ukes or make binding? And would you like to be paid more than minimum wage for building ukes? Don't make what you can buy at reasonable cost unless you're making some sort of political statement and are a trustafarian...who very good at hiding the fact that they're spending grandpa's legacy...
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Tukanu
Making a Rosette with Rope Binding
Replies
3
Views
649
Pete Howlett
Pete Howlett
S
No longer available Venetian Style Soprano Ukulele, Walnut + Cherry w/ Rope Binding $350 + Shipping
Replies
15
Views
1K
Sam.R.B
S
K
How to make rope binding
Replies
7
Views
424
Ziret
Ziret
S
Making Rope Binding With Only Hand Tools
Replies
2
Views
418
BR Ukuleles
B
H
  • Poll
Am I the only one who dislikes rope binding?
2 3 4
Replies
65
Views
6K
BBegall
B
Top Bottom