tangimango
Well-known member
i have a router and dremel. want to cut purfling channels and binding channels. any of the stew mac tool can you recommend. i saw couple different options.
recomondation for a binding and purfling cutter?
- Thread starter tangimango
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BR Ukuleles
Well-known member
Don't bother with anything for the dremel. It's far to light weight for the task. Go with the 1/4" shank cutter with various size bearings to create the different width rebates. Use a small router or laminate trimmer.
Liam Ryan
Well-known member
I bought the tru-channel set up a few years ago and am very happy with it. With stewmac items like this you kinda trade your own R&D for their R&D, which of course, you have to pay for.
I bought the LMII router bit and bearings and was thoroughly disappointed. The bearings lasted just a few channels. What kind of bearing can take so little use? So I bought the stew-mac set and haven't looked back.
I bought the LMII router bit and bearings and was thoroughly disappointed. The bearings lasted just a few channels. What kind of bearing can take so little use? So I bought the stew-mac set and haven't looked back.
tangimango
Well-known member
thanks for the great advice. my first choice was the router bits with different size bearings or rabbiting kit. so what can I use for purfling channels?
Liam Ryan
Well-known member
You can think of purflings as little, tiny, decorative bindings.
tangimango
Well-known member
never mind just learned that I can use the same rabbiting kit from stew mac to make purfling channels.
You will be cutting two ledges on the edge of your ukuele; one for the binding and one for the purfling
that's why im a novice
You will be cutting two ledges on the edge of your ukuele; one for the binding and one for the purfling
that's why im a novice
tangimango
Well-known member
do they make ukulele size purfling and binding or is it all from guitar bindings and purfling and I just trim them down.
Michael Smith
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It's all the same stuff. You want to make your binding channel for 80 thousands thick binding. Some guys and gals go a little less on the binding but the stuff you buy will be .08 as a rule. As far a purfling goes that can very depending on what look you are after. Thats why you need all those bearings. The only time I make a deeper binding channel is when doing a rope binding. I don't want to throw you a curve but I take a little off my bindings before installing. If I have a .08 channel I want the binding to be .076 or so when glued in I will scrape the sides down to meet the binding. This eliminates the potential problem of getting a binding that is a little too thin in an area which looks horrible. The binding and purfling should protrude a hair from the top and back then scraped flush after the glue is dry.
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Another way to handle this is to make your binding and purfling channels slightly wider than the binding. Most of the binding I buy is .06" thick and my purflings are usually .04", which means I use a .07" bearing for the bindings and a .12" bearing for the purfling. The extra space is to accommodate the glue, which adds some thickness and swells the binding material. This is especially true when gluing plastic binding with an acetone-based glue.
jcalkin
Well-known member
Awhile back I switched to Slo Zap CA for plastic binding. No regrets after a few hundred guitars. I use it on wood bindings, too, if the instrument body is to be stained. Seal with shellac first if using a spruce/cedar top. Better adhesion than acetone glues, and no waiting over night to scrape them down. No swelling of the materials, either. I'd much rather scrape the bindings to the sides than the other way around. Today was my day to scrape and sand 6 guitar bodies. It takes about 4 hours, and its my sweatiest day of the week. A beer before I head home tastes wonderful. Makes ukes like playing with toys.
tangimango
Well-known member
thank you, will look for Slo Zap CA. i do use spruce tops. will buy shellac. what brand or name for clearest shellac flakes and do you use grain alcohol?
jcalkin
Well-known member
All the shellac will be sanded off, so I'm not sure it matters as long as its fresh. I get flakes and Bekol alcohol from Stew-Mac. The good stuff is worth getting if you're going to French polish. If you're just going to mask with it and then sand it off I'd just get a small can of hardware store shellac. It hurts less to throw it away when it gets old and won't dry properly.
Moore Bettah Ukuleles
Well-known member
A little side bar......If you really want good alcohol for FP use Everclear (190 proof). I think it's illegal in most states. If you can't find it locally you can order it on the Internet. We shipped in a case a coupe of years ago.
I hope you not drinking that stuff,,,haha...
I saw a guy go into shock at a party once after drinking shoots crazy...wow
Moore Bettah Ukuleles
Well-known member
Yeah, that's why it's illegal in most states. I don't drink but if I did I'd find better ways to inebriate myself that didn't involve a trip to the emergency room. It's excellent for French polishing though. No drag, much better than any other alcohol.
jcalkin
Well-known member
These are pix from a story I wrote in the '90s. The first is the Huss & Dalton rig for routing binding and purfling channels. The second is my low-tech version. The third is the gizmo in use. It worked really well, but it was a PITA to set up---many test cuts necessary. Still, if you already have a router and some scrap plywood, its free. The H&D rig was made by a machinist and was a long way from free, but with all the preset bearings and plates its a snap to change designs.
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Kevin Waldron
Well-known member
We personally use the hand held version that Luthier Tool makes. For ukulele you will need the adjustable bearing one. http://luthiertool.com/hand_held_binding_cutter.html
Chris has a new jig out for doing binding but we don't have it..... but here is the link, and it is supposed to work with ukulele as well as guitar. http://youtu.be/QipwrRDmkZM
Blessings,
Kevin
Chris has a new jig out for doing binding but we don't have it..... but here is the link, and it is supposed to work with ukulele as well as guitar. http://youtu.be/QipwrRDmkZM
Blessings,
Kevin
Beau Hannam Ukuleles
Well-known member
Those Luthiers Tools are beautifully engineered however you could buy an actual routing tower for close to $280.
tangimango
Well-known member
wow, whats funny is I just saw the FP Everclear (190 proof) at my friends party today. they were drinking it. I asked them were they got it so now can get some. but she said it might still be illegal .
Beau Hannam Ukuleles
Well-known member
Im told that crack cocaine makes for an excellent pore filler in maple
