I'm going to build a binding jig

D

Dan Gleibitz

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I decided a binding router jig was a good idea, but baulked at the AU$300 to $350 that LMII and StewMac wanted. I've been playing around with 3D printers and laser cutters for a while now, and more recently with a CNC machine. I figured I can repurpose parts intended for those machines.

So, for less than AU$100 (would have been < half that direct from China, but patience is no friend of mine), I've ordered:
6ecc0Jc.jpg


The rail slide might have too much rotational slop, in which case I'll add a second rail. I'm still thinking about whether to 3D print the trimmer clamp/rounded base as a single plastic unit or make it out of aluminium. Or I could use a CNC spindle with stock clamp.

I'll update this thread when I get to building it. Meanwhile, any suggestion/advice/discouragement is welcome! :)
 
I made mine from a TV swivle bracket and there is a video of it on youtube...all you need is a couple of drawer slides for the vertical axis...these tv brackets are very cheap these days on eBay...and this type of jig is better than the fixed column type.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilFbNdyw-9k
 
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Thanks Timbuck. I saw your contraption in an earlier thread and thought it very clever. I decided to go with a fixed router and moving base rather than the other way around, mainly for space reasons. Are there advantages to a moving router that I might have overlooked?
 
Dan Gleibitz said:
Thanks Timbuck. I saw your contraption in an earlier thread and thought it very clever. I decided to go with a fixed router and moving base rather than the other way around, mainly for space reasons. Are there advantages to a moving router that I might have overlooked?
Click to expand...
Not really.. you end up with a binding channel either way... I've noticed on factory tour videos that the big guitar manufacturers favour the horizontal fixed router type but it dosn't look easy to do it that way...The fastest one i've seen is Pete howlett's "De Souter ballancing arm" it just zipps around in seconds.
 
Thanks greenscoe, I'm having a lot of fun and learning loads. It definitely ranks among the most rewarding projects I've tackled, and I owe that wholly to the inspiration I got from contributors to this forum.

Looking forward to #2 when I get to avoid the dumb mistakes I've made though. :rolleyes:
 
It adds up.

My build landed att about 1200usd, because of tools and supplies. The timber was maybe 200 in total so the rest was unanticipated costs ;).
 
I have a half dozen Rigid laminate trimmers in my shop. I like them because of the roller adjustments, allowing you to more precisely raise and lower the bit in small increments, and the built in LED light. Available at Home Depot with excellent return and warranty policy although I've never had to use it.
 
Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
I have a half dozen Rigid laminate trimmers in my shop. I like them because of the roller adjustments, allowing you to more precisely raise and lower the bit in small increments, and the built in LED light. Available at Home Depot with excellent return and warranty policy although I've never had to use it.
Click to expand...

Yep- I second the Rigid lam trimmers as they really do have to finest depth correction system.
I WISH rigid would make a side attachment like the Grizzly, which seems to be the only one that does it these days?????- COrrection- Harbour frieght lam trimmers have them but not with a bearing.

Grizzly
IMG_4827.jpg

Harbour Frieght
IMG_4828.jpg

Any router will do for bindings as they are always the same X/Y depth (for me at least), but for any other job which requires changing the depth alot, Rigid is certainly best-
 
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Beau Hannam Ukuleles said:
Yep- I second the Rigid lam trimmers as they really do have to finest depth correction system.
I WISH rigid would make a side attachment like the Grizzly, which seems to be the only one that does it these days?????- COrrection- Harbour frieght lam trimmers have them but not with a bearing.
Click to expand...
Actually, Makita has and at one point DeWalt had a bearing foot, which is why I kept the DeWalt, but dislike the verticle adjustment.

For the same reasons that Chuck (and you) like the Ridgid, the DeWalt Compact Router has a much better depth adjustment than the laminate trimmer (not sure how it compared to Ridgid), and LED lights. Personally, I also like, and use, the plunge base and the 1 1/4" hp motor.

I'm waiting for Ken Timms to design a bearing foot like this:
http://www.luthiertool.com/self-aligning-binding-cutter.html

but with a facility to mount a Zero Bar like this (but only 1 bearing needed like the above setup):
http://www.ensorguitars.com/for_sale_jig.html

Beau, now you know where I got my Zero Bar idea from. . .
 
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That Makita looks great. I'd actually been eyeing it as a motor upgrade for the CNC machine.

Anyway, I got impatient and routed the damn thing handheld. I didn't have an adjustable rebate bit, and the non-bearing roller on my Ryobi trimmer was far from round, so I swapped the bearing from a 3/8" (I think?) flush cut bit onto a 1/2" flush cut bit. That gave me a bit more than 1.5mm depth, which is about what I was looking for.

It worked fine, apart from the cheap plastic base leaving annoying scuff marks in my top and back that are going to take a fair bit of sanding out. I should've stopped and sanded the trimmer base when I noticed the first one, but like I said, patience isn't my strong suit. Oh, and I forgot to adjust the depth between the back and top, so my carefully designed end graft got trimmed where it shouldn't have.
 
I know about those pesky scuff marks too. Having a heavy coat of shellac on all surfaces seems to help... A 1.5 mm deep rabbit seems a bit on the thin side, but I don't know what your binding scheme is... Also don't forget to send pictures! This is after all a visual medium. So much better than words. A thousands words etc. Let us see the carnage!
 
Dan Gleibitz said:
That Makita looks great. I'd actually been eyeing it as a motor upgrade for the CNC machine.
Click to expand...
I went through a few routers on the CNC machines..Bosch, Makita, several Dremmels, all gave a short life span:( then I found these and never looked back... I've got 3 now. The first one had some CNC heavy duty work to do and after 18 months of daily use the brushes had to be replaced and now 4 years later it's still in use and working just as good as when it was new
 
Dan Gleibitz said:
Ugh. Started a thread about saving a hundred and fifty dollars, and now I'm convinced I 'need' that $360 motor. Thanks! :D
Click to expand...

Dan, I have a cheep, ER cheap, articulated-arm binding machine that I can send you; from my 2001 era Luthery days. The articulated arm is human. LOL

Still have the guitar that I made with herring-bone purfling and dark binding. I'll dig that old guitar out too and take a picture for this thread.



Results weren't near what a SM or TV wall rack can do, but I was ok with it. It's really pitiful compared to the ukuleles that grace these pages though.


That Tru-Oil finish is 15 years old, and needs a good polishing.
 
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