Is binding necessary?

Leftypeter

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I am building an all koa tenor uke and wonder if top and back binding is necessary. I realize the end grain will show but concerned about blowout using a laminate trimmer. Built 2 guitars but no experience with koa. If needed what is a good binding material choice? Thanks in advance
 
Binding is not necessary at all, I have ukes with and without. I might suggest binding the neck on both sides of the fretboard, helps prevent fret bloom where over time they will stick out and have to be filed.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 4 acoustic bass ukes, 12 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 39)

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The short answer, no. I think you'll get better advice to your building questions if you post in the Ukulele Building/Luthier's Lounge section. Many helpful uke builders there.
 
Koa machines pretty easily - With a good router setup I wouldn't hesitate to go for it. A downcut bit will reduce the chance you get any issues, and climb cutting the sections where the grain changes direction on an outside radius (i.e. the outside edges of the bouts). Personally I like wood binding (or wood composites like rocklite) but there are a lot of good looking plastics. Just depends on the look and what you're comfortable working with.

But as the others indicated, it's definitely not necessary. If I was forced to guess, I'd guess that there are more koa ukuleles without binding out in the world than those with. You can always go ahead without binding on this uke and then plan on trying it on your next one!

If you skip the binding, make sure you get a good chamfer on the edge of the top/back plates. It'll help it feel more comfortable when you hold it, but it will also effectively give the top and back some level of protection, since the endgrain won't be exposed as fragile sharp corner susceptible to picking up every little bump and nick.
 
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I am building an all koa tenor uke and wonder if top and back binding is necessary. I realize the end grain will show but concerned about blowout using a laminate trimmer. Built 2 guitars but no experience with koa. If needed what is a good binding material choice? Thanks in advance

I think that the key word here is “necessary” and the action after that is to define context, so ‘necessary’ for what(s). If I were building a Uke then, if I had the skill, I’d add protective binding. Of the Ukes that I own all bar one has binding but for me that wasn’t for the looks. Edit. I like the rounded edge too, sharp can be uncomfortable.

Unless you’re very sure of your skills and can cope with getting something major wrong I’d suggest that you leave the Uke unbound. Old Martins - and expensive copies of - typically don’t come bound and no one minds that.
 
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Is binding necessary? No. But it does serve a purpose of protecting the edge of the uke where most of the bumps and nicks and dings occur. And some people prefer the look.

I have several with and without binding. It doesn't affect the sound either way.

Not being a woodworker or a luthier, i can't offer an opinion on how easy the edge is to work cleanly.

Good luck.
 
I am building an all koa tenor uke and wonder if top and back binding is necessary. I realize the end grain will show but concerned about blowout using a laminate trimmer. Built 2 guitars but no experience with koa. If needed what is a good binding material choice? Thanks in advance

I appreciate the quick response and variety of opinion. I like the idea of the chamfer to soften the look and take the hard edge off.
 
When I leave edges unbound, I chamfer them with a 1/4" roundover router bit, set such that the cutting edge protrudes about .08" below the router base - this results in a nice small chamfer that's not symmetrical - I like that result. But it's pretty easy to chamfer the edge by hand with sandpaper as well, especially if you're after a more symmetical, "soft round" result. When I do it by hand, I use 320 sandpaper on a soft foam pad and just cup the paper in my hand and run it around the perimeter 2 or 3 times - that's plenty. It's dangerous to be too aggressive since it's easy to take too much off.
 
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