Official Luthiers Forum!

Replaced the cutter in my binding jig yesterday, and boy, what a difference. I’m thinking I may be doing this every 7-8 guitars in the future.

Anyone else do this? Do you send your cutters out to be sharpened? Do you do it yourself?

Steve

Had the same experience last guitar. A new bit made if go smooth as butter. I too vowed to only use fresh sharp cutters. We will see if I keep that promise to myself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I haven't tried a brand new cutter yet, but I did get a small fine diamond stone and polished the flat of my bit this past time and noticed a great improvement in the cut. I'm probably too cheap to buy. New bit very few guitar so was pleased to see the sharpening worked so we'll be was so easy.

Kent

Just touch them up myself every binding job or so.
I have 2 SM, one older straight and one newer, downcut.
I use the straight one for the binding ledges, and then downcut for the purfling ledges.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I have 3 LMII cutters. One "in use" one on standby and one that has been lapped so many times it is under diameter, so gives me intermediate channel depths. I touch them up after each use on a DMT plate. Sharp is good!

_________________
Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

Keeping them clean also helps with longevity and cut quality. I keep a little spray bottle of castrol super-clean next to the sink. I also use the super-clean on all of my other router bits and saw blades.

I found the woodcraft bearing match the bits at grizzly so now I can keep fresh bits for bindings.

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

"Keeping them clean also helps with longevity and cut quality. I keep a little spray bottle of castrol super-clean next to the sink. I also use the super-clean on all of my other router bits and saw blades."

I'm not familiar with Castrol super clean.
Just be aware that some "cleaners" are solvents that remove the grease from bearings of bearing bearing bits. I like to use oil to clean my router bits. It seems to take off the glue and grunge, and if it removes some of the grease atleast it relplaces it with a little bit of oil.
WD 40 is also a bearing killer.

Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed that folks were going to remove the bearings before cleaning.

Remove the bearing before cleaning.

Super-clean smells like oven cleaner, comes in a liquid form, and quickly dissolves the resins that build up on the cutter. I usually let it sit for 5-10 minutes then a light scrub with a toothbrush (used), than rinse and dry.

I with you on WD-40. It's a solvent not a lubricant. There are also much better solvents out there too.

I just use methyated spiirits (DNA) to clean them before I touch them up, works fine.
Bearing taken off of course.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

So, what is a good bearing lubricant?

_________________
Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

No lubricant is what's best. Most, if not all router bit bearings are permanently lubed and sealed. Any lubricant applied by
user is just going to be flung off onto the work piece. I never put anything on the bearings but I always remove them
before cleaning the cutter.
Ken

I use pb blaster to loosen grunge /dirt on the face of the bearing while its on the BS. PB is used by mechanics as a loosener for tight bolts and nuts that are frozen. My machinest said don/t use wd- 4o acts more like a varnish and sticks to whatever it is sprayed on .Quit using it about 10 yrs ago

Don't forget to consider the type of wood you're cutting. With maple, walnut and mahogany you can cut for
quite a while. If you're cutting purplehart or koa, not so much. Silica content is what really dulls sharp
edges

"So, what is a good bearing lubricant?"

Bostik makes a router bearing lube in an aerosol can. I use sewing machine oil or 5w30 motor oil - whichever is handy. If the bearing is still permanently sealed oil shouldn't hurt it, and if it's not the oil might help. As bearings become worn the oil does seem to make a difference. When they start feeling "crunchy" I replace them.

I've used PB Blaster to loosen rusty bolts - good stuff! The ingredients listed in the SDS are mostly solvents.