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Hi folks
Having some trouble ripping binding.I have no table saw so that is not an option.I would like to know a few different ways if you guys would be kind enough to post a few pics.I would prefer the least amount of waste,even willing to do it by hand if that's an option. Thanks ahead of time

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"Practice enough till the results aren't hopes but expectations" forum member Peter Havriluk

I use a band saw followed by a thickness sander.

On a ukulele build I did a while back I wanted to do "ghost binding". Sounds ominous, I know. But wanted to basically cut the binding from the sides in a way where it would go back perfectly and line up grain wise. FWIW, it only worked on the top, the back radius threw the whole idea out of whack, but....

What I did to cut them was clamped the side down to the bench with a straight edge lined up with my cut and took a dozen or so medium passes with an exacto. Take it slow so it doesn't wander on you. Also, make sure things are clamped well.

Now, I did this with blackheart sassafras, which is pretty soft to begin with and I was already pretty close to side thickness. If you go this route with a harder wood take your time, don't be tempted to press too hard.

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A utility knife will give better results in hand cutting than an exacto. It will flex less so the cut won't wander. Plastic binding can be cut by hand easily. Wood binding is a bit more work.

+1

Awesome are you getting a ton of waste?what size blade and tooth set? Do I want more teeth or less when ripping small stock?

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"Practice enough till the results aren't hopes but expectations" forum member Peter Havriluk

Yes sass is very soft ,I am using Gabon ebony
Is there a veneer hand cutter ?

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"Practice enough till the results aren't hopes but expectations" forum member Peter Havriluk

For something like Ebony I would also do like Barry recommended and use a utility knife (though it will still take some time there as well ).

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For the least amount of waste using a bandsaw you would want a resaw blade like a wood slicer. .045 kerf if set up well. You'll need a zero clearance insert of some kind, and keep your fingers out of there. If you are taking a strip off of the side, make sure the outside edge is planed perfectly flat and straight as it would be much harder to do after you make the strip.

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Pat

You should use a fine tooth blade for ripping thin stock on a bandsaw. The rule of thumb is to have at least 2 teeth in the wood at all times. But you really can't get this fine of a blade for binding material, so just go with a basic fine tooth blade.

It helps me to think through the whole process, so here is mine:

1. Make sure the board from which I want to cut the binding is long enough to yield binding strips (at least 32" long).

2. Resaw and then thickness sand the board so that the faces are parallel and both smooth (120 grit is enough), and the board is the thickness of the height of the binding I want to end up with. If it is 1/4" tall binding, I want the board, after being prettied up, to be exactly 1/4" thick.

3. Slice binding strips off the board using the bandsaw, but with enough extra thickness to be able to send all binding pieces through the thickness sander to clean up both sides (again, to 120 grit) and wind up with the perfect thickness (0.080").

Some waste? Sure. It's part of the process of getting skinny strips of wood exactly the way you want them.

Try this, no waste, no noise.

download/file.php?id=51873

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

There's always waste when you make little pieces of wood out of big pieces using machine tools. I use a Toshiba CB75 which takes about 1/16" kerf with the 3" stellite blade (one tooth per inch) followed by a Jet thickness sander. I like long bindings (33-36") since there is occasionally some snipe at the end from the sander.

Sorry if I confused the situation. I read the original post as no power tools at all available.

If you have a bandsaw that is a much easier solution.


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check this guy out:

warther dot org

because the site only allows one URL per message, just piece that one together

He also sells a great ivory substitute, various inlay materials, and thin kerf band saw blades with up to 24 TPI. Look here, then go "home"

https://guitarpartsandmore.com/Search.php?description%2Ccategory%2Cpart_no%2Clist_description%2Cdetail_description%2Ctitle_keyword=band+saw+blades

Ed

I've never used one of these for binding, but the heavy weight and the shape are perfect for control for cutting mats around pictures and I think it would work great in thin wood. The blade is adjustable to be vertical and the right depth, and then just run it along a straight edge:

https://www.dickblick.com/products/dexter-mat-cutter/

Ed

if you use a band saw you need to put something under the binding so you have a zero clearance to the blade that reduces chatter and makes for a better cut. Use some feather boards and an even feed

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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

Ryobi 9 in BS 3/8 in delta 6 tpiblade 1/4 in overlay o clearance and a vy accurate ply fence .I use a machinests metal fractional rings .060 or .120 etc to determine width of cut, Thickness sanded to target rang e.g.095 and then scraped through a lie nielsen veneer thicknesser or a DIY one to .094, Target binding ledge is .090 so I have about .004 to scrape down when finished

marking gauge?

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"Practice enough till the results aren't hopes but expectations" forum member Peter Havriluk

Hitachi? Got the same saw, with a number of mods, and no Stellite blade.

Yes, Hitachi. My ancient brain sometimes makes stupid errors. I have two other bandsaws for rough work so I leave the stellite blade on the Hitachi strictly for resawing.

Ha ha! I know what you mean.

On a side, note, I posted a vid of the mods I made to the saw, of particular note switching to 1" blades - may interest you, but the cost may not - guides itself are 1/2 way to a good bandsaw, and the cost of 2 Stellites (which seem to be disappearing, hence, more reason to swap over). Well worth it for me. My friend has the same saw, and now has some of the parts to swap over, when he runs out of his Stellites.


There's different way to mill bindings; the "marking guage" will cut through eventually, and get you your bindings.

I do mine similar, except I cut everything, on the bandsaw.
I resaw the slices as wide as the board, and thicker than I need, probably around <.090 (final bindings are .063).
Then lay it flat and stack it up (2 or 3 slices) to cut the height of the binding on the bandsaw.
The result is a bandsawn edge on all 4 faces. The drum sander makes quick work of this - yes, I stack the bindings side by side to get the "tops" and "bottoms" of the bindings.
Note: I could thickness sand the slices after I resaw, before the 2nd cut, but sometimes I glue purfling to the binding, and having them thicker makes it easier.

Waste? Of course, but it gets done.

Sounds like you do bindings very similar to the way I do except I always add the purfling to the binding plank before sawing and sanding.