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What do you guys use to accomplish such a task? Router table?
B


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Yup, router table with a binding bit from LMI. Fresh bit, climb cut the whole way... Very clean. Be careful when you get to the nut so you don't overcut.

Gramil and chisel, and some freehand x-acto knife work anywhere the gramil can't reach.

Williams jig w/ binding cutter bit. Neck in vise with head plate level. Excellent visibility and control.


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Snow, forgive me. I’m not trying to hijack this thread. I plan to do my first bound head to is and this question came up so I figure I’ll ask here since it sounds like you are in the same planning stage as I am.

How do you handle the height of the binding at the nut? With a peg head veneer, I have the back side of the nut fit into the veneer but o top of the peg head wood. If I want to use a binding that is taller than a typical veneer, do I raise the surface of the peghead by the binding height so the bottom of the nut lines up with the bottom of the binding?

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

DeWalt DW611, 1/4” downcut spiral and bearing foot.
https://youtu.be/g2C4uJgTWPw

I think the first question to ask yourself is why you want to use binding taller than the headplate if you don't have a specific image in mind already But yes, making the headplate thicker is probably the right thing to do as long as we're not talking more than 1/8" or so. My favorite is .090-.100", with the binding being the same height and width.

Another style I like is to have the binding height match the headplate thickness, but also have side purfling which cuts under the nut a bit, like this:

Or for nut on headstock surface, you could have the purfling be a fully continuous line:

You can bind a headstock veneer before attaching it too. If you have a good headstock template that can be anchored predictably each time it can be good way to go. I do it on my Archtops.

I have a metal template but made a 3/4” fibercore (MDF with thin birch laminates on each side) duplicate with the same 1/8” locating pin holes in the area of the tuner holes.

Place the veneer on the wood template with the locating pins and cut to shape with bandsaw and template router bit, then rout for the binding on the router table with a binding template bit.

Pop the veneer off and bind. The binding and veneer can be a little thicker than final dimensions.

Level the binding and thickness sand the veneer to final thickness then stick it back on the regular template and glue it on the headstock. The template serves as a caul.

Use the template to shape the headstock with bandsaw - Robosander - template router bit.

Learned this from Hans Brentrup. Just another option.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

FWIW, I cut the ledge with a laminate trimmer and SM bit. Bend the binding on a hot pipe. I fit it under the nut, I think that looks nice when I have bound the fretboard in the same material, plus its pretty easy to do

What is this Williams jig you speak of. Trying to find it now


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http://www.newenglandluthiers.org/contents/Articles/Tips_Techniques_Tools/binding_router_jig/My_Binding_Jig.html
Using a laminate trimmer with a bearing binding cutter, similar to that shown by Freeman. The jig holds the trimmer vertical and allows me to focus only on what the cutter is doing. It is my preferred way to use a bearing bit for binding channels.


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So it’s just a binding cutter jig that doesn’t move vertically


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No. It moves in all directions, but the bit axis remains perfectly vertical regardless.


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I use the StewMac floating gizmo for anything that isn't flat but heads are nice and flat and I don't need it. I also design my heads knowing that I will be binding them, for example I eliminated the little dimple in the center top of a Gibson style head which would have to be cut by hand.

A very long time ago I build an F5 style mandolin and used a little tool on my dremel to cut the binding ledges. Lots and lots and lots of hand work....

With a veneered headstock, I add a little ramp. I sand the ramp to be flush with the headstock.
This allows using binding that is taller than the veneer.
I like the bottom edge of the binding to intersect the bottom edge of the nut.
Make the ramp short enough to allow string clearance off the nut.

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wah
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Wah

+1 exactly as I do it. I think I got the idea from Benedetto’s book.


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+2.... I also got it from the Bennedetto book-I have used it most of my archtops.

Not quite following that pic DZ.

Pat

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Pat

That's the way I do it on banjos--since banjo pegheads are typically fairly fancy shaped, and since the shape is cut perpendicular to the fingerboard surface rather than the peghead face, it's really about the only way I know to do it. I use thicker binding to make the veneer a bit oversize and then sand/scrape the binding flush with the peghead sides after installation.

Dave

My drawing skills are lacking.
I hope this explains it.

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wah
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Wah

This shows what I end up with using the ramp. The head veneer is about 1/32” thick.
Dan

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Now I get it, that's brilliant!

Pat

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Pat