Official Luthiers Forum!

Ok cool thanks.

Hesh, are you saying that you glue the tape in from rim to rim and then glue the linings right over and across the tape? It's been a while since I did this but I think I used to cut them flush to the lining with a razor knife.

I put mine in rim to rim and glue the linings on top, works fine.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Exactly edge of the rim to edge of the rim and then I would trim with a single edge razor blade when the glue was cured. Then my reverse kerf linings went right over the tapes. Made for a well connected and integrated structure and worked great. This way the tapes still offered protection from a running crack at the intersection of the kerfed linings and the tapes which is what Woodie is describing with side supports and how to integrate them to prevent stress risers. I found this to be easier than side supports and less potentially ineffective.

Writes worked very well and has serves me well for a long time but I have always wondered where Martin gets their tapes.

I use the narrow bias selvage tape, and iron it out flat by wetting it and drawing it across my bending iron on a low setting. I use hot hide glue, and finish the tapes, using several coats of shellac to protect the glue from air. I've seen a lot of old bowl back mandos lined with paper where the paper was flapping loose due to breakdown of the glue.

When I used Titebond I found that I had to dampen the tapes with water and work the glue in with my fingers to get them to go down well. It was messy and time consuming, although with all the washing up it's a good way to get your hands clean. With HHG I paint a line of glue on the side where I want the tape to go, lay the tape down on it, and paint some more glue over it to work it through. Then I use a paper towel to blot up the excess glue. It's fairly quick and clean. I put on the tapes after gluing the sides to the blocks and rough profiling them, and then put on the liners in sections, also using HHG. If anything, the liners stick a little better to the tapes than they do to the sides. Once the liners are in place I shellac the tapes, and do the final profile.

Well having the fabric placed rim edge to rim edge under the linings will have to wait until next time because the kerfing is already on the current build, but I learned something for next time. Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge & experience.