Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi

Just wondering what the common concensus is on binding shape

Thinking about rounding off the corner edge rather than squared. Seen alot of photos of this on google and like the look
I have persevered and fitted wood (ripple maple) binding currently unsanded and still sqaure edged..

Is there a tool i can make to get a consistent curved edge or is it sandpapered by eye or summit else

Thank you

I really like the look and feel of rounded binding edges -- I did that on all classicals. I used Ebony binding with an additional wide Ebony purfling - than regular WBWB purfling. The extra Ebony purf strip eliminated hassle of bending thick Ebony and gave the required width for a large radius round over.

_________________
Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Not got a really wide binding to play with ken but still want a rounded curve look
How did you curve yours
Cheers

I just round over the edges evenly to taste with P120 on an eraser, and then go to whatever you finish sand with.
Wouldn't use a scraper for any rippled wood to round over.......
P.S. don't round off under where the fretboard goes! DAMHIND

_________________
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 use a small file and some sandpaper to round over the edge on binding. Easy, relatively quick, looks and feels nice.

_________________
sweat the small stuff.

Definitely rounded over. Like Colin, I sand the curve into the binding. Adhesive backed 120 on a small flat block and on a 1 to 2" diameter tube for the binding in the waist. One approach is to start by sanding a bevel into the sharp edge of the binding at a 45 degree angle to the sides and top or back. Make the width of the bevel consistent all the way around and then go back and round over the corners of the bevel. It's a lot easier than you might think to get a nice final shape.

_________________
Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Goodpoint about the fretboard didnt think about that..cheers

Good idea about the bevel..cheers

I use sandpaper like most have posted. I've seen many a video of people using scrapers, and I used to, but it is pretty easy to get chipping on the binding.
Mike

You can use a 1/8th inch roundover bit to round over most of the binding and then finish it up by hand. Don't roundover the binding under the fingerboard extension.

For straight grained rosewood, a scraper tends to work best. Softer and/or curly woods, I do most of the rounding with a rasp and then file and sand to clean up. Just go by eye.

I like heavily rounded bindings. With narrow purfling, the curve extends into the soundboard wood a bit. Your binding looks practically square though, so I think it would look best to round it so the curve flattens out right where the binding meets the purfling and the side. Probably don't need a rasp for that. Just file/sand.

You definitely don't want to leave the edges square. The guitar will be terribly uncomfortable to play because the edge will dig into the player. Ask me how I know .

Try the search feature on this by searching for things like, "breaking binding edges," "rounding binding edges," and so on. You'll find a dozen great threads on method!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok, I probably have one of every tool and two of some. But it just seems to me that this begs simple sandpaper.

Watch me sit back and get learned a lesson.

Mike

I use a strip of cloth back 120 grit sand paper and run it in a flossing motion until I get the shape I am after, then follow up with finer grits.
Don't round over under the fingerboard extension.

I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet, but don't sand under the fretboard extension.

_________________
Pat

Early in my career, I tried just about every method. I had a router bit made with a 1/16" round over, YUCK! I bought these need little planes that create a round over but they wouldn't work on the inside curves. Tried files and rasps. Not to my liking. Tried wooden and rubber cauls with abrasive which got closer but still not to my liking.
Final solution: I knock off the sharp corner with a straight edge razor blade (scraper will work well here too but I'm a master of the razor blade ) Then a piece of 120 and my thumb. As it turns out the fat of my thumb makes a perfect caul for this process. Just enough relief to get the perfect radius. Being careful to apply most of the pressure on the top of the binding rather than the side of the binding. Otherwise it's easy to get a thin spot.
This is a case where the K.I.S.S. really worked best for me.

I was with the "fat thumb, 120 grit" crowd.

Rounded bindings are comfortable. Most classicals have somewhat rounded bindings. Square bindings with the edge barely taken off look crisp and sharp, and are traditional on steel strings. No reason you can't round them more though. It can look nice if the aesthetics all match up.

Seems most people would consider rounded bindings to be those with about 1/16" radius. I agree a roundover bit is not going to work well for anything less than 1/8"R, which is way more than most people would go. I've done 1/8" though on a semi experimental instrument, and it sure feels nice. At some point I want to build an acoustic with 1/4" roundovers and electric guitar aesthetics. Next project....

Finish doesn't like to stick to a sharp edge.

Alex

_________________
"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

That's a great point. Sharp edges also invite dings.

_________________
Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Very good point

I use a razor blade with a hooked edge. First I scrape a 45 degree bevel near the top all the way around the guitar, then I do it again by the side then I blend the three facets into the rounded edge with 120 grit paper.. The whole process takes about 20 minutes or so.

I start with the neck temporarily attached so I don't round under the fretboard .

I use an ⅛" round over set slightly shallow. This doesn't totally round over the binding, but speeds up the process instead of doing it entirely by hand. Once I quickly run around the edges with the round over bit I go back with my 120 and finish shaping the binding to my liking. Follow that up with 150 and 220 when I do the final sanding on the body.

_________________
Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

I use 220 on a drafting eraser.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"