Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
What type of tools or jig's do you use for routing the binding channel? I love to build guitars but the only thing I hate is routing the Rabat for the bindings. I use a Bosch laminate router with a tilted base and a bearing bit. Sometimes I have a little bit of trouble with the "Tilt" especially on the back.
I will find a way that is more familiar and feels better for me. There are two possibilities with power tools. A handheld jig like the binding cutter from luthier tools or a stationary base with the router attached to hold it vertical.
I prefer a router bit without ball bearings like a 6mm down cut bit for better adjustment between two bearing sizes.
Please give me some information about your way to do the binding channels. I'm very thankful for your reply.
I do more or less like you, But I dont tilt on the top. Its about having guts and be a real routing macho. Just cut and dont think to much. And well, a very steady hand and very sharp bits helps a lot.
I use a Makita laminate trimmer with a 16mm dual flute cutter. It has it's own guide that is pretty handy so the channel can be any width you like. The base tilts which is useful for the back.
Someone should upload to YouTube the part from the "Classical and Flamenco Guitarmaking with Benito Huipe" DVD where he is routing the bindings... that guy is badass.
If I remember correctly he's sitting down, grabs a guitar, throws it on his lap and just zips around it with a handheld router.
I don't use any jigs or fixtures, just a Porter Cable tilt-base laminate trimmer and a set of bearings from Stew-Mac that come in 10 thousandth increments. Works perfectly. I do hold the guitar in a vise though :)
I use a few hand tools to cut what the router can't get.
Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px
After using various laminate trimmers for many years I finally switched to the appliance Stewart MacDonald sells for routing bindings. I'll never go back to hand held. It indexes to the side so the slot is uniform around the entire circumference. Of course there's still a bit of hand work at the heel which is unavoidable as long as you use the Spanish foot.
You can use most acceptable router tools that would fit the job but I use a reverse spiral 1/4" bit so that it cuts more clean without chipping the wood so much.
I use a hinge mortise router bit. it's 1/2" in diameter and has two blades. It's the same thing that Steve Eden uses I suspect.
I have been of of getting the Stew Mac bearing thingy, but I have made router sole that has a handle that indexes off the side of the ribs. If I find a precision bearing the hardware store i might just forego the Stew Mac premade and do it myself. The one I have works fine, but I think a bearing ,might be more fun. It also indexes off the lip of the rib instead of the whole rib side which can have some twist. A tiny bit of twist telegraphs into the line the router cuts. Not much, but enough to investigate a jig with better indexing.
Printable Version
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread