Binding time!
Having a mitrey fun time:
Tom says: "Gluing in the cutaway binding. I’m always amazed how binding completely changes the look of a guitar. Especially on larger instruments, the soundhole and rosette can look lost or misplaced somehow. The binding acts to frame the instrument and bring everything into perspective.
Once I’ve glued everything in place, I’ll carefully pare down the mitred corners flush with the soundboard to ensure the joint is perfectly closed and seated correctly."
Old mountain bike inner tubes to the rescue:
Tom says:
"The cutaway is always a little tricky because of all the compound curves resulting from the tapering sides, the 15’ dome in the back and the Manzer body wedge.
Trying to bend something flat and straight into something that’s not requires a few tricks.
1)Thin out the binding strip and back with a strip of black dyed 0.010” veneer during glue up.
2)A method I learned from Ervin, bend a cutaway sized piece of ebony and cut from this binding strips which conform to the aforementioned curves.
3) a method picked up from Lars @rasmussenguitars, split the cutaway binding strip into two and instal as smaller sections, when the glue cures and scraped flush, the join becomes invisible."
Tom Sands has used all three; Doerr has a fourth method:
"The method I use is before you bend the actual side wood for the cutaway pre shape the curve of where the binding will sit. Then tape the straight binding material to that curve of the cutaway piece. Go and bend the cutaway piece and when finished your binding will be bent to that curve. Hope that makes sense. It works great every time and super easy."
Is this the lutherie equivalent of an oenophile's raised pinkie when raising a glass...?
