Purfling in tricky areas

[PhilQ]

Currently building a guitar for myself in which I am working out kinks and attempting different techniques for the first time as a challenge. I have been trying to figure out something: how do people create the channels for purfling in areas that are tricky to reference off of and/or not flat?

For instance, how do people install purflings on the back of the headstock to delineate the rounded portion of the transition between neck and headstock? The channel would need to follow and arc AND the surface is rounded!

Curious to hear input on this!

Thank you so much!

[Craig Wilson]

Can you post a pic with an example of what you're trying to do?

[Fathand]

With a volute? I can't imagine it without one but it sounds difficult with one.

Again a picture or a link to a picture of a sample would help.

[PhilQ]

Originally Posted by Fathand

With a volute? I can't imagine it without one but it sounds difficult with one.

Again a picture or a link to a picture of a sample would help.

I do mean at the back, around the volute, but not a bird's beak. Just the rounded portion. I will try to find pictures

[redir]

I use my Dremel with the little Stewmac purfling cutter mount, the small round cylindrical one, and go as close as I can to the tricky parts and then just finish off with Exacto knifes and micro chisels.

Another thing you can do is make little forms that you can run a router or Dremel tool along. In the image below this purfling on a Style-45 I am building is a bit tricky so I made the form which is the shape of the heel of the guitar, clamped it in place and then using a Dremel with the circle base routed out the lines using the form as a guide.

[PhilQ]

Originally Posted by redir

I use my Dremel with the little Stewmac purfling cutter mount, the small round cylindrical one, and go as close as I can to the tricky parts and then just finish off with Exacto knifes and micro chisels.

Another thing you can do is make little forms that you can run a router or Dremel tool along. In the image below this purfling on a Style-45 I am building is a bit tricky so I made the form which is the shape of the heel of the guitar, clamped it in place and then using a Dremel with the circle base routed out the lines using the form as a guide.

Great suggestions, thank you!

To be sure I'm getting this right, in the case of your image, your're not using the purfling cutter mount, right?

You use the dremel base and are riding on the guitar itself, right? The base is following the curve of your form?

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by PhilQ

I do mean at the back, around the volute, but not a bird's beak. Just the rounded portion. I will try to find pictures

Sounds like a job for hand tools, sharp knives, chisels, maybe a gramil cutter and lots of patience.

[CowhornShoehorn]

I have not seen perfling on a volute but might they be contrasting underlayments that look like perfling? These are installed underneath the over and under layment veneers when they are glued to the headstock. Depending on how they are shaped, they can look like perfling and add a nice definition to the headstock / neck transition.

[redir]

Originally Posted by PhilQ

Great suggestions, thank you!

To be sure I'm getting this right, in the case of your image, your're not using the purfling cutter mount, right?

You use the dremel base and are riding on the guitar itself, right? The base is following the curve of your form?

Yes. This one here:

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by CowhornShoehorn

I have not seen perfling on a volute but might they be contrasting underlayments that look like perfling? These are installed underneath the over and under layment veneers when they are glued to the headstock. Depending on how they are shaped, they can look like perfling and add a nice definition to the headstock / neck transition.

Something like this, I think ?

[PhilQ]

I've been looking for an example along the lines of what I thought I had seen, but now all i can find are examples like this one, which are clearly contour lines that come from the veneer overlays...

[CowhornShoehorn]

Thanks Fathand. A nice example of what I was trying to describe.