Binding

I did not get any pictures of the binding step, so pics of the results will have to do. I started by bending the binding in my side-bender. The binding material for this one is East Indian Rosewood, mainly because it is what I have on hand. I think the dark wood will be nice next to the walnut, especially under the finish. I am also using some blue fiber as a purfling strip (for the first time, I hope it looks OK.)

I routed the ledges for the binding and purfling using a Dremel and the base from Stew-Mac. I used a 3/32 downcut spiral bit. It worked OK, although I would love a better set-up. I have been looking for an alternative, and really like this one. The way I do it introduces two problems. First, the S-M base is a little big, and the radius in the top and back tend to make the router tip. The second problem is that the ledges need to be referenced to the sides. The S-M base has a small roller that rides against the side. but it is too small to be very stable.

One thing to mention, I spent some time on the sides, sanding and scraping to make sure they were smooth and flat (no cupping) to make the routing operation easier. I also used a wash-coat of shellac on the top to avoid chip-out. It also helps keep dirt from getting ground into the soft spruce.

After gluing everything I cleaned up using a scraper and file.