Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Please put your pickup/wiring discussions in the Electronics section; and put discussions about repair issues, including fixing errors in new instruments, in the Repairs section.
Post Reply
Tom Frei
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:11 am

Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Tom Frei »

Any tips for gluing up soundhole perf venners? I'm gonna try wrapping around a can with clamps. Do you bend it in the bender first for sides? (does each layer take a bend?)
Clay Schaeffer
Posts: 1674
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:04 pm

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

Hi Tom,
For side purfles I use veneer sheets placed between sheets of waxpaper, glued with epoxy (non water based glue), and clamped in the bending forms until dry. The sheets come out looking like a guitar rib and I slice purfling strips off as needed.
Steve Rolig
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 11:45 am
Location: Colorado
Contact:

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Steve Rolig »

I put each line on individually, bending on a hot bender as needed, for both sides and rosette purfling. I haven't tried Tom's method. With multiple line or herringbone factory-made purflings I have had the lines separate when bending to fit, not a big problem but something else to deal with.
Steve
Tom Frei
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:11 am

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Tom Frei »

Clay Schaeffer wrote:Hi Tom,
For side purfles I use veneer sheets placed between sheets of waxpaper, glued with epoxy (non water based glue), and clamped in the bending forms until dry. The sheets come out looking like a guitar rib and I slice purfling strips off as needed.
How do you slice them so the bottoms are perfect straight, so to speak? How do you correct any straightness issues?
Steve Rolig
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 11:45 am
Location: Colorado
Contact:

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Steve Rolig »

Oops, I meant I hadn't tried Clay's method. I also wondered about cutting strips off of pre-bent laminations.
Steve
Tom Frei
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:11 am

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Tom Frei »

Well, I am cutting with a violin single edge blade, maybe that's my problem. They need to be straight on at least one side. Soundhole perf you could sand the bottom.
Clay Schaeffer
Posts: 1674
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:04 pm

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

I slice the strips off with a table saw, which can get a little "dicey", as you have to rotate the curves into the blade. A perfectly straight bottom is not necessary (although moderately straight pieces are not too hard to achieve) as the pieces can be pressed into place and small discrepancies will be hidden by the binding.
Alain Bieber
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:28 pm

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Alain Bieber »

I recall a very detailed rosette making paper in AL by Eugene Clark. Extremely faithful to the great Makers best uses as I was told by some of the local finest builders.
After few attempts with mixed results I personally stay faithful to a good provider.. but I feel a bit guilty..
Tom Frei
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:11 am

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Tom Frei »

Clay Schaeffer wrote:I slice the strips off with a table saw, which can get a little "dicey", as you have to rotate the curves into the blade. A perfectly straight bottom is not necessary (although moderately straight pieces are not too hard to achieve) as the pieces can be pressed into place and small discrepancies will be hidden by the binding.
Oh, I meant binding also. Using thin built up veneer for binding. Just to clairify.
Dave Stewart
Posts: 209
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2012 2:25 pm
Contact:

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Dave Stewart »

Well, you could rip 1" strips on the tablesaw & then use something like this. Works great...use it a lot. Did a tutorial on it some time ago here:
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/view ... 17&t=19132
Attachments
slitter6.jpg
slitter5.jpg
Dave
Milton, ON
Clay Schaeffer
Posts: 1674
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:04 pm

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

Hi Tom,
I have sometimes used offcuts from prebent laminated ribs for binding. If you use dark sequence matched veneers the finished product looks like solid stock. To get one edge "perfect straight" you can either carefully run the rib on a jointer, or use a sanding board, before the binding strip is sliced off the larger piece.
Tom Frei
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:11 am

Re: Tricks for gluing up veneer perfling (soundholes, side)?

Post by Tom Frei »

Thanks, plane and sanding board are what I'll look at!
Post Reply

Return to “Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars”