Purfling cutter

[Randy Walton]

Looking for guidance or directions in making a purfling cutter. One similar to the one they use at Colonial Williamsburg. It appeared to be made of brass.

[harry strasil]

George Wilson is the one to answer this question!

[lowell holmes]

What in the world is a purfling cutter? :confused:

Ah, I see it is something a luthier will use.

[Randy Walton]

You're right, George would be the ideal person to answer this. Maybe he'll see this post and offer his response.

[harry strasil]

I just sent my Friend George an email.

[Randy Walton]

Thank you very much Harry!

[Frank Carnevale]

When you finish yours hopefully you will post some pics. Would love to see it. I purchased mine from Luthiers Merchantile because I was too lazy to fuss around with making one. I assume you are using for instrument building? What do you build? My problem in making my own was I didn't want to fuss around with the slight arch of the top and back of the guitar to get a perfect line for the bindings.

[george wilson]

I made the one at Williamsburg. They commonly (the ones I have made) have a cutter made from 1/8" square tool steel that has a sharpened forked cutter in the end. It scribes and cuts a double line 1/16" wide. This is chiseled clean with a very narrow chisel,so that a 1/16" strip of black-white-black inlay called purfling can be inserted. purfling goes around the violin's perimeters,about 5/32" in from the edge. It is not only decorative,it helps keep cracks right on the edge of the top and back from spreading inwards.

The cutter is adjustable as to the distance from the edge it scribes its line. It can also scribe and cut 1 line only,as needed in installing binding around the edge of a guitar. The cutter is exactly centered on a brass post that goes down past the cutter,and serves as a guide for keeping the purfling cutter exactly the same distance from the edge of the instrument all around its edges. The purfling tool must be turned as it is pulled around the curved edges of an instrument,so that the cutter is always exactly tangent to the edge,to insure that the cutter makes its cuts the same distance from the edge everywhere. This is especially critical on the violin,since a slip would ruin the top or back,which has already been carved out,and a lot of effort put into it thus far.

[Randy Walton]

George, thanks for posting! I had seen a commerical cutter that is no longer available by Holtley http://www.holteyplanes.com/blog/2009/12/22/purfling-cutter-photo-gallery/ that looks like it would been very good. The one they seem to sell commerically is one by Ibex and it just looks a little flemsy. I saw the one you were using in Colonial Williamsburg in a video and it looiked like it would be just the ticket. I'm about on the bottom of the ladder when it comes to tool making but I really want to try and make one of these.
Frank, if I get one made I'll be happy to post photos.

[george wilson]

I have one I made. I need to remember to take pictures of it and post them. Somehow,over the years,I have made several,mostly for my employees in the instrument shop,or they got left at work.

[Randy Walton]

If possible, that would be great George.

[george wilson]

I have looked where I thought the purfling cutter was,and haven't yet found it. I'll post pics when I find it by starting a new thread.

[Mike Henderson]

You can see some images of purfling cutters by searching Google images for "purfling cutter"

Mike

[fred marcuson]

check stewart macdonld :)
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Binding/Ibex_Purfling_Cutter.html?tab=Pictures#details

[Randy Walton]

I'll watch for your new thread George. Thanks!
Mike, you're right in one or my thread replies I have a link to the purfling cutter by Holtey that is no longer made.
Fred, you're also right. However that's the cutter I refered to me just seems to flimsey.
Appreciate the pointers though.

[fred marcuson]

Fred, you're also right. However that's the cutter I refered to me just seems to flimsey.

actually the one i have is brass with rosewood sides , pretty sturdy :)
unless they have changed it ??
mine is 20 (?) years old

[george wilson]

That is the old tool designed by Irving Sloane(sp?) I don't think it is flimsy, but see no need for it to be so WIDE and blocky. Being so wide might make it more difficult to keep the cutter tangent to extreme curves,like on a violin.

[Danny Burns]

This link might help you as it is a forum of violin makers who take their purfling cutters to heart quite readily.

http://www.maestronet.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=322697&st=0&p=485358&hl=+purfling%20+cutter&fromsearch=1&#entry485358

Cheers