Pedro Reyes
10-05-2011, 5:14 PM
Hello all,
I know I know, this may belong in the Musical Instruments section, but there are more people viewing here than threads open over there.
I am trying to make banding for a small box, to add interest. I contacted a friend of mine who is a luthier and pretty much got the technique explained to me via email, except I was wondering if there are some tips or additional advice from those who have done it.
I am talking about the kind where you draw a pattern on square ruled paper, then reproduce this pattern with tiny strings of veneer, one "column" at a time. The veneers used are about .6mm (1/40th) which I think is pretty standard.
Here is the process I got:
1.- Slice veneer strips with cutting gauge to about 1/16th or more width (so you end up with a strips 1/40th thick, 1/16th wide by about 12-15" long)
you would do this with multiple strips, perhaps 12 or 15 lines.
2.- You glue them in what would be the equivalent of face to face, so that now you have 12 or 15 strips worth of width (1/40x15 strips), about 1/16th thick.
This is why they recommended me to make them wider (1/16th) at first, because in the glue up if there is misaligment, you can then plane it away. Rather than trying to glue 1/40 by 1/40 strings perfectly aligned.
3.-You plane to a thicknes of 1/40, so that you arrive at a "column" made up of dots that are 1/40 x 1/40 each.
You do this multiple times, depending on how many columns your design has, then you glue all the columns and slice.
My questions are these:
Is there a tip for the planing, a jig? Is there a tip for clamping the 1/16 by 1/40 strips to minimize misalignment? Any tips in slicing, gauges, anything will help.
Thanks
/p
In case people are confused this is what I mean, imagine x= walnut, and .= maple, a pattern would be this, you are looking at the endgrain of strips that are 1/40 by 1/40 by 12" long,pretty common stuff I think.
.....................
......x......x......
.....x..x..x..x...
....x.....x.....x...
....x............x...
......x.........x....
.........x....x......
.............x........
.......................
I know I know, this may belong in the Musical Instruments section, but there are more people viewing here than threads open over there.
I am trying to make banding for a small box, to add interest. I contacted a friend of mine who is a luthier and pretty much got the technique explained to me via email, except I was wondering if there are some tips or additional advice from those who have done it.
I am talking about the kind where you draw a pattern on square ruled paper, then reproduce this pattern with tiny strings of veneer, one "column" at a time. The veneers used are about .6mm (1/40th) which I think is pretty standard.
Here is the process I got:
1.- Slice veneer strips with cutting gauge to about 1/16th or more width (so you end up with a strips 1/40th thick, 1/16th wide by about 12-15" long)
you would do this with multiple strips, perhaps 12 or 15 lines.
2.- You glue them in what would be the equivalent of face to face, so that now you have 12 or 15 strips worth of width (1/40x15 strips), about 1/16th thick.
This is why they recommended me to make them wider (1/16th) at first, because in the glue up if there is misaligment, you can then plane it away. Rather than trying to glue 1/40 by 1/40 strings perfectly aligned.
3.-You plane to a thicknes of 1/40, so that you arrive at a "column" made up of dots that are 1/40 x 1/40 each.
You do this multiple times, depending on how many columns your design has, then you glue all the columns and slice.
My questions are these:
Is there a tip for the planing, a jig? Is there a tip for clamping the 1/16 by 1/40 strips to minimize misalignment? Any tips in slicing, gauges, anything will help.
Thanks
/p
In case people are confused this is what I mean, imagine x= walnut, and .= maple, a pattern would be this, you are looking at the endgrain of strips that are 1/40 by 1/40 by 12" long,pretty common stuff I think.
.....................
......x......x......
.....x..x..x..x...
....x.....x.....x...
....x............x...
......x.........x....
.........x....x......
.............x........
.......................