Making Kerfed Linings

As a instrument maker two of my main concerns are saving time and money. As a result I'm always on the look out for good jigs that will allow me to make parts efficiently, rather than buying them elsewhere. Right now nearly every wooden piece on my instruments is made in my shop. Up until recently one of the things I have still been buying is the linings. Linings are relatively inexpensive to buy and so in an effort to save time I have spent the money. Now I'm on the search to come up with a good system for making them myself. I have been investigating different methods of making linings on the table saw and band saw. Two of the designs I have come across are listed bellow. These jigs are "semiautomatic" meaning they automatically advance the material being cut as you push the jig through the saw blade. I'm still unsure exactly what jig I am going to go with, but it will likely be based on one of these designs.

Robby O'Brien of O'Brien Guitars has but together some great tutorials on guitar building. This is one of them.



Frank Ford's jig for cutting Kerfing on your band saw.

Interested in Luthiery?

Here are some great resources to get you started.

The Official Luthiers Forum - One of the best forums discussing all tops related to luthiery (primarily guitar).

Musical Instrument Makers Forum - Another great forum covering all aspects of luthiery.

Frets.com - A great site for information on guitar repair.

StewMac.com - Has a wide selection of books and videos on instrument construction and repair.