When do you intall the end graft/wedge?

[Kevin in California]

I was wondering when you all put the end graft in and why you do it when you do it?

Kevin

[Dave Bagwill]

I now do it as I'm joining the rim to the blocks. I constructed a little jig that cuts the exact angle every time, and I use it to cut the slot in the rims and to cut the actual wedge. Then I glue all at once, leaving the wedge a little long to trim later.

[John Parchem]

I put it in before I put on the back and sides. The reason I do it then is that I can clamp down the rims on a board and have a stable platform to saw.

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I do this even if I am mitering the purflings. To avoid routing off the pufling worth of end wedge when routing for bindings I tape a bit of purfling on the top and back before routing the binding channel and finish that area by hand.

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[ken cierp]

I use a holding fixture and a trim router with a base mounted follower template. Process is before binding channels, note its important that the wedge is thinner than bindings unless purflings are used on that back and top.

[peter havriluk]

A picture is worth a thousand words...and tooling is worth the trouble of making it. See tooling, copy tooling... It's good teaching to show folks techniques and tools in use. The more we do with support tooling, the better results we will get. Freehand can get out of hand, and folks who are learning need exposure to the right way to do things, not just the lucky workarounds that usually get the job done.

[Kevin in California]

Okay so some of you do it before gluing on the top and back, and one does it after the top and back are on, but before cutting in the binding channels.
I have done one before top a back were on, the rest I have put in after I've cut in the binding channels. I don't do mitered side purflings so I don't have to worry about that. I think It has been easier for me to keep everything on center to using the side joints at the end and neck for getting the top and back centered up when gluing. I am trying a new simple process for keeping the top and back dead center when gluing. It is all a visual thing for me, I can't stand to see the end graft "leaning" one way or the other off the center of the top, and the back especially if there is a center strip, as there is a zipper strip on this one. If I can be sure everything is centered, then it should be fine to put the graft in before gluing the top and back on?

Kevin

[TonyinNYC]

Yes.

But I wanted to add how I do it anyway. I miter the purflings, so I close the box, then route the binding channels. Then I install the wedge with its purflings. I cut it to size after the glue dries leaving it the right length so I can miter the purfling to it. Why not install it after the top and back are on if you are worried about the center line being off?