Premade Purfling Source

[Guest]

I'm looking for good quality premade purfling...can you share a good source? Wood or Fiber?

-Ernie

[Ray Lee]

Try karin rost. Their wood purflings are excellent ! easy to bent , hard to unglue . of course , the most important things , it looks good !

[~ Ben Conover]

If you are buying pre-made purflings made of wood, you may as well buy them pre-bent too.

Dick sell the ebony maple ones, not cheap but very good.

If you like to scrape them down a bit to suit your groove, then you may as well be making them yourself.

The fibre ones are not worth buying and no self respecting maker should use them, IMHO.

I make my own.

Cheers.

[JohnCockburn]

I second Ray's suggestion for Karin Rost, for all the reasons he said.

Dick's purfling is made by Karin Rost, and you might find it more straightforward to buy from them.

purfling

The maple/maple/maple stuff is very nice (as is the maple/pear/maple, but personally I don't like the brown inner).

There is also a company in Germany that supplies ready made pear/poplar/pear if you want to be truly authentic, but the name escapes me for the moment (I do recall they have a minimum order value). I'll repost later if I recollect.

EDIT: this is the one I was trying to remember:Hermann

[colledge]

I'm looking for good quality premade purfling...can you share a good source? Wood or Fiber?

-Ernie

I get mine from A&M Wood

http://www.amwoodinc.com/. It has always been consistent. They also have good willow for linings and blocks

[Guest]

A&M has a wide variety of purflings to choose from...Looks real nice.

Thank you!

-Ernie

I see that they require US residents to provide their Social Security number...I've never encountered that before from any other Canadian company.

[Bill Yacey]

A&M has a wide variety of purflings to choose from...Looks real nice.

Thank you!

-Ernie

I see that they require US residents to provide their Social Security number...I've never encountered that before from any other Canadian company.

I wouldn't give that out, Ernie. If you want, I can purchase what you need and mail it to you.

[Guest]

I wouldn't give that out, Ernie. If you want, I can purchase what you need and mail it to you.

Bill

If you don't mind that would be great...I'll have a look around their website and get back to you.

Thank you

Ernie

[matthew tucker]

Gurian Instruments makes purfling to order, all sorts of woods and thicknesses and layups. fantastic resource. But there's a minimum order price so its a good idea to to a group buy ...

I haven't personally bought from them yet, but I know a bunch of luthiers that have, and they all have good things to say.

http://www.gurianinstruments.com/pb/index.php

[Guest]

If you are buying pre-made purflings made of wood, you may as well buy them pre-bent too.

Dick sell the ebony maple ones, not cheap but very good.

If you like to scrape them down a bit to suit your groove, then you may as well be making them yourself.

The fibre ones are not worth buying and no self respecting maker should use them, IMHO.

I make my own.

Cheers.

Ben

I remember reading in another post that you use a Dremel tool and a router bit from Stew Mac for cutting the channel.

Can you tell me what size bit you bought or use? I need to order one also. Thanks

-Ernie

[violins88]

A&M has a wide variety of purflings to choose from...Looks real nice.

Thank you!

-Ernie

I see that they require US residents to provide their Social Security number...I've never encountered that before from any other Canadian company.

That requirement is absurd. No one should give that out when buying something.

[chronos]

That requirement is absurd. No one should give that out when buying something.

They say it's to comply with US law:

"Customers in the USA [please be prepared to provide] - Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) or if this is personal, your Social Security Number. This is required by US Customs in order that they may process your order across the border. This is a requirement of the Federal Regulations Chapter 1, Section 142.3 (19 CFR 142.3(6)) which also refers to 19 CFR 24.5(b i & ii)".

Do other foreign companies (such as Dick or SVS Tonewoods) have similar requirements?

PS - SVS Tonewoods sells purfling, too.

[~ Ben Conover]

Ernie, I got a 3/64ths bit from Stew Mac.

An even smaller bit would do well for some styles.

Since the router bits cut backwards too, you can vary the width of the channel, if needs be.

[Guest]

Great...Thanks Ben!

[Michael_Molnar]

Karin Rost is excellent. I have NO bending problems with the wood purfling. It's very high quality.

I suggest that you combine orders with some friends to save on shipping.

Mike

[Guest]

Karin Rost is excellent. I have NO bending problems with the wood purfling. It's very high quality.

I suggest that you combine orders with some friends to save on shipping.

Mike

I would like to try them...but I'm having trouble viewing their website. Thanks Mike!

-Ernie

[kubasa]

I see that no one has mentioned International Violin. http://www.internationalviolin.com/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=940I You certainly wouldn't have to deal with customs.

Kind of makes me nervous that no one has mentioned them - have I not been using the good stuff? I've never had a problem with their purfling. Seems to maintain a consistent measurement all the way through. My only gripe is that there isn't a whole lot of room for error if I break a piece so I usually buy 2 sets so I always have a little extra.

[Guest]

I see that no one has mentioned International Violin. http://www.internationalviolin.com/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=940I You certainly wouldn't have to deal with customs.

Kind of makes me nervous that no one has mentioned them - have I not been using the good stuff? I've never had a problem with their purfling. Seems to maintain a consistent measurement all the way through. My only gripe is that there isn't a whole lot of room for error if I break a piece so I usually buy 2 sets so I always have a little extra.

I see that IVC sells Carbide Mini Endmill, 1.3mm router bits, I'm assuming. These are the same dia. as the 1.3 purfling...sounds like a good fit.

Does anyone know if these bits are the same Downcut/Reverse flute bits sold by Stew Mac?

http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/product/5154

[JohnCockburn]

I see that IVC sells Carbide Mini Endmill, 1.3mm router bits, I'm assuming. These are the same dia. as the 1.3 purfling...sounds like a good fit.

Does anyone know if these bits are the same Downcut/Reverse flute bits sold by Stew Mac?

http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/product/5154

If this is your first violin, then I think you should do the purfling groove by hand. You need all the hand tool skills practice you can get unless, of course, you are a craftsman in another field.

[~ Ben Conover]

Doing it by hand is a great idea.

I find ebony purfling made with hide glue very difficult to bend, it breaks and comes unglued. It is possible though, just takes a bit of time.

Might try some other stuff, but not fibre.

[Guest]

John

I agree...and will practice the finer points with hand tools once I understand the work flow. Most of my experience is in metal working and power tools. As a result I tend to be heavy handed...my goal is to use hand tools exclusively...or as much as possible.

Thanks for pointing that out...

-Ernie

[captainhook]

I see that IVC sells Carbide Mini Endmill, 1.3mm router bits, I'm assuming. These are the same dia. as the 1.3 purfling...sounds like a good fit.

Does anyone know if these bits are the same Downcut/Reverse flute bits sold by Stew Mac?

http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/product/5154

IVC's bits are upcut, which happens to be what Michael D recommends, as I recall. I've been using the same one for several years and it still works fine.

I have not used much of IVC's wood purfling but had a lot of trouble bending what I did. That was before I heard about softening it with glycerin. I did not like their fiber purfling but got some that I like very much from International Luthiers supply. I'm getting low on it so I guess I'll have to switch to wood soon.

[Geoff-UK]

Ernie - do it by hand, then everything else you do will seem easy

I've considered trying routing, but I purfle after the body is closed up - and it just does not suit that. I actually enjoy purfling by hand now - but you need to really sort out yours tools and working method or it can go pearshaped easily.

Dicks purfling is good - and their loose veneers are excellent, especially the quality of the blacks.

I made up a load of my own a while back. I've just taken down some of the cello stock for a Bergonzi violin - planed it down to 1.5/09/1.5.which was easier than trying to make it up with veneers that thin.

Geoff

[Guest]

Ernie - do it by hand, then everything else you do will seem easy

I've considered trying routing, but I purfle after the body is closed up - and it just does not suit that. I actually enjoy purfling by hand now - but you need to really sort out yours tools and working method or it can go pearshaped easily.

Dicks purfling is good - and their loose veneers are excellent, especially the quality of the blacks.

I made up a load of my own a while back. I've just taken down some of the cello stock for a Bergonzi violin - planed it down to 1.5/09/1.5.which was easier than trying to make it up with veneers that thin.

Geoff

Geoff

I will most likely cut the channel by hand and make my own purfling too...but for now since I'm more familar with power tools I thought I'd go that route.

Glad to get so much feedback from you guys...

-Ernie

[Guest]

IVC's bits are upcut, which happens to be what Michael D recommends, as I recall. I've been using the same one for several years and it still works fine.

I have not used much of IVC's wood purfling but had a lot of trouble bending what I did. That was before I heard about softening it with glycerin. I did not like their fiber purfling but got some that I like very much from International Luthiers supply. I'm getting low on it so I guess I'll have to switch to wood soon.

Did'nt know Michael Darton recommends upcuts...I read somewhere that someone liked downcuts better. What size channel do you normally cut. I'm trying to figure out what size purfling to buy.

Thanks

-Ernie