Hello everyone the following information will hopefully explain how easy Lunette Banding really is.

Lunette meaning lunar which equals out to moon/full moon and lunar eclipse. Lunette banding was made famous by cabinetmakers John & Thomas Seymour. The Seymour's known for the beautiful array of Federal furniture, incorporated the lunette banding on several pieces.
What many think is that the Seymour's were the only ones that used this style of banding, but this is not true. There are several other pieces made with this banding in the period by other craftsmen. Yet the Seymour's used the banding the most especially after 1800 and did a marvelous job doing so.

Warning what I am going to explain to you is one of many ways to make Lunette Banding. I just think that the method that's going to be explained will give you the woodworker the most bang for the buck. Meaning it will not take much money or time to make the banding and give you that WOW effect.

The drawing is where it all starts. From the drawing I determine the dia. plugs I need and calculate spacing and dimensions of materials, and the amount of plugs needed. I choose to use a 5/8 plug for the outer hole and a 3/8 inner plug. I determine the center points, set my dividers and then gather the tools and materials needed.

Material and Tool List:

The species used to make lunette were: Ceylon Satinwood, American Holly, Quarter Sawn H. Maple.

Advantages & Disadvantages:
Ceylon Satinwood has the yellow tone which resembles age, sand shades easy, and grain isn't noticeable to the naked eye burns easy. Yet the material is very expensive.
American Holly burns so easy, it is white which gives great contrast, cost a lot less then Satinwood, it doesn't have noticeable grain what so ever.
Hard Maple is the cheapest from the bunch, dulls your tools quicker, plugs warp easily, takes longer to sand shade. Yet H. Maple is used often and works fine. I have made plenty, and dyes easily.

Tools needed to make Lunette Banding: Drill Press or Mortiser, 5/8 plug cutter & drill bit, 3/8 plug cutter & drill bit.( All tools can be purchased from Lee Valley or Fuller Bits). Please note we are using plug cutters that cut 2-3 inch long plugs, brad point drill bits with brad points on center and on the sides. So there are really 3 points on the tip.

I am going to assume you all know how to mill material flat and square. So I will skip that process. The length of material is 50" L x 2" W x 1 1/8" thick. Why 50 inches so that incase you ever make a serpentine card table with turret corners.

The plugs come from 1 5/8" thick stock. We cut the plugs from the edge not the face of the board. Why 1 5/8"thick?? Well because I will be using a 7 1/4" dia. blade to cut my log when it's complete in 1/2. I know from use that a 7 1/4" blade only can cut about 1 5/8 to 1 3/4 thick material. I recently just order a 10 inch dia blade with a 1/16 heavy kerf, so this issue will not matter for the future.

Alright lets get to it and head to the drill press and cut all of our plugs needed.

Once the plugs are cut they are then sand shaded. What is sand shaded? Well it is a period technique that uses a burner to heat up the sand to burn/shade plugs. Sand shade the plugs with the grain going left to right not north to south. The shading will take some time but once you start don't stop. Pay attention and don't set the burner to high. It is better to slow cook the plugs.

Plugs are cut and now it is time to make the holes to receive the plugs. I then layout the log with a center line down it's length and center lines of where the plugs are to be located. I also layout the lines on the face of the board so I can lay out the lines again if needed.

Now you do not bore all the holes at once. I repeat DO NOT BORE ALL THE HOLES AT ONCE. Why you ask? There isn't enough wood to except holes side by side. Meaning it will just break away from what ever fibers are left.You bore (5/8") every other hole, plug those with the sand shaded on the left side of the plug. Once glued and dry bore the rest of the 5/8" plugs. What glue to use??? Well yellow or white. The original used hide, and that is fine. Yet remember hide glue softens with heat and once you start to sawing the strips the glue gets soft. ASK ME HOW I KNOW. It will also take longer for the hide glue to dry. Yellow or white is best.

Now it is hard to control the location of the shaded section when gluing. So try your best and if it shifts then OH WELL. Just say it adds character. The originals are good but they are not perfect. Think about it they did have much technology then, so why stress it.

Once all the holes are glued with 5/8" plugs joint the edge with all the glue and mess. Rescribe the center lines and bore the 3/8" holes. EXCEPT NOW YOU CAN BORE EVERY HOLE. YES YOU CAN BORE EVERY 3/8" Holes.

Except this time the shaded section is opposite the from what you did first. First shaded section on the left, second plug shade goes on the right.

Once all the plugs are glued clean up the edge from with the jointer. Then rip the log down to 1 5/8" or what ever length plug you used. Now it is time rip the log in half. Take your time and test the cut. Once you have to halves add a black white stringing to where you cut down the center of the log. (This is why this method is so great now you have two halves. That means more banding. WOOT WOOT!!!) This veneer/stringing will hold the log together. So the log is all done now or you can then plane material off the top to fit a certain dimension if needed. This why I made the log so thick. I can then change it thickness and not be concerned about the half circles breaking due to the veneer being glued on.

Well in a nut shell that is it. Quick and dirty. This is a thread so ask your questions and see the pics. I will answer all questions and sell anyone Lunette banding. In the end yes it is a lot of fun to make the banding, but it is a FULL days work. Please be Safe take your time and be smart. If your are not comfortable about anything please contact me and I will help anyone. Please understand I do this for a living and I am comfortable.

Thanks

Freddy

Completed log. For Sale if any one is interested.

Fred

I would like to say the thread of lunette banding is rough I know that. Yet all the info is there. I hope all of you can understand what I am trying to say. Thanks for your time

Fred

Let us digest. Personally, I am still re-reading. The other responses will come .

Freddy,
Thanks for the post.. very enlightening and informative fore sure! To be honest you really simplified Lunette banding and made it look amazingly easy to make. Before your how-to post I had no idea as to how they made this banding.. and now that I see how you just cut off the bottom edge of the plugged holes to get the final profile.. I all makes sense.. and it seems to be something I would love to try and tackle.. now I just need a drill press..

Very cool.. thanks for posting..

BTW, do you have a web-site or list of banding profiles that you make and sell?

That's ingenious! Great job Freddy. Between the text and your pictures I understand it fully. Shoot, I may even have all the necessary tools and material in hand already.

Freddy, my thanks, this was awesome and it's very cool of you to share your expertise with us here at the 207.

I'm going to give this a shot and soon. I've seen other methods but wasn't really to hip on them, but this one, oh yeah!

Man I love this site.

Rick

SwedishIron,

First of swedish steel the best steel ever made. Secondly my site is periodcraftsmen.com and on the site there is a banding section. What is there will be all the banding I am willing to make. Check it out. Please note the site is still on its rough stages so some days there will more to see then others. Yet the banding section is the only thing always up and running. Well I am so glad that I can share some knowledge with you all.

Fred

Freddie -

Great thread and congratulations on the demo podcast!

The thread is great! Bandings are usually fairly straight forward once somebody explains them to you so I have to thank Freddie for doing that here. Thats what makes this whole forum great, there are truly skilled cabinetmakers willing to discuss the finer points of furniture making. Can't get this stuff anywhere else...

Freddy nice podcast........along with this thread, I like the camera pan up the log to reveal that Roman mug of yours.

Real good work Freddy.