How do you suppose the Gibson factory would have cut a finished archtop rim with a label already attached to install a Flathead ring in 1929 or 1930? Would they have chucked it up in a lathe and, if so, using what type of a chuck to ensure roundness?
How do you guys do it today?
I use a saw to cut the top off with about 1/16" to spare and then place a full sheet of sandpaper on a flat surface and judiciously sand the top of the rim to the final dimension making sure the rim is equal in height all the way around. I then use a router with a Stewmac binding cutter to fit the skirt.
I'm just wondering how the factory would have done it 80 + years ago.