Kerfing... How small is too small?

[Bluetickhound]

Once again, I've been thinking when I ain't used to it and wondered if there was any benefit to a minimal amount of kerfing, say... Even less than 1/8"? More specifically, does kerfing interfere/enhance in any way top vibration and or affect stiffness (or are those two ideas so intertwined as to be the same question)? If kerfing is nothing more than a surface to attach plates to then (within reason, of course) does kerfing size matter?

[fscotte]

It'll depend on the width of your binding. I try to use kerfing 1/4" wide but I also use .090" binding.

[Bluetickhound]

I hadn't considered the binding, duh!! I' really asking because I'n building an A5 currently and used StewMac's reverse kerfing, which was way too big. I cut it down considerably and now I have what I think would be useable scrap at 1/8" square. I'm resurrecting an H5 that the rim assembly cracked on whilst clamping the plates in for a test fit. The rim assembly got trashed but the plates are still perfectly fine. I want to try my hand at wooden binding on the H5 and do plan to keep it fairly thin so the scrap I have may well work...

[sunburst]

What I know about plate modes in stringed instruments says that they go right to the edge of the plate. The edge of the plate is defined by the attachment to the rim, so perhaps using larger linings effectively makes the plates smaller, and perhaps making the linings smaller effectively makes the plates larger. Maybe there is slightly more vibrating mass in the plate with a smaller lining, maybe the frequencies are very slightly lower, maybe there is less overall stiffness to the plate with smaller linings, maybe....
Is smaller lining better for sound? Probably not, that seems to have more to do with the relationship between the top and back regardless of small adjustments of stiffness or mass one way or the other, so a mandolin with larger linings with good coupling between the top and back is probably a better mandolin with smaller linings and poorer coupling... and vise versa.
For a simpler answer, if a well glued top or back comes loose at the rim glue joint under normal conditions, the linings might be too small. Mine seem to hold up fine with linings that are 3/16" wide. I've seen violin linings that were about 1/16" wide, but the construction of violins is different (as well as string tension).
So, now for the real answer to the question: I don't know.

[Bluetickhound]

I'm In the middle of making a new rim assembly for "The H5 That Refused To Be Built" as my daughter now calls it. When it's completely assembled I'll clamp the linings on, lay the top over it and see what my gut tells me. I've learned a lot over the past couple of years but one of the things that has really registered with me is "if it don't LOOK right, it probably AIN'T right".... The first rim assembly really drove that point home, that's for sure.