Binding On Contours Tutorial?

[Uncle Os]

Hey All...

I've been building bodies with a lot of contour and then applying veneers. I've talked to a few people who tell me applying binding on a contour that isn't very router/dremel friendly is a royal pain in the astroturf. I understand why, however, I see companies like Warmoth and U.S.A Custom Guitar offering this option. Although I've seen the faux binding other folks apply by taping off the edges during the finish process, I'd prefer to apply the real thing in order to provide the illusion af a thicker top as well as add some 'class' to the instrument.

In order to do this, I've put the router aside and opted to use the Dremel for the obvious reasons that I can keep things closer to the edge.

Any guidance and/or assistance would be greatly appreciated.

MLAR, Cor

[ddgman2001]

+1 I'd like to see some successful techniques too.

[RGGR]

+2. The binding is something that scares me too. Dremel or Router route......hmmmmmmm

Opted for faux-binding just to eliminate possible problems.

What is the use of binding besides cosmetic? Any special purpose to this???

[Uncle Os]

+2. The binding is something that scares me too. Dremel or Router route......hmmmmmmm

Opted for faux-binding just to eliminate possible problems.

What is the use of binding besides cosmetic? Any special purpose to this???

Sure there's a purpose... It looks good! :wink:

My feelings are... Binding serves a purpose aound a neck. Your hands have a direct interaction with it and it gives a certain 'feel' to the neck. The body? Purely aesthetics.

MLAR, Cor

[chrisb0109]

It also helps with the issue of paint easily chipping on corners.

[LGM Guitars]

when you see binding on warmoth bodies and factory guitars, it's easy, they're all done with CNC, that is not hard to achieve with a 3D CNC machine.

You can do it with a dremel, but the hard part is, the dremel base sits flat on the top of the body, when you're on a contour, the dremel will tilt with the body top, that makes it harder again. The little binding cutter attachement you can get from stew mac works ok, but again, on a tight contour like the arm rest it changes the angle or depth.

I typically cut all the flat sections with the router and a binding bit, and do the arm contour by hand, it's really not that difficult to cut it nicely with a simple exacto knife, chisels and files, but it is a long job. it's actually pretty easy to do the binding channel on carved top bodies as long as the binding channel all stays at the same height like on a PRS or Les Paul, just cut your binding channel to the dept you need before you start the carve. It's when the binding itself needs to follow a contour that it gets hard.

Due to time constraints I had EKG do this one for me, but he did a great job, nicely done around the arm rest, I think he did it using the dremel, but cleaned it up with a knife and files. Honestly, I think it's harder to get the pearloid binding to bend down the arm rest than it is to cut the channel LOL!!!

http://image18.webshots.com/18/6/81/17/212...17IvhGXW_ph.jpg

[Uncle Os]

Thanks LGM! Just looking at it, I'd have to say that I agree with ya. Whatta bitch! Fortunately for me, I've got plenty of time on my hands. I've gotta couple of bodies laying around that I use for templates that have the contoured top. I think I'll do the flat stuff and then, for the contour, just draw a line with a little jig I made to the width of the bind, then get to it with the knife. I really thought there might be an easier way to do it. But after reading your post, I think doing this 'by hand' is the only way out. Hehe. I do it on the scrap bodies first. : sigh :

Thank you, Senor.

MLAR, Cor

[johnsilver]

I just recently went through this on a couple of guitars I'm working on - a LP style and a PRS style. These were the first carved top bodies I had done. On the LP, I carved the body first before cutting the binding channel and realized that wasn't the optimal sequence. As LGM said, it's better to cut the channel before carving, then you can use a router on flat wood. That's what I did on the PRS style that I did after the LP.

Having said all that, the LP came out ok even if a little nervewracking. I used the small binding cutting tool from Stewmac attached to my Dremel. If using a router base on flat wood is like driving a hummer on flat ground, then using this binding cutter is like riding a unicycle down a hill. Its scary but works well with care. As the top carve changes, the binding channel will change also as was previously noted. What I did was to clean up the channel manually as was described in LGM's note (like around the horn) but in some cases (like around the waist) I reset the Dremel and went back over the areas to adjust the channel slightly then feathered it in to the rest of the channel.

Check it out - a 7 layer ivoroid / black binding on the LP cutaway.