Right Way To Do A Fake Wood Binding?

[GuitarMaestro]

I really wonder how to do this right. I know from dying tops that it is very common for the dye to come out of the pores at the side of the top immideately. This has to be avoided for a fake wood binding at all costs. The question is how? I heard that some people simply seal the edges with clean laquer, but I cannot see how this is supposed to help as the dye travels to the edges from the inside and the laquer will not run very deep into the wood I guess. Any ideas?

I found a good picture for reference....

[thegarehanman]

A lot of people scrape or (lightly!) sand after they die the top.

[rhoads56]

the dye can go there, if the lacquer has already penetrated the surface slightly.

I either:

1 - stain it directly onto the wood, then lightly sand the round.

2 - Sand the round, shoot a thinned coat of lacquer, then stain.

[GuitarMaestro]

Thanks for your answers! I wonder how sanding alone is supposed to help though. I guess you have to use the stain very carefully in order for that to work.

At least I once had stained headstock, wehere I wanted the edges to be clean of stain and in the end I had to accept the slight discolorations, because removing even more wood would have altered the shapre too drastically. What I want to say is: The channels in the figure took the stain and transported it deeper in the wood and to the sides causing "dyed little spots". I cannot see how sanding sovlves that, because this happens everywhere, not just on the edges.

Thanks,

MK!

[Setch]

If your dye is seeping that far into the pores, use less dye!

[GuitarMaestro]

Yep....I should try that next time! I also suspect the wood I used at the time was especially suited to cause this kind of trouble....

[rhoads56]

what he said also ^^^

[frank falbo]

In my experience, the stain will tend to float on the top 1/64" of the surface. It only seeps past that and into pores around the edges where the top starts to curve around and endgrain is introduced. If you want to test your luck, stain a piece of wood and then cut it into strips. You'll probably find that the stain hasn't bled too deeply in any particular area. So I do Perry's #1. But I actually stain the top before I flush cut the edge. Either I'll leave a little overhang, or I'll leave the whole guitar oversized and do my finish sanding on the sides after I've stained it. Even if I find I want to add more stain later, it's easier to know that I don't have to go right up to the edge, because the color is already there. I can tape it off 1/64" short to allow for some bleed.

The guitar in your pic is sunbursted, so the shader coat is masked off. The top may not have even been stained orange first. On most average factory guitars, they aren't even staining the tops. They're sealing them first, then spraying tinted clear/bursts with the binding edge masked off. That's an ultra clean way to do it, but I never liked tinted tops. I want the wood to be stained directly.

[GuitarMaestro]

Thanks for a helpful and great post Frank!