Binding Forearm Contours

[jammy]

I have enough trouble binding over 15ft radius arches on my acoustics!

What's the/your technique for binding round the forearm contour of an electric?

[erikbojerik]

If you have one of these kind of floating binding channel jigs:

http://www.mtlutherie.com/china/original_p...nding%20Jig.jpg

I would just drop the bit a little lower and use that; you'll need to do some hand work to make it perfect. Install the binding, then sand the contour down to flush with the top of the binding. Scrape and carry on.

[Ilikes2shred]

I've never done it, but maybe you could take a jig like erik's and make it be able to move up and down, so the router base would sit flat on the body and follow any contours by moving up and down, adjusting the depth of cut? The base of the router may actually ride on the flat part of the body though, so this may be ineffective....

[jammy]

It's not so much the routing of the channel I'm worried about, it's getting the binding to do those 3D bends required to keep all the joints tight round the contour.

I think if I was using wood bindings I would defiantly have to scarf joint them and the on/off transitions of the contour, but then I'd still have problems round the corner itself.

[stereordinary]

Just a thought, though I've never tried it, but maybe don't use strips of abs/wood/whatever. Find a way to fill the binding channel with tinted epoxy.

[ihocky2]

If you are using abs binding, the nice thing about it is that heat makes it plyable. When I am doing tight curves with abs, I give it a second or two at a time in front of a heat gun until it starts to soften and then hold it around the curve until it cools and holds the shape. If you are careful with the heat, I have used in on white binding and had no problems with any kind of burn marks. You need it just warm enough to soften a little. For an area that large I would work a small area, tape it down and then proceed. Once it is soft, you can small swizzle sticks with it, so a arm contour is no problem.

I am still just trying to figure out how to get the channel routed evenly.