ForDaFingaz Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 I'm expanding my knowledge and experience with guitar building by refinishing a Jackson DK2. I stripped the damaged flame maple veneer and have recently applied a new veneer which turned out spectacular on my third try (I guess experience is everything). I am having a struggle with the thought of binding the body. Sometimes I think it would look really cool to have an ebonized rosewood binding (to match an ebonized rosewood fretboard), and other times I think that a simple "less is more" finish would be best by skipping the binding. I plan on finishing the top with a natural finish with black sides and back (not sure if I'll do gloss or satin) If anyone has had experience binding a veneer top and/or have opinions I'd very much like to hear them. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 if you have access to the tools, go for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 I've done a refinish with flame maple veneer recently. My first try, I'm just starting out I see two ways of concealing the veneer edges - either with a black (or other color) burst and sides (and back I guess) or with binding. I went the black burst way, as the sides were already black. No I'm gonna try to do one with binding (dark binding, poplar body and poplar burl veneer). If you have black sides I'd personally skip the dark binding (no contrast). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntinDoug Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 Chris is the guy to talk to. He's the veneer/binding/purfling guru: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForDaFingaz Posted August 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 pan_kara - good point about the contrast issue with the black sides. I think what I'll do is use the ebonized rosewood + maple binding to contrast the black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headstack Posted October 11, 2012 Report Share Posted October 11, 2012 If you use ebonized rosewood, you will be scraping the dye off the wood when you scrape your binding to dimension after it is glued up. I would just use ebony for the binding, or black ABS for the black component. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForDaFingaz Posted October 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2012 So what the heck - I'll throw up some pics. Because this was really a learn-as-I-go project, I made it easier on myself by just using Rosewood binding. This was my third veneer attempt as well. The first two were too horked to finish. I'm an experienced sander now. I was able to use a laminate router and one of the Stu-Mac binding bits on most of the edge, but the elbow was the trick, right? I decided to use a craft-knife and needle files to form the profile. Bending the binding to fit the horns was "challenging". It ended up splitting a bit, but was able to save it w/some CA glue. I layed in the binding w/CA glue as well. I filled in any gaps w/Titebond mixed with Rosewood dust. Cursed phone - Why you no focus?? I had to fix my first attempt at laying in the binding on the compound curve. The binding ended up bowing out instead of fitting in vertically. Didn't get a pic of that. I had to cut off the offending piece of binding. So after more steaming, bending, heating, steaming, repeat, repeat... There were some flaws - probably happens in just about any project, but I'm really happy with the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 15, 2012 Report Share Posted October 15, 2012 There were some flaws - probably happens in just about any project, but I'm really happy with the results. I would be too. Way to stay after it. Another thing you learned is building is an exercise in problem solving. Pretty much every time. Very nicely done. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supplebanana Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 Nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 Wow, this is looking good! I'll soon be doing my first binding job but I decided to use plastic binding before trying to bend wood.. And the top is completely flat. what is the finish on this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForDaFingaz Posted October 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 Thanks for the comments! Wow, this is looking good! I'll soon be doing my first binding job but I decided to use plastic binding before trying to bend wood.. And the top is completely flat. what is the finish on this one? I finished the entire body first with the vinyl sealer from StuMac - brushed it on to get it thick. Then sanded flat of course. The back is a dark chestnut brown metallic polyurethane from Sherwin Williams sprayed with the Preval system. Clearcoat is SprayMax 2K aerosol. Next time I would use the poly in an aerosol instead of the Preval. I think it goes on way too heavy but I'm really only a novice at this stuff so maybe it's suppose to. It wasn't really bad -- just a couple of runs, but I like the results from poly "rattle cans" better. Also, the aerosol has a wider spray pattern -- or I should say the one can I bought for the first try at this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 That is an immensely cool bit of work. Stop making me GAS for superstrats! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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