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Veneer Top And Binding


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Hello everyone. Long time browser, first time builder here. First of all, thanks to EVERYONE that has been so gracious to share their knowlage. I have learned a tremendous amout in the few months I've been combing through these forums.
I am still in the research and game plan development stages of attempting a build. So I have not made any purchases in tools or materials for a build yet. I have gone through A LOT of the tutorial and build threds and I believe that I can now ask some intelagent questions.
I have dremt about building an Explorer style guitar, but I wanted to put a twist on the shape. I love what killemall8 has done with that body style. So I started poking around the inter-web and found someone who makes an Iceman/Destroyer Hybrid. I like it!
">http://fdfb72e1-9dc4-4b33-aca8-6e6e13933077_zps

Here are my questions:

Where I circled the body, how would you approach routing out a binding channel? The sharp turn on the treble bout concerns me the most. The pointy bit on the tail also seems like it could be a challenge.

As far as attaching the binding, I found a YouTube vid on a gentalmen using acetone.

I have read in these "pages" about people mixing acetone and small bits of biding to create filler, with varying degrees of scucess. Is using acetone to adhear the binding an acceptable method? Is ABS binding the best/only type to use with acetone? On that treble side bout with the sharp turn, would you mitter cut the binding or pie cut it?

I would also be attaching a veneer top to this body. Is tear out a big problem when routing a binding channel on a veneered body?

More than likely I will do a one piece veneer, if I can find one big enough. I plan on using the "glue board" method. Does the board need to be cut to the same shape as the guitar?

Once the veneer is on, how would one go about cutting the pickup caveties and bridge holes out on a body that is already routed/drilled? I have some ideas about how, but I am interested in what others have done in this situation.

As mentioned, this would be my first go at someting like this. I also do not have intentions of making any more than two guitars, so expensive specialty tools would have to be replaced with clever work arounds. I am not a professional wood worker, but I live in a very old home and I have had to repair, re-construct, recreate,and refurbish all kinds of home related wooden things. Just saying I am able to use, and own, basic wood working tools.

Thank you in advance for any help and suggestions.

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Welcome! I've been doing a similar thing quite recently (as one of my test builds - I only just started building), so I can answer from my limited experience. I didnt have any tearout problems with veneer - the pickup cavities I just cut out with a scalpel after the veneer was glued on and then finished off the edges with a dremel sanding drum. And maybe by hand with sandpaper after that, I don't remember for sure. But it wasn't problematic.

How do you plan to do the body binding? I was also using a dremel with a small routing bit, in the Stewmac routing attachment. The lesson I learned was to always have something with the same height as the body on the outer side, otherwise its hard to keep the whole thing from falling off at the ends of the body horns. :)

I glued it with superglue, but I might try the acetone method next time, I was getting some small gaps (partially due to my sloppy routing)

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Thanks Pan, I saw the dremel attachment on the StewMc site. I am not sure what you mean by

How do you plan to do the body binding? I was also using a dremel with a small routing bit, in the Stewmac routing attachment. The lesson I learned was to always have something with the same height as the body on the outer side, otherwise its hard to keep the whole thing from falling off at the ends of the body horns. :)

I was also thinking of using a trim router. Of course I am also planning some experimentation pieces for both routing and stain/painting

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Binding_Router_Guide_sm.jpg

He means set up blocks of wood around the body so the plate has something to ride on and you don't wind up with a wobble to the router..... in essence, you are creating a stable surface to run the plate along as you route the channel

After giving the Dremel tool another look, I think Pan means to place a guide outside of the tool, where the brass roller bearing is. Either way, this could be the ticket to handling that treble bout.

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