Titebond OK for bindings?

[erikbojerik]

I've got the normal w/b/w pre-laminated binding from StewMac, now I want to stick it to the guitar. Do I really need that binding cement, or will Titebond work OK?

[Setch]

Don't use the binding cement if you're in a hurry - it swells the binding, so you'll have to wait a week before scraping it back. I use CA glue, but you can use titebond if you wipe the back of the binding with acetone just before gluing. I've not tried this personally, but I've had it recommended by a couple of *very* experienced guys, so I'd take it as gospel. Apparently the quick wipe of acetone softens the binding so that it really bonds to the titebond, but doesn't casue swelling.

IMO CA is the easiest way to go, but can cause problems on absorbant woods you want to stain. I plan to try the acetone/titebond technique on my next guitar, so I'll report back.

[LGM Guitars]

I use CA, it works fine, epoxy will work if you rough up the binding, (assuming it's the plastic B/W/B binding which I'm sure it is)

Titebond probably won't hold very well. All the binding adhesive is really is acetone, in plastic modelling people have used acetone for years to bond styrene plastic which is basically all that B/W/B binding is (actually I believe those strips from stewmac are purfling which is quite a lot smaller than binding and fits inside the actual binding)

Anyway, I would use CA (like Zap, hotstuff, flash etc) it's just an instant glue, don't use crazy glue, it is a very low grade and poor performing product.

[erikbojerik]

I'm binding the ebony fretboard so that won't be a problem with CA, but I'm a little concerned about the quilted maple on the top, as I do plan to stain it.

If I tape the top and use a thicker "gel" type CA, do you think that would work out?

[Jehle]

On my amber guitar I had a figured top and I used PVC for binding. I used "Household Goop" as the adhesive and it did a great job.

It just so happens that my father-in-law is a polymer chemist and he specialized in adhesives. It was through his advice and experimentation that we went with the Goop adhesive. The main issue was to find a substance that would bond to wood and to vinyl. When the adhesive was cured, it was a simple matter of scraping any that had oozed out.

Keep in mind that this is only one guitar that I've made this way. But, I intend to use the same product again since it worked so well, and the clean up was so simple.