Huge binding

[Dr. Jabsco]

Have any of you ever though of using really wide and deep binding on a guitar, and then carving out a 'non bound' guitar shape, like a regular rounded horns and such instead of having squarish horns. If you make the binding large enough it may work.

Im thinking about doing that on my current project. it would look rather awsome i think.

[skibum5545]

So, you mean putting a roundover on the edges of the binding? As long as the thickness and depth of the binding is 3/8" (for strat roundovers) or 1/4" (for slightly sharper roundover) it'd look cool. I guess it could be done with more or even less thickness, if you want, but I don't think that would look as cool as if th binding matched the roundover exactly.

[Dr. Jabsco]

Yeah, thats whan i ment.

Could I run a roundover router bit on the binding itself? after its glued in.

that way do both at the same time.

[skibum5545]

I've never worked with binding, so I don't know if there are tearout, etc. issues, but the concept is sound.

[Devon Headen]

And it would be more comfortable. I might try this sometime too. I always hate how lined and slightly raw my arm gets after playing my LP for several hours.

[erikbojerik]

That would look pretty cool I think. Be careful though; if you do a laminated white-black-white multi-layer type of binding, the roundover would need to perfectly follow the trace of the lines, otherwise you would get a wavy-looking lines along the edge that would look funny.

The body edge would have to be perfectly flat, the binding channel perfectly flat, the binding glued in perfectly flat, and the roundover done with great care. Could be done if you're fussy, and would look cool.

[Scott Rosenberger]

Be careful using a router on binding. it WILL catch fire

[Dr. Jabsco]

I was thinking about making the binding chanel, then rounding over, then gluing the square binding in and making a concave (to fit the roundover) drum sander, or just sanding by hand.

seems like a lot of work for a fancy binding tho.

[skibum5545]

I would do it while the binding is glued into the channel. If you get a "funny wavy line" effect, just sand it to a happy medium. As long as the binding is done well (not wiggly and sloppy) then I don't see it as being too much harder than just doing a binding job.

[Devon Headen]

Be careful using a router on binding. it WILL catch fire

The fender pcik are made of cellulose, too, and the other day I tried to see how flammable it was. It is, MOST DEFINITELY, flammable. Rather fun to do if I may say so myself. If you doubt the flammability of binding just try burning a little piece of it or a fender pick. Taught me to be careful with binding from now on.

[Curtis P]

gotta picture of this burning?

Curtis

[Drak]

I would certainly do this on a scrap piece, your instrument is no where to try such flagrant experimenting.

Have you ever done a 'normal' binding job yet?

Horse before the cart y'know, walk before ya run, all that stuff.

PS, I don't think it's a very cool idea, I think it would look like crap really, but that's just my opinion.

PS, if you want me to, this weekend, I'll take a few pieces of scrap binding, glue them in, and hit it with a roundover bit, it'll only take less than 1/2 hour on a scrap piece to do.

[litchfield]

If you do go thru, you have a potential disaster and a fair chance of a good idea. Ise thin strips of wood in liew of the cellulose.