Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello all,
I'm at the routing and binding stage of my first build (Thursday, if all goes well) and need a recommendation for an adhesive to attach (Stew-Mac) ABS plastic binding. Stew-Mac recommends IPS Weld-on, which ironically has a major distributor right here in Durham, NC, where I am, but they won't sell it (retail) to an individual. A Plastics & Fiberglass place in Raleigh that used to distribute IPS now carries 'Craftics' brand adhesive, which they say is roughly the same stuff.

Question: Does anyone know the Craftics brand, and can I trust the distributor's recommendation? Otherwise, I can get the IPS in a couple of days from Charlotte, but would have to postpone my work for a day or two.

Thanks in advance,
Ken

I don't know of the IPS weld-on stuff... I know Stew-Mac does have a sort of contact cement to install those bindings... However, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for it though... I know LMI has the cement also...

Maybe some CA would do the trick as well. I think the secret though is very good ventilation and use very little of it. I know Tony Karoll uses this method and it works great for him...

You tape up the whole binding to the guitar and make sure the miters and all that are perfect. Put a piece of tape every inch or so (leave just a little space to drop in the CA). A little drop of CA in each crack and Bob's your uncle...

You'll get a lot of tape getting stuck to the CA. Just scrape and sand it away.

Hope this helps

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Roo glue for melamine and vinyl. Works great and cleans up easily. No real
fumes like IPS Weld-On. Can buy it at Woodcraft online. Good luck!

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

I like Duco - Our local Ace hardware has it.



-Mark

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Pullman, WA

The more I know, the more I know I don't know.

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I use CA but am thinking that the same glue used for ABS plastic pipe can be used for bonding ABS to wood. This is the stuff available at about any hardware store.
Nelson

I once called Stew Mac and asked what they recommend since I forgot to
order the Weld On. They said Duco!

Don't forget, Stew Mac is a toll free phone call away.

I use the FCA from LMI

Mike
White Oak, Texas

And, if you haven't tried this stuff yet, I bet you'll kick yourself for waiting
when you finally do. . .

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Cheers,

Frank Ford

FRETS.COM
HomeShopTech
FRETS.NET

Is anyone doing all wood bindings?

I was hoping to avoid plastics.

Thanks everyone... I've ended up with several options, and if all goes well will be routing and binding on Friday!

The long and short: I'm trying something a little unusual, but I'm hopeful that it will turn out well. I like low bling, in general... and have always liked the look of the Martin 18 series (spruce/mahogany with black binding and w/b/w/b purfling). I'm going to go with that combo on my spruce/rosewood LMI kit guitar. I know that the rosewood may be a bit dark for the black binding, but I think it will contrast nicely. I also like the spruce/rosewood with tortoise binding like that of the OM-21; it shows up fine on the dark(er) rosewood sides. So I think this combo will work for me.

I may try to figure out how to post some pics after this stage. So far I'm really pleased with how things are turning out. The LMI kit has really top notch materials. (And I've had some VERY good coaching and help along the way from a couple of experienced builders, otherwise I'd be in a heap of trouble!)

Enjoying the learning experience,
Kenbluesphile38938.9800115741

Have no worries Ken. As with fashion, black goes with everything and anything.... You can't go wrong!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Thanks, Todd. I'll be sure and give it proper cure time before scraping.

I have only ever done half a guitar in plastic, ie the top done in grained ivoroid, ALL other guitar bodies were wood, fibre, shell. I have done a bunch of FBs in plastic, but even there I am pretty much an ebony guy now. The odd one on bloodwood, koa, rosewood. I use the fit it dry then CA method.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I used Roo Glue on the one I'm building now. The thing I really liked about it was I glued it up, went to lunch with sweetie and when I came back I was able to scrape down the plastic without any of the gumming up that you get with Duco or any solvent based glue.

Ken, if no one has told you yet, make sure you wait at least 24 hours before scraping level if you use any of the solvent based glues. DAMHIKT

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Newbie error number... I've lost count:

Well, in spite of Dave's warning and another heads-up I read somewhere, and while I did wait 24 hours before scraping the first time around (which went very nicely), I ended up making a big, but hopefully repairable, boo-boo in gluing on the black plastic binding. After making an adjustment to the waists where they hadn't quite been pulled up tight enough (the repair went nicely... shot some glue in there with a syringe, then clamped with a rounded caul for a couple of hours), I did NOT (oh, no... ) wait long enough before proceeding to the scraping stage. (I can see you all cringing right now :( ). And yes, I pitted the binding as I scraped it... not just once, but on both sides. (You know how at first you just don't really get it and see what's actually happening?)

Anyway... on to correction number two. I know that this is salvageable, somehow. Can I melt a piece of plastic binding with a solder iron or something, and smear a dab of it in the pits with a spatula type device, then scrape/sand and get myself back to square one? (I know someone out there has been through this before, right?)

TIA,
Ken
Durham, NC

Duco!!! but then again I don't do plastic (abs) unless someone is holding a gun to my head if I can avoid it

Ken--You can melt ABS with acetone to make a paste. I've not had good luck making repairs using this method but others apparently do it with success.
Nelson

Thanks, Nelson. I was thinking of prepping the spots with Acetone beforehand, but if I can make a paste with it, instead of melting it, all the better!

Ken

If you can't repair it, just rout it off and give it another go. No big deal.

Ken:

Great to see you on here, and working on that kit. Can't wait to see photos of it when you're ready to post. Wish I could help on the repair, but I'm intellectually deficient on that subject. Others will be along shortly, I bet!

Bill

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Shellac stick is great at filling stuff, they have it in black, its way easy to use.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"