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I've been binding a few fingerboards this week - boards are slotted but not yet attached to necks.
Binding is fiber+wood.
I'm having problems with CA glue running into the end of the fret slots-not all of them, but it's difficult to get enough CA run in to attach the binding properly without having it run into the slot ends.

Help!
1)Has anybody else found a solution to this problem after it happens? What's the best way to clean cured CA out of the slots without releasing the binding?

2)Should I be using a different adhesive, or different technique?
PU is out because it will foam into the slots.
Perhaps Titebond-type?
Thanks

John

I have the same problem with titebond--I'm very interested in the responses

John, I use Titebond or LMI's white glue. I've found that Exacto blades are
just a hair narrower than the fret slots. I just clean out the slots with the
back side of an old dull blade. This won't help of course if the glue is
already hard.

Long

_________________
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

I use titebond and binding tape and clean it out of the slots with a small knife blade/cotton buds after a few minutes. For most of the board you can use the binding tape inbetween frets which gives you clear access. For the upper ones I peel back the tape, clean and put the tape back and move on.

Haven't done it but I've read abouut others using small dental burrs in Dremels to clean out the slots.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Stewmac makes a hooked blade that fits an exacto handle and fits perfectly in the slots. It's the "bee's knees". I get the glue out completely and easily with this tool.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I modified a stanley knife blade to do this. I ground it so that it fits into a exacto handle and has a chisel point.

Stanley knife blades are a perfect fit for slots cut with Shane's fret slotting blade.

I made a tool similar to the Stewmac one from an old jigsaw blade. 5 minutes on a bench grinder and a couple of turns of tape around it for a handle, and voila! Al Carruth once mentioned that he inserts pieces of plastic from six pack holders into the fret slots to keep the glue out, he said it was just the right size. Not sure what type of glue he said he used, I imagine this would not work so well with CA. I use CA glue, but as little as possible and clean out any glue build-up with the hook tool.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Another trick I heard from Josh House I think, who learned it at DeJonges course was to heat the stew mac blade, use a soldering iron or something - it will melt the titebond out easily. I usually just force it out with the SM blade though. Trick is not to use too much glue !!! I only get three or four spots to clean up if any. Since I pretty much dont use the plastic tortoise anymore, CA is not required.

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

Charles Fox used to use compressed air to blow it out when he got the binding all situated. He'd hold a rag just over the slot and blast it with air. They ended up clean as can be.

I have to jump in and support the Stewmac tool. It's cheap, fits a slot perfectly, has a nice hook on it but it's not too sharp. The right tool for the job.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

Thanks, everybody!
I appreciate all the responses.
Now, I've got a few 'new arrows in the quiver' so to speak.

The combination of Titebond for more working time and the ideas here should do the trick.

Thanks again.

John

[QUOTE=Pwoolson] Charles Fox used to use compressed air to blow it out when he got the binding all situated. He'd hold a rag just over the slot and blast it with air. They ended up clean as can be. [/QUOTE]

What kind of glue, Paul?

Thanks.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

[QUOTE=Arnt]   Al Carruth once mentioned that he inserts pieces of plastic from six pack holders into the fret slots to keep the glue out, he said it was just the right size. Not sure what type of glue he said he used, I imagine this would not work so well with CA.[/QUOTE]

I thought Al said he cut strips from coffee can lids. I've been saving powdered baby formula can lids (got more than enough of those these days) for this purpose, but haven't tried it yet.

I've used the heated knife method (learned it from Serge de Jonge) and it works very well. Still, I'd rather keep the glue out of there in the first place.

I'm intrigued by the compressed air method, too...

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

I use .022 strips of teflon in the fret slot, the CA doesn't stick to it and this has pretty much solved the problem for me.
I bought some sheet stock and cut the strips from that.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

[QUOTE=Todd Rose] [QUOTE=Pwoolson] Charles Fox used to use compressed air to blow it out when he got the binding all situated. He'd hold a rag just over the slot and blast it with air. They ended up clean as can be. [/QUOTE]

What kind of glue, Paul?

Thanks.[/QUOTE]
Thin CA.

That little fret cleaning saw that Stew Macs sells is excellent as well for cleaning glue out or deepening a slot on a bound board.

[QUOTE=Pwoolson] Charles Fox used to use compressed air to blow it out when he got the binding all situated. He'd hold a rag just over the slot and blast it with air. They ended up clean as can be. [/QUOTE]

Paul, this is one of those "Duh, why didn't I think of that" moments.

Brilliant. That's my ticket next time around.

Thank you.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I use Titebond, an exacto knife heated on a hot pipe to clean the little amount that makes it's way in the slots.

I went back to the shop and tried the compressed air trick with the CA. It works like a charm! Thanks, Paul.
One note- if you find CA fumes irritating (as I do- I use a fan and good ventilation) the air blow gun will increase the vapour load, so be forewarned.

The various knife/saw solutions will be applied to the boards that have some CA residue.

Thanks to everybody!

John

On a really stubborn glue in the slot problem, I modified a cutter in my dremel, to be undersized from the slot, and carefully rout the glue out. Works great!

[QUOTE=Mark Hanna] On a really stubborn glue in the slot problem, I modified a cutter in my dremel, to be undersized from the slot, and carefully rout the glue out. Works great![/QUOTE]

Mark-
You have a router bit that is in the .020 inch range that you modified yourself?
Nothing in my collection of dental burrs, etc is even close to that. Where did you get the cutter and how did you modify it?
Thanks
John

Something like this,
Micro Burrs, will have the size you need. You can find these reconditioned burrs at a lot of sources.

I use LMI white or Titebond. The trick is to use just enough glue to wet the surface with almost no squeeze out. If you are filling the slot with glue, try using a lot less glue. I don't have to clean out the slot.

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

[QUOTE=Pwoolson] Something like this,
Micro Burrs, will have the size you need. You can find these reconditioned burrs at a lot of sources. [/QUOTE]
Thanks, Paul
HF don't ship to Canada by any economical means, but I phoned DrillBitCity (recommended- they are on the web) and some router bits are on the way via USPS.

Back to the shop to find a fresh problem!
John