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Just thought I'd share something that worked for me. I just bound a guitar with maple bindings. Although I bent the bindings close to shape, I found it a challenge to get the bindings to sit in nice and tight - especially around the cutaway region. The masking tape I was using wasn't strong enough to pull them in all the way. I have some giant elastic bands and I was having more success with those but wrapping the guitar up with elastic bands while trying to keep binding and purfling in place wasn't going to be easy. Then I found some filament tape (that clear tape that has what looks like fine strings running along its length) and what a difference that made. That stuff is so strong I could pull as hard as I wanted with no breakage and I could pull the bindings right in. So that's what I used. It was a little stickier and took a little more time to get off than the masking tape, but no big deal or damage to any of the wood.

Recommended - I hope this is of help to others.

Pat

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That's what I use in the places where basic masking tape won't pull tight enough.

I have all my tape handy right here

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Hey Todd,

What kind of glue are you using for binding, that would give you the set-up time to get your bands on the after you have positioned the binding with the tape? I usually use wood bindings and glue with AR but I don't think I would have time to get all the bands on before the glue started to dry.

Your binding board does look like the ticket and I'm definitely going to start using your system as currently I am using Paper tape and some old hemp-type rope around the waist and tougher areas to help pull everything in tight.

Just curious!

Thanks,

Cal

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It was a little stickier and took a little more time to get off than the masking tape, but no big deal or damage to any of the wood.

A hair dryer or heat gun on low helps tape release without pulling up fibers.

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Thank you this is something that I have been thinking about for weeks. (First and Second build, I started Over went the router skipped across the top ). And thank you all for all the great advise... A little pun there...

I use garden variety masking tape to hold things in position, but this is where the real pressure is applied. This cloth tape has a bit of stretch to it but I usually exceed it during the wrapping...so I suppose non stretch cloth tape would work equally well.........I don't use a jig, there is a certain pattern which keeps everything in place. Here the back binding is being glued (note the more regular spacing of the tape).

I think it was Brock that turned me on to reinforced packing tape as binding tape a couple years ago. I still use SM binding tape a good bit but for tough jobs it is always there to be used.