Official Luthiers Forum!

I’m considering routing out the binding and purfling on the treble side of my guitar. I left the binding too proud and scraped partly into the next layer. It doesn’t look too bad now with some touch up dye but up until now I’ve been very happy with this build and I know this is going to bother me down the road.

I used CA glue. Anything I need to consider different than usual if I rout everything out and start over?

thanks. Jon

I'd be interested in this myself.

_________________
Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

If during the scraping/sanding/leveling of original sides and bindings, the actual side surfaces were changed. And I don't know how they would not be altered in the process. Then the new binding and purf channels probably won't match up with the bass side of the guitar.

You might be able to finesse the new channels to match up but it might just be easier to rout new purf channels and binding channels for the whole top or back. Hoping your problem doesn't effect both top and back.

You could try setting router depth/width so that it matches the bass side and try that first. Probably what I'd do.

I'm just betting your original routing schedule will not match up with the bindings you want to save.

Good luck with the save! pics would help.

_________________
Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

I’ve routed binding off before. Nothing stands up to a router. In case it makes a difference: CA glue is often susceptible to heat. It won’t take much warming for the glue to fail so you can easily pull off what you have.

Just the treble side top installed so far.

I might try heat as mentioned in next post. But eventually I’m going to need to slightly deepen both binding and purf channels. Or use thinner material.

Thx

I have also routed binding off before but only once. I set the bit for full depth and height of the binding. When I started routing some of the binding blew off in chunks and took some little pieces of side with it. If I do it again I will use multiple, shallower cuts.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Thanks Steve. I was wondering exactly the same thing.

Climb cut all of it.

Any thoughts about effectiveness of heat on releasing CA glue joint?

With a hair dryer. I don’t gave the cahones to use a heat gun next to all that wood!

Even if you heat release it, you’ll still have to clean up all the glue residue. Just route it off with a climb cut and you’re ready for another go…

I use a little hobby iron for stuff like that. I stole it from my son who use to use it to shrink fabric on his RC planes.

The top I cut the binding off of was on guitar #2. So long ago I don't remember if I used a climb cut or not - possibly not.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I have done it too. As suggested, climb cuts and in a few passes, will get the job done safely.

Just had to do this today. Not the first time but looking at this was a good reminder to climb cut the whole way. It pushes the binding into the guitar instead of trying to rip it out.
Came out great but shouldn’t have had to do it. Bummer.

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com