View Full Version : Wood binding
Jim Hilburn
Jul-04-2004, 8:58am
I just got my new Stew-Mac catalog and I see they're offering wood bindings in rosewood, curly maple, ebony, and koa.
But the good part is you can get it with laminated strips on the bottom. The one time I did wood binding, I wanted the contrasting stripes both on the side and face of the instrument, but no matter what glue I used to laminate them myself, I had separation problems when I wet them to bend.
Hopefully, they have them glued up so this won't happen.
They're .080" thick,and this may cause some problems when you add a .020" purfling strip for the facing side and end up with .100", mainly on the peghead where I use a .090" piloted bit. However, that bit seems to cut a little too deep anyway.
About $4.50 each, I think it would be worth it, except for having to pay they're rediculous shipping prices.
Brookside
Jul-04-2004, 11:22am
I noticed this too. I have two A's in the works and I think I'm going to use the Stew-Mac wood binding. I was hoping to keep one of them neat and clean enough to do a blonde finish with ebony binding. Any thoughts on bending ebony binding? Shouldn't be too bad on an A, I figure.
The other I was thinking of doing a traditional sunburst with curly maple binding. I'm going to be asking questions about this, however, since I don't quite understand the method of keeping the dark stain (or removing) from the light colored wood binding. I assume you don't just scrape it like the plasic stuff....
At any rate, great timing on the offering of wood binding.
Chris Baird
Jul-04-2004, 11:42am
I find that it is preferable to do the layers of wood binding one at a time. I've done wood binding that is full thickness in one go and it is hard to get no gaps because as you bend it every little twist/defomation causes small gaps. Doing two or three thin strips glued on one at a time is much more controllable. It also looks fancier and more difficult but is is, IMO, easier. Anyway, as far as stewmacs binding go I haven't tried them.
LMI also offers the wood binding with a side (bottom) lamination. I used the curly maple / rosewood for my last mandolin and think it came out pretty good. I added a strip of rosewood for the top laminate. They do warn not to get it too wet when bending. My body shape is simpler than an F but still has some fairly tight bends and there was no problem getting it fit well into the ledge. Attached are a couple pictures.
Ken
Jim Hilburn
Jul-04-2004, 1:44pm
Chris, I can't imagine how you could install purflings for the side reveal without having it glued to the main binding. It would be very difficult to bend and to clamp in place. As for doing the face bindings, doing them individually does make some sense.
Bill Snyder
Jul-04-2004, 1:57pm
Ken are there any more pictures of your mandolin posted somewhere? I would like to see a full frontal and back shot.
Bill S.
Chris Baird
Jul-04-2004, 5:15pm
I don't do side reveal binding.
Jim Hilburn
Jul-04-2004, 7:20pm
What got me interested enough to post about it was because they're making it easier to do a side-line binding. If it had been just wood strips, I wouldn't have brought it up.I can make them myself.
Rob Grant
Jul-04-2004, 11:19pm
I use a lot of New Guinea ebony for binding my mandolins. I cut the material I use directly from billets of timber I buy locally. I don't know if it's just the nature of the New Guinea material, but I don't have to add water to bend the stuff using a heated homemade form. It tends to bend almost as nicely as plastic. I have also laminated some imported white holly timber with the N.G. ebony to give me a two piece binding when using ebony for mandolin sides.
Bill S
I just posted pictures on "post a picture of your mandolin" under "wood bindings"
Thanks,
Ken.