Binding Repair

[mzuch]

The restoration of my grandmother's old Strad-O-Lin is nearly complete. After 30 years in the attic, I've rehydrated the mandolin, leveled the fretboard and replaced the frets. Now I've just got to fix this separation of the binding on the back, as shown in the photos.

If I exert moderate pressure on the binding with my fingers, it will press back into its channel, but it wants to lift off again. What is the best way to deal with this? Should I cut the binding to relieve the pressure and plug the gap with new material? Or is there a certain clamp and glue that will keep it where it needs to be?

I'm no luthier, just generally "handy," so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Michael

http://www.frontiernet.net/~mzuch/user/binary/CIMG0048.JPG
http://www.frontiernet.net/~mzuch/user/binary/CIMG0052.JPG

[Jim Hilburn]

John Hamlett is going to chime in here soon with the right way, but I did this to a D-41 once and I'll tell you what I learned.
Binding drys and shrinks when it gets old. You can see joint separations on the loars and teens Gibsons because of this.
I would tape on some form of insulation, newspaper would be good, and heat the binding with a hair dryer on high for 30 second or so, then press it back into place and hold till it cools. This is obviously a tricky thing to do, but if you don't strech it a little, it's going to try to come apart again.
Then for gluing, you could use Duco, CA or possibly titebond. The Titebond would be easiest on the finish, but least likely to hold. With CA or Duco, you have to totally mask it so as to keep it off the finish, and your going to want to keep it off the face of the binding as well.Wipe any excess away immediately.
I use 3M green masking tape to hold the binding in place.

[sunburst]

Well Jim, you beat me to this one!