Trimming ivoroid binding. how?

[BlueMountain]

I'm restoring a 1920 Gibson H2 mandola I bought in pieces. The finish is far from perfect, but I rather like it the way it is. Last night I glued on the ivoroid binding around the top (from Luthier's Mercantile). It went on well. My question is this: what's the best way to trim the binding down to body level on the top? Plane? Knife? Razor blade? File? Dremel? Laminate trimmer? Sanding block?

Second question: I haven't messed with the finish at all except to wash off the dirt. I think this mandola was left in pieces in a very dirty garage for years, and water leaked on it, but it doesn't seem to be warped anywhere, though a little of the pearwood veneer on the headstock broke off and rats gnawed on the neck a little. . The finish is a bit delicate. Should l leave it untouched? Should I wax it? Should I #do some sort of French varnish or spray it with laquer? At the least, the headstock is going to need something, as the finish is completely gone--just wood covered with black Leibing's leather stain (the inlays are intact, fortunately). Thanks

Thanks.

[sunburst]

I don't know if there is a best way to trim the binding, but the best time to trim it, in a situation like this, is before you glue it on. That way, there is very little more work to do after the glue dries.

As it is now, I'd probably start with a very sharp plane, then files.

I think I would leave the finish as is, as much as possible. For the peghead, a little french polish might be in order to help keep the inlays from coming loose. Brushing on a little shellac around the inlays first can help "glue" them in.

Don't wax it. If it's too fragile to leave alone, French polishing over it would probably be the best thing, or spraying on some shellac, and if there's wax on there, that's a problem, especially if there's silicone in the wax, and there often is.

Don't spray it with lacquer. That sort of thing is no longer considered acceptable, though it was done in by-gone times.

[Paul Hostetter]

What John said, point for point. I like files and tend to use them for some tasks others would use a plane for. I often go from files to a scraper.

I have a nice old yellow A-3 in the shop right now that someone recently oversprayed with lacquer without even removing the forearm grunge first. Laminated grot, it looks so boss. The best I can hope for is to make the surface look less goopy and shiny than it is.

[markishandsome]

Is breathing celluloid dust bad for your health? It sure smells funny. Something to consider when filing or sanding?

[Stephanie Reiser]

Is breathing celluloid dust bad for your health? #

Chemically speaking, my guess would be "Yes!"
Wear a dust mask. I wear one frequently.

I would definitely French Polish Shellac that instrument.
Amber, not orange.

[Antlurz]

If you use a plane, I'd suggest setting the blade VERY shallow, as it will try to bite into the Ivroid deeper than you have it set for. In other words, set it low enough it takes several passes to get what you'd normally do in one. If it grabs and digs in, you won't be at all happy with the divot it leaves.... and I'd skew cut instead of straight cutting it too.

A really sharp plane can do a really nice job, but be aware, it is not the same as cutting on wood.

Ron

[sunburst]

Is breathing celluloid dust bad for your health?

Breathing dust is bad for your health.

The smell is camphor. It's used as a plasticizer in the celluloid, and can also be found in products such as Vick's VapoRub, where it's intended to be inhaled.

[BlueMountain]

Thanks very much, John and the others. Very helpful. I used a cheap Stanley plane with a 1 inch blade, and I found that if I went slowly and drew the blade from left to right or vice versa while pushing, I could get nice long curls of celluloid and a smooth finish. In about an hour I had it trimmed. Unfortunately, I pulled loose some of the binding. I'd followed Frank Ford's directions and glued it on with white glue to avoid damaging the finish. I used plenty of glue, but I guess the dry wood soaked it up too fast.

Thanks also for affirming that French polish shellac (amber) is the way to go if I decide something must be done. I love the look of the finish that's on there, but it's rather fragile. I'd rather save it than change it at all.

[Michael Lewis]

Your problem with adhesion stems from the smooth surface of the new binding and the type of glue you used. The glue will hold the binding but not with a strong bond. Make your strokes with the plane or scraper in a direction that pushes the binding into the body, not away from the body. That way the binding is supported as you work it and you will not stress the fairly weak bond of the glue.