Laminating binding.

[Chris Baird]

How would I go about laminating a black and white stripe onto my fretboard binding?

[sunburst]

Do you mean on the side? If so, the way I do it is:
sand a good smooth edge on a length of 1/4 inch binding.
cut or get a 1/8 inch wide length of thin black/white binding.
lay the thin laminated binding down flat on a hard flat surface like a formica counter top and cover the top surface with duco cement.
mash the smooth edge of the first piece of binding into the duco making sure it is well coated and fits tight against the thin binding so the cross section is a T.
let it dry.
sand one side flat so the cross section is a L and install that side against the fingerboard.

Hope this helps, it's a little hard to explain without pictures.

[Chris Baird]

I'm not sure how to keep each piece straight while I put them together and as the glue dries. I suppose I should just get it straight with heat? Do you clamp them together with anything?

[Darryl Wolfe]

I've tried several methods...and had real problems with using Duco in this application. #I use the following method which is bit difficult describe:
Get a suitable length of aluminum angle 1-1/2" - 2-1/"2 wide.
Run a good straight file up and down the inside corner to remove the slight radius. Work on the ends of the angle (snipping and hammering) so the you can clamp it to a table standing in a "V". #Lay the black/white in position on one side and the Ivoroid on the other (just like you want it to go together) #Use little squeeze clamps to secure a metal straight edge (18"-36" metal ruler) against the top of the ivoroid piece. #This will apply slight pressure to hold everything straight and tagainst each other. #Use your fingernail to assure that the black white is seated all the way in. #Brush the whole deal with acetone. Let it cure good for at least 4 hours. #Peel it outta there and scrape the "L" side flush..always use the "L" side on the outside.
Thanks to Cliff Sargent for this method. #The binding doesn't curl up in three directions at once.

[Chris Baird]

Thanks!

[Jim Hilburn]

I actually got into the "trade secrets" in a Stew-Mac catalog, and then into the second issue of the book with this jig. Some scrap alum. billet from an aerospace co. where I was an electrician.
McRostie always said to use acetone to bond binding,but it was messy and thats why I drilled all the little holes on the bottom,so it would have somewhere to go and not pool around the binding. However,I now like to thin Duco with acetone so it will cling,but isn't as thick as normal.The other thing is to get all the sqeeze away from the binding.
Leveling the bonded pieces is another tricky job.I do a lot of it on the stationary sander, although I'm having good luck sending it through the Performax, too. I always screw it up if I try to bandsaw away the excess and get saw marks on the good piece. I finish it up with a razor,but it's hard to keep it nice and flush.
Dude said he does long strips clamped between scrap Corian pieces, and I'd like to give that a try.

[sunburst]

Chris,
If I just mash and sort of wiggle the bindings together they stay without clamping. In fact I find that if I try to hold them straight they tend to pull apart as they dry. The duco tends to warp the bindings, so they need to be free to move and relieve the stress.
I forgot to mention, I thin my Duco with acetone too. It used to be that I didn't have to, but Duco seems to have gotten thicker.
Anyway, I just let it curl up as it dries, flatten one side on the belt sander, and bend it to fit the mandolin with heat.

[Chris Baird]

I used a modified version of Darryl's approach and it works great.

[Yonkle]

I made this black line for my finger board binding a few nights ago. I just clamped a board to the kitchen table and laid the white binding flush to it and put the black binding on a 90 degree, rubbed on some acetone and held the black binding with a straight edge. Pull through about 3" at a time. Then let dry, cliped off the overhang and sanded flush. It's the same as using the SM binding laminator, just a little slower and awkward, but I'm cheap and it works.