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Which would be the best method to remove the bindings (heat or routing out the channels with the bindings in place)?

I don't care to try and salvage the bindings, they came out too thin which is why I want to remove them and route the binding channel deeper.

Just wondering if I cut a new channel with them in place is a bad idea. It seems to be the easiest and quickest (which isn't always the best).

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

If they are wood bindings and perfs I would recommend setting your router to the proper depth you want and re-route them. Adding high temperature heat to this location makes me nervous as there are very important joints in this area (linings and sides).

I would also highly recommend you have a piece of scrap and your new binding on hand to test your depth measurement on before you redo the channel.

Measure twice and cut once type of deal.

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process

I've done this 3 times with wood bindings....ain't that a weird correlation to the fact that I've made 3 guitars?

I've routed them off every time. Get's em off and makes a nice clean channel at the same time.

Chris

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There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

Route them off. I had a customer decide he wanted Ebony binding after I had Bloodwood installed. I routed them off with not problems.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

I also... route them off, the things to watch out for are - leaving a bearing track in the finish if there is finish on it, masking tape on the sides prevents this - the binding splintering off and taking pieces of the side with it, going slow helps this, as does having binding with straight grain - that's about it, it's nothing to be scared of and as you can see lots of us have done it.

If there is side purfling, especially if it is mitered at the butt or cutaway, i route to just above the side purfs, so that i don't have to redo them.

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

Sweet! Thanks everyone.

I don't have any purflings in this one luckily so sounds like I should be in good shape. I was nervous about using heat as well so it's great to hear all of you say that recutting the channel is the way to go.

Chris, it sounds like you've created a process for yourself. Step 1. Route Binding Channel and Install "Temporary" Bindings. Step 2. Re-Route Binding channel and install permanent bindings. I feel your pain man.

These bindings were bugging me ever since I started scraping them down and I finally decided last night that I'll regret not replacing them so it seems to be the right thing to do. It's my third guitar so it's not a comission or anything, but just seems like it would be a big waste to continue the build and have an otherwise nice guitar with screwed up bindings.

Thanks again everyone for your replies.

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

i routed off a set of madagascar ebony binding from a walnut body and even though i took shallow bites, i ended up with a decent amount of tear out. the original binding channel was perfect. i dont know if the tear out can be attributed to the more dense ebony being pulled off the the less dense walnut or what, but i ended up having to route deeper channels than i wanted to cover up the tear out. since you are doing that anyway you should be good. hope it turns out well for you.

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sweat the small stuff.

This thread has resulted in me feeling much better about things. I don't think I've had a satisfactory binding yet iobn four guitars - getting them to be 1)uniform and proper depth, and 2) cut properly, especially on the backs is a devilishly difficult task (for me, anyway) I've read some of the threads, and think I understand the challenges, but for me, this is the one of the toughest single parts of building a guitar.
And everyone seems so impressed with the bent sides, which I find to be one of the easiest steps.... go figure (no pun intended)

Maybe it would help to route the channels off a little at a time, say, in three steps instead of all at once?

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

What if they're plastic or ivoroid - still rout them off? I think I may be facing a similar thing, as my binding is way too proud of the side at the (you guessed it..) back near the neck block. Since I'm using a bearing, not sure what I could do to have made it deeper other than use a flat file in that area.

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

Have never routed off bindings,but when routing for bindings I always take a light cut of about .020 to .025 or so first and then set up for the full depth. Have found this helps to prevent blow outs. Suggest this would work here and also remove about .010 extra down the sides below the glue line.

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!