Official Luthiers Forum!

I have always routed for binding in the white, but am wondering if it would help to avoid tear-out if I put a thin seal coat of shellac on the sides before routing. Of course, I will scrape and sand before my finishing schedule. Does anyone else do this? Pros/cons?

Thanks!

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Don't confront me with my failures--I have not forgotten them.

Yup! A spit coat or two of blonde does wonders.
Along with a spiral downcut bit you get a razor-sharp edge every time...

I don't see any problem with doing it but don't see any reason to do it either. Just another step to brush it on and sand it off. I do it after I cut the channels to protect the end grain from the CA glue.

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I am sealing with shellac generously before I start cutting, but I don't see how it can really protect from tearout. Best tearout protection is to pre-score with a sharp gramil.

What I find the sealcoat invaluable for is to protect the top from the sticky fishglue I use and the binding tape. I still tend to pour too much glue and that makes a real mess.

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Build log

But what if you intention is to later pore fill with epoxy? My impression has been that one does not put epoxy over shellac.

Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.