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Hi folks!

Working on my next 2 builds - both with beautiful cocobolo. On my Prairie State Jumbo (a bit further along than the OM), I got the top and back on the sides, and sanded. How the h$%% do I keep the holly clean? What have you guys used? My next step will be routing the binding channels, and I am going to take the rosette design (I modeled after an early Larson Brothers guitar that i found pics of). I decided (stupidly?) to use white holly for the binding and end wedge. any thoughts/ideas/suggestions?

Guitar Details: Cocobolo B&S, Red Spruce top, Holly binding, African BW bridge/fretboard/headplate. This will be my 3rd Prairie State inspired jumbo guitar. 17.25" lower bout, 3 5/8 deep at neck, 4" deep at end wedge.

Glenn

Seal the holly with shellac early and often.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Use a card scraper instead of sandpaper?

Yeah, thats what I mostly did.. but it still stains the end wedge. I was planning on doing what John recommended - Shellac, but I need to get the holly white again first .
Glenn

Yeah, shellac will help.

On a related note, I've been looking for holly binding. Where did you get yours?

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George :-)

Most shellac has a yellow caste.
If you are using a water white precat lacquer or a clear waterbased finish I would do the final sanding, then scrape the bindings and then "dust" a couple of coats of finish on to lock up the oils in the coco to keep them from migrating onto the bindings. After the first couple of light coats have dried you should be able to spray full heavy coats without disturbing the oils.

I don't recall where i got it - i have about 20 or so strips of pure white holly. I think i got it about 5 years ago. i'll try to go through emails and see where i got them.

Glenn

Holly tree in backyard was in the way of zip line I had set up. Wood store said Holly was in short supply in solid planks, only veneer. So I cut it down and am drying the wood.

I put it in a paper bag and into the microwave; 1 min for about 10 times over 3 days. Warped but I can get small pieces out of it. I used a bs blade made for cutting green wood bowl blanks for turning. Still gummed up my bs. Here I show about half of what I cut up. Seems to be white with little stain. Have not found a piece long enough for bindings, just for purlfing glue up with bloodwood.

Sometimes I could find lengths at Woodcraft, sometimes eBay has it. Here's one...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mostly-White-H ... 0752.m1982

Can't add anything to what has been said about your situation Glenn...why I used ivoroid for bindings. When thinking about bindings and purfling, you have to think in the future to cover your you know what.

I'm currently building a cedar over coco guitar and using fiber for accent lines on the binding. I sealed the top with a coat of shellac (which did yellow it slightly) and I pore filled the coco with Zpoxy before I routed the binding channels. I used CA when I do the binding and there was a tiny bit of bleed from the coco but not bad - I've been able to scrape it all back.

My biggest problem has been the cocobolo binding - it is significantly browner (or should I say less red) than the back and sides.

Interesting, you pore filled prior to bindings... I have used Z-poxy quite a bit, but was afraid it would darken the Wood too much. Did you sand back to wood? I French polish the tops, so not worried about the top darkening a bit with shellac.

Glenn

I was trying to keep the red color from bleeding into the accent strips, seemed to more or less work. The z-poxy was both for popping the grain as well as filling the pores, sanded back to the wood (barely). It is hanging in the shop right now with about 20 coats of nitro - I'm going on a long trip and wanted to give it time to cure.

I sealed the end wedge with shellac after scraping with a razor blade to get any coco dust out. I am thinking I will spray the entire guitar with a few coats of shellac to seal and protect. Cut binding channels. make sure all is looking good. the prep for finish. I'll use Z-Poxy over the shellac, then after sanded back etc, seal again with shellac over the z-poxy. I use Tru Oil for the back and sides, and French Polish the top. I have found a shellac barrier between the Z-poxy and Tru oil works great.

Hoping that will keep everything white.

Glenn

Most lighter woods woods like maple and holly seem to trap the resinous dust from coco and other rosewoods - as well as ebony dust - in the scratches left by coarser sandpaper. You might try going to the next finer grit, or two to remove the deeper scratches and use high pressure air to blow out what remains - we go to 135 psi for this job - much more effective than the 90 psi usually set for that side of the shop. We then tape off the binding and purflings (yes - we've bound in holly before...it is a pain to keep clean, but can be done), seal the coco with first coat of epoxy, which prevents bleeding, and then seal the binding and purflings. When working with coco bindings on other woods, the reverse is done.

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-Mark Helprin, The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story (A Novel)

Re where to get holly binding: I have been happy with Matt at http://www.inlaybanding.com/inlay.html

You can contact him for particular sizes.

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Tim Allen
"Never hurry, never rest."