Wood binding glue

[Mike Perez]

What is the favorite glue for maple binding to mahogany body?
I'm going to add binding to both sides of my first guitar I made, a Rickenbacker 320 copy.
I like white plastic for its clean look and ease of wrapping around the cutaway tips, BUT the maple will look really nice.
I've used acetone and Stew Mac's Bind All on plastic.
I used Titebond on Indian rosewood binding to a Canadian cypress body in 1983, but that was the only time I have used wood binding.
I'm sure new glues and techniques have been developed.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Mike

[Mike Conner]

I've only used shop-made wood bindings, walnut or curly maple. Regular Titebond for me.

I have made some curly maple bindings with a 0.050" thick walnut purfling for binding on curly maple bodies. I use Titebond 3 for joining purfling to the binding. I try to bring out the curly figure and seal with a couple coats of finish before applying dye to the main body, with the goal of keeping the binding lighter in tone than the main body.

My bindings are 0.060" thick, treated with SuperSoft 2 and bent on a hot pipe at 350 degrees. I have recently started making the binding channels 0.010" deeper (0.070" total) to allow for swelling, etc from the Titebond, and that has worked out really well.

[Barry Daniels]

Titebond Original works for me.

[Alan Carruth]

I used Titebond for many years. The main issue with it is getting the rubber rope 'clamp' on within the recommended 10 minutes or so of closed time. If you do all of the binding at once that gets pretty strenuous. I used to glue the top binding on with the back binding taped in place. I'd leave it for about a half hour or 45 minutes, remove the rope, and do the back binding. That was enough 'set' time to be OK, but not so long that you'd be unable to correct any gaps with the second wrap. Of course, this meant wrapping the guitar twice, which can be hard on the hands. With students I usually had to do at least part of the wrap for them, and if two students did binding in the same class it was about all I could do.

I've been using fish glue for wood binding for about 20 years now. The working time is so long that I just do both top and bottom binding at the same time. You do have to allow it to sit over night before removing the rope, though.

I have seen report on line with folks having problems with fish glue in structural joints under very high humidity. So far I have not seen that with binding, and since it's not strictly 'structural' I'm not too concerned. Now that I've written that I'm sure I'll get bitten...

[Mike Conner]

Alan: Brand and source for the fish glue. I'd like to give that a try...

[Mike Perez]

Thank you all.
I wanted to make sure if a new glue was on the market that was better than basic Titebond.
I'll go with Titebond.
I'm going to try and bend the binding for the upper tip of the cutaway, expecting it to crack or burn.
My initial plan was to splice the binding, so either way, it will work.

[Mike Perez]

Mike, I was curious what Super Soft 2 is and looked it up.
Wow, that is something I might like to try on the binding at the tip of the horns on the "Ric" 320.
I wanted to avoid rounding the tip and was hoping I could bind it as is. That is why I was going to use plastic binding.
I'm wondering if the maple binding might be able to wrap around the sharp corner in one piece.
Does Super Soft 2 affect the gluing and finish properties at all?
Do I have to wipe the Super Soft 2 off of the bare wood with, say, naptha?
Thank you guys for the help!
Mike

[Mike Conner]

I use Super Soft with all the wood bindings, and on back or side plates if they curl or cup after resawing or thickness sanding. With bindings, I wet them down with Super Soft using a foam brush the day before I am going to bend them, then they "soak" overnight in a "sandwich" stack:
plastic sheeting - brown paper - wood binding - brown paper - plastic sheet ,
When ready to bend I open the stack, let them stay damp from the Super Soft, and then use distilled water as needed to keep the binding moist during bending. I clamp to the form to dry overnight.

I have not had issues with glue or finish.

Here are some curly maple plates in the "sandwich" stack:

Plates stickered after overnight Super Soft treatment - works out really well:

[Alan Carruth]

The liquid fish glue I use is some I got from a student a long time ago. Back then it was a new thing, and you ordered it from the maker in gallons. He got one and split it with several other students and myself. Evidently the stuff keeps well...

[Peter Wilcox]

Alan: Brand and source for the fish glue. I'd like to give that a try...

I got this a couple of years ago. I've used it for binding, and gluing on tops, backs and other things when I wanted or thought I might need a longer set time. No failures yet, but it hasn't been long. Apparently not very resistant to heat or high humidity.

https://www.lmii.com/glue/2969-high-tac ... unces.html

[Mike Conner]

Alan: Brand and source for the fish glue. I'd like to give that a try...

I got this a couple of years ago. I've used it for binding, and gluing on tops, backs and other things when I wanted or thought I might need a longer set time. No failures yet, but it hasn't been long. Apparently not very resistant to heat or high humidity.

https://www.lmii.com/glue/2969-high-tac ... unces.html

Thanks Peter!
Well, Blue Ridge mountains of NC, so both heat and high humidity
Guess I'll stay with Titebond Original for now...

[Barry Daniels]

I use Lee Valley fish glue successfully in Houston where we definitely have heat and humidity. I use it for attaching the top or back to the rims.