SMH...I Messed Up the Binding While Sanding. Any Advice?

[mark1542]

So...I'm sanding down this Ric clone to make it unique. Well, I definitely accomplished that. I accidentally sanded part of the body down too much, and it sanded off part of the binding. So frustrating...

I've been researching, but wanted to see if you all knew of the quickest/cheapest way to fix this to make it look presentable. I did read about adding some small pieces of binding to acetone to create more of a liquid that can be applied. If I taped off just this area and added that, then sanded it down to match, would that work? Or is there something else I can try that would work well?

Once I finish sanding, I am planning on staining it and finishing with Tung Oil, just to give you an idea of the finished product.

 

[Englishman]

I'd be inclined to sand it all off and go for the 4003s look, for sure the cheapest method here.
The liquified plastic in acetone will not replace a strip of binding, it's only really good for filling in little gaps.
You can square off the ends of the binding there and cut a channel and glue in a new piece. It would take a while to get everything the right height and look OK.

 

[mark1542]

I'd be inclined to sand it all off and go for the 4003s look, for sure the cheapest method here.
The liquified plastic in acetone will not replace a strip of binding, it's only really good for filling in little gaps.
You can square off the ends of the binding there and cut a channel and glue in a new piece. It would take a while to get everything the right height and look OK.

Ok, I thought about that as well. I've not been a huge fan of the binding the entire time, as I've been trying so hard to stay away from it. This is probably what I will just do.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Yeah, the only way to fix that is to rabbett the binding slot out and glue in a new piece of binding. Using matching binding stock dissolved in acetone as a filler would make the repair nearly invisible, but it’s a fair bit of work if you don’t care about the binding. You could use a roudover bit and just shave it all off, nothing wrong with an S model!

 

[mark1542]

Yeah, the only way to fix that is to rabbett the binding slot out and glue in a new piece of binding. Using matching binding stock dissolved in acetone as a filler would make the repair nearly invisible, but it’s a fair bit of work if you don’t care about the binding. You could use a roudover bit and just shave it all off, nothing wrong with an S model!

Yeah, I wasn't a huge fan of it, and was my biggest concern with sanding the finish off. So when it actually thinned out in that area, I wasn't too upset about it. I've almost got it all sanded off and evened out.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I like the look of binding enough to put up with the hard edge wearing on my forearm a little, but there’s no doubt the S models are more comfortable to play. I used the same .040” thick binding it looks like you have for the fingerboard on my first Ric clone, wrecked one side of it with some overzealous card scraper action and had to rout it off and try again. My current Ric clone build uses .060” thick binding, a lot more forgiving for eff-ups. The binding is a lot softer than the wood, so it’s easy to burn right through it. Post more photos, I’m a sucker for clone builds. Here's the HF II getting bound as we speak. You can see the routed ledge that has to be cut to seat the binding. I used the Stewmac binding cutter bit for this, works perfectly, but no cheap.

 

[mark1542]

I like the look of binding enough to put up with the hard edge wearing on my forearm a little, but there’s no doubt the S models are more comfortable to play. I used the same .040” thick binding it looks like you have for the fingerboard on my first Ric clone, wrecked one side of it with some overzealous card scraper action and had to rout it off and try again. My current Ric clone build uses .060” thick binding, a lot more forgiving for eff-ups. The binding is a lot softer than the wood, so it’s easy to burn right through it. Post more photos, I’m a sucker for clone builds. Here's the HF II getting bound as we speak. You can see the routed ledge that has to be cut to seat the binding. I used the Stewmac binding cutter bit for this, works perfectly, but no cheap.
View attachment 3003482

Nice! That looks great! I got the base sanding done today. Got all of the binding removed as well. Ready for some more sanding! Here are a few pics.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

What kind of finish you planning?

 

[mark1542]

What kind of finish you planning?

I absolutely love the Ric clone @GunsandGuitars did with the carbon fiber pick guard/truss rod cover, dark slate stain, and tung oil finish. That is the route I am planning on going.

 

[Wes275]

Hey hows this coming? I wanted to do this same build after that video. But i want it in a 5 string. Apparently there isnt a 5 string option.

 

[mark1542]

Hey hows this coming? I wanted to do this same build after that video. But i want it in a 5 string. Apparently there isnt a 5 string option.

Sorry it took a few days to reply! I've been out of town. I'm actually still not finished with it lol! It turned into such a longer project than I anticipated. I tried multiple stains on it, and just didn't like the variance I was getting between the mahogany and maple on the body. So, I painted it a color called Daphne Blue. I have a buddy who builds guitars, and has a sprayer, and is working on the finish now. I did go with the carbon fiber pickguard, I'll attach a picture of it (it is upside down as the cover is on the good side to protect, but it gives a glimpse of what it'll look like.

Hoping to have it wired up and ready to play in the next few weeks.