Surface prep for plastic binding

[Steve Sawyer]

After final sanding of body & neck, what should be the final pre-finish prep for the binding? I’ll be filling w/epoxy prior to finishing with Brite Tone. Obviously the neck binding next to the FB will need to be fine-sanded (1500?) and polished, but what about the body, neck sides and headstock that will be under the finish?

Thanks.

[Barry Daniels]

You only need to sand plastic up to about 320 grit. Any more will be wasted effort, especially if it is getting finish. You want to leave a little toothed surface for finish adhesion. The exposed edge of the binding next to the surface of the fingerboard could probably benefit being sanded up to 600 grit or whatever is needed for the fretboard.

[Steve Sawyer]

You only need to sand plastic up to about 320 grit. Any more will be wasted effort, especially if it is getting finish. You want to leave a little toothed surface for finish adhesion. The exposed edge of the binding next to the surface of the fingerboard could probably benefit being sanded up to 600 grit or whatever is needed for the fretboard.

Cool. Thanks, Barry!

[Freeman Keller]

I don't understand. Are you saying the binding is installed and you are sanding ready to finish? If so I scrape plastic binding rather than sand, but I would just go to 320 or whatever you want for your body. I stain, seal, spray any tinted coats, scrape the binding (I don't mask the skinny edge) and then shoot the clear over that. You'll have a little ledge where the color coats were scraped back but that goes away with the clear..

It is really important to get any binding adhesive off the wood. If you used acetone or something like Ducco it will show up under finish. CA (which is what I use) doesn't seem as bad.

[Steve Sawyer]

Are you saying the binding is installed and you are sanding ready to finish?

Yup. And my finish will be clear - no color of any kind, so just looking for advice on how to get a good finish on the binding. Being my first build w/binding, I wasn't sure of the best appproach. Everything is nice and flush now having both scraped the binding and rough-sanded the body, neck and headstock. Needs a little touch-up here and there which the final sanding will address.

[Brian Evans]

I just scrape flush and sand with the rest of the body to around 400 grit. It's important to round over the edge a bit, I am now deciding, for comfort while playing. Sharp binding edges are currently annoying me. If I do a tint (I always do) I scrape after the tint coats and then go directly to clear coats.

[Steve Sawyer]

I just scrape flush and sand with the rest of the body to around 400 grit. It's important to round over the edge a bit, I am now deciding, for comfort while playing. Sharp binding edges are currently annoying me. If I do a tint (I always do) I scrape after the tint coats and then go directly to clear coats.

Ok - thanks, Brian. Good advice on a bit of round-over. I can see that a crisp edge could get very annoying while playing - and since it's going to be mine, I'd be the one annoyed with it!

[Barry Daniels]

Crisp edges do not take finish well. Due to hygroscopic effects the finish pulls away from sharp corners. Definitely round them over.

[Steve Sawyer]

Crisp edges do not take finish well. Due to hygroscopic effects the finish pulls away from sharp corners. Definitely round them over.

Thanks, Barry. Good to know. I was just looking at the very thin binding around the headstock and was thinking of leaving it "crisp", but I'll "get my mind right" on that now...