Thread: glue question - guitar binding

I've got no idea what glue to use but you might fingd the answer here, or in the forums.

Ray,

Both Stewmac and LMI sell MEK or acetone based glues for plastic binding...the stuff binds plastic to plastic as well as plastic to wood. Unfortunately both these suppliers are in the USA and won't freight glues and other chemicals overseas.

I suspect some of the glues available for putting together plastic model plane kits would do the job. get yourself some and do a trial glue up with some offcuts of binding on some scrap timber.

Cheers Martin

Aero glue now thats a good suggestion. I used it heaps when I was a kid making model planes. It seems that cyanoacrylate is used a lot but I don't feel confident enough with the job to use it. You know what that stuff is like. I have also thought of 5 minute araldite. I need it go off but not like cyanoacrylate glues which stick everything including yourself to the guitar wthin 30 seconds. Your previous suggestion re titebond 3 is good for wood bindings and purfling but I am unsure how it would stick to plastic. I will run some trials and post back with the results.

Hiscock recommends epoxy or CA. Cumpiano uses aliphateic resin (AR), which the book states is a yellow PVA glue.

Originally Posted by mkat

Cumpiano uses aliphateic resin (AR), which the book states is a yellow PVA glue.

Titebond I is an AR glue.

Originally Posted by mkat

Hiscock recommends epoxy or CA. Cumpiano uses aliphateic resin (AR), which the book states is a yellow PVA glue.

Campiano uses AR glue because in his book he's working with wooden bindings/purflings. I wouldn't use AR with the plastic bindings that ray is working with.

Epoxy will work but if youre using the 5 minute stuff then you need to have the operation well planned....even with AR glue and wooden bindings I do a dry run with clamps and the bias binding I use to hold it all together while glue is setting. Cyano will work but IMO setting time is too quick especially if youre working with multiple binding/purfling.

Ray,

Check here for a run down on binding:

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/A-BINDINGS.html

Cheers Martin

Just finished a pretty unscientific test of a few glues purchased at bunnies last week. All of them resisted the fingernail pull pretty effectively
and all but superglue failed the screwdriver lever test. Superglue also failed this test with a little more effort. Conlcusion is that superglue is the strongest bond. I tested plastic binding bought from Gilet in Sydney and Stewmac in the US. 25mm sample strips of the plastic binding were glued onto a piece of 9mm 3 ply.

Tested were the following levering sample up with a small screw driver
None of the samples could be pulled off with a fingernail.

60 second alraldite
Pulled up from the wood leaving the glue behind

Model Aeroplane glue
Pulled up from the wood taking the glue with it

Acetone
Pulled up from the wood taking 50% the glue with it

Weldbond
Pulled up from the wood taking the glue with it

Super glue
Pulled up from the wood taking the glue with it
Actually the hardest bond to break.

Conclusion is that any of the above would be suitable except that Superglue would be the hardest to remove if necesary and easily the most difficult to use. Bonding to the plastic was good in all except araldite, or, did araldite [epoxy] bond to the wood better than the rest. A roughening of the plastic may help the araldite stick better to the plastic.

Any further comments would be appreciated.

Hey old_picker
If Im too late with this info you may want to try it next time, or it may be of value to other guitar builders here in Oz
Stewmac in the US sell this product for plastic binding

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Glues,_a..._adhesive.html

You can buy it in Melbourne from:

<TABLE cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width="14%"></TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width="44%">

Mulford Plastics Pty Ltd
303 Frankston-Dandenong Road
Dandenong South Vic 3175
Australia

</TD><TD vAlign=top width="42%" rowSpan=4> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width="14%">Phone:</TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width="44%">03 87918000

They have branches in most capital cities
I bought a tube for $11 here in Adelaide
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Regards
dayvo

Thanks for the info Dayvo.

Cheers Martin

Originally Posted by old_picker

Just finished a pretty unscientific test of a few glues purchased at bunnies last week.

Thanks for that Ray...very interesting and useful information.

Cheers Martin

Good one dayvo.
No it's not too late. I will give them a call next week and get some of that glue. If stewmac sells it I would bet that it is best to use. I am working on two bodies right now and binding the first will fit in nicely with shooting the finish on the other. Using water base finish I can work where I spray as there is little in the way of fumes. I can shoot coats 30 minutes apart and can get a pretty good thickness on in a day.