Repair help

[Plain G]

Hi Gang. I was just playing outside on a deck chair when a 2" slightly curved piece of binding came off my 35 yr old Fender down low where it rests on my leg. I want to glue it back on but am unsure of the proper glue for this application. Your help would be much appreciated.

I managed to leave the old girl out on the deck overnight a couple weeks back and unfortunately it rained that night so she got a bit wet.
Also, it's been 33 celcius around here for a week and today it's rainy and abouy 20 celcius. Temp and humidity haven't really had much effect in the past but I wonder if they could have something to do with the binding coming off.

[30x90]

Hi Plain G.
Bad luck, huh?

I have restored several guitars that were Hurricane Katrina victims and had to rebind a couple of them.

I used CA for the body and the neck binding and I have pictures of the successful process in my shop..before, during and after.
I'll just post a couple for now.
Obviously, be careful, but in my experience for what you describe a small drop or 2 of CA will do very well.

Here's a shot of just a small portion of the damaged binding.I took all the binding off and rebound the whole neck and body
http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww244/guitartech92/100_0391.jpg

This is a "before" shot...notice the HORRIBLE fret job somebody did?..see the chips that weren't repaired? See the fret ends?..awful job.....I had to refret the neck and also fill in the missing wood...
http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww244/guitartech92/100_0393.jpg

This shows frets out and one side of the binding glued
http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww244/guitartech92/100_0438.jpg

Look at the body binding..all that had to come off and be replaced.One side of the neck is finished.
http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww244/guitartech92/100_0437.jpg

Wood chips filled as best they can be.
http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww244/guitartech92/100_0440.jpg

Binding installed on the neck.Next step is using the scraper to level it.
http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww244/guitartech92/100_0441.jpg

Neck completely bound and radius sanded, chips and missing wood repaired.
http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww244/guitartech92/100_0444.jpg

Of course this isn't a "How To" series...just a few steps along the way.I had to refret the neck, install hardware, pups and electronics...a complete restoration..Calm down, all you nit pickers and "experts"..It isn't "Factory" but I mean...think of it..this guitar was under water for a period of time....all in all it was a huge success, cosmetically and mechanically...and sonically.



however...You might want to wait until TomN gives his thoughts on this, because I suspect he'll tell you he has a much better method than mine.
He says in his profile that he's a guitar tech so he probably has hundreds of hours experience dealing with just the sort of trouble you're having... and probably dozens of pictures.
He assuredly has lots more and far better pictures than I do and his shop is probably far superior to mine, too.

I'd love to see some of his pictures of rebinding necks and bodies...or any photos of any repairs he's currently doing (or done)....or any of his many artist endorsements...and of course photos of his guitar repair shop.. Oh, it must be just fantastic. Can't wait to see him in action.
Hope he posts pictures soon. TomN, help us out, here, will you?
Post some pictures that you took in your shop so we can see the correct way to rebind a guitar. Don't just sing it. Bring it. I'm calling you out, "guitar tech".
Let's see 'em.

There's also robotboy, too. He knows a lot about guitars.
[/sarcasm]

[Plain G]

Thanks for taking the time Mike. I always love checking out pics and vids on this subject. I too hope TomN picks up the gauntlet and posts some pics for further perusing, workshop included.

You're right, bad luck. I don't want to get all gushy but this guitar means a lot to me so i want to get it right. Was thinking super glue but thought nah, there must be something better, saw you recommend CA and thought, there we go, some special glue..till I googled it...just plain old super glue right? Cyanoacrylate. The Wiki description is an eye opener. SRV was not as crazy as I thought with the superglue on the fingertips! And medical uses? Amazing.
The good news is I have some and won't have to worry about clamping since it sets so fast. Thanks for the tips and great pics.

Here's the damage


http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/6332/julyaugust09052s.jpg (http://img380.imageshack.us/i/julyaugust09052s.jpg/)

..and here's the old gal.

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/6332/julyaugust09056.jpg (http://img37.imageshack.us/i/julyaugust09056.jpg/)

Saw you found a use for the shure microphone bag there :)
If a guy was to replace the binding all the way around (not the plan, just wondering) a) how would you pull it off and b) do you run the risk of buggering the finish? The finish goes on after the binding right?
Also, when you fill the wood chips in the neck like you did, can you do anything to match the original neck wood colour or do they stay dark like that?

[RockBender]

Go to StewMac (http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Glues,_adhesives.html)

get a tube of weld-on cement and some binding tape. there are also some guides if you search the site and it will show how to apply and tape it up!

[RockBender]

Oh, and BTW, there are these "knives" that look like a piece of flat metal. In a new binding job you glue it on, wait 24-48 hours, and then scrape the binding into shape with the edge of the "knife".

On that repaire you may want to mask off the body and then just clean the glue up from the binding, after it sets 24 hours, with the edge of a butter knife

[Plain G]

^ Thanks RB!

[genereaux]

Not much to add to 30X90s post. I DID used to use plain ol' carpenters glue, which works just fine. But super glue is much faster and I believe it to last longer than the wood glue glue route.


The good news is I have some and won't have to worry about clamping since it sets so fast.
I would advise a medium set-time super glue (like ten mins or so), so you have some time make adjustments and wipe away(wet rag) the seepage before it become a crustified hell.

Also, when you fill the wood chips in the neck like you did, can you do anything to match the original neck wood colour or do they stay dark like that?
StewMac has some colored glue, but I think the options are 'clear' and 'dark'. But I seem to remember you can 'thin' the dark (with the clear, I believe) to SORTA match the color surrounding the fill.


And medical uses? Amazing.
Yeah, I knew an SF doctor when I was in the Army who carried it in his med bag, even though it never got the FDA approval.


sean

[Razzy]

Wow 30x90, that fret job looked HORRIBLE before you got in there and straightened it out. Stock Gibson fret job, amirite?