Rubber Banding for holding Binding

[Kim Strode]

I'm about to add binding to a Weissenborn build, but am finding that masking tape is ripping our fibre from the Blackwood top and back. Has anyone used the rubber band material supplied by Stewmac? Can anyone make recommendations as to it's effectiveness? Thanks

[sam]

Hi Kim.

In my limited experience I've used blue painters' tape. It has limited tack and worked well for binding
on a spruce top (did not tear out). Test whatever tape you choose on samples of your woods, just to be
sure.

I've also cut up a bicycle inner tube by 'peeling' around the circumference with scissors and a stanley knife. By peeling, I finished with a single, long length of rubber strapping. Gauge width to suit your application - eg: guitar, mandolin, etc.


I hope this helps

Sam

[Bob Connor]

I bought this from rubber strapping from Luthiers Mercantile Kim.

http://www.lmii.com/products/tools-serv ... ding-strap

It's not cheap but does a great job.

I guess you could make the same from a tractor or truck inner tube but if you take into account how long it takes to make $50 is not bad from LMII.

I still use the Stewmac paper binding tape underneath it and haven't had problems with it tearing out blackwood.

I find the rubber is great for the upper bouts on the Weissenborns. Sometimes I will use clamps to get a snug binding fit in the waist but you cant get a clamp on those upper bouts so the rubber strapping works well.

Regards

[sam]

Kim, the tape I used was probably the binding tape mentioned by Bob above. We just called it 'painter's tape'

Cheers S

[liam_fnq]

I spray a couple of coats of lacquer before cutting the binding channels. This pretty much eliminates the tear out issue.

As for snugging up the bindings, I use HHG, synching the bindings into place with the brown paper masking tape from stew mac, then I wrap the whole thing in polyester webbing from Spotlight. Nice and tight but you don't have to give yourself a wrist injury. I've never had a single gap in my bindings using this method. YMMV.

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=polye ... 79&bih=680

[56nortondomy]

Like Liam, i seal the top first Kim, only i use shellac, no fibre tear out that way and easier to clean up any excess glue. Wayne

[kiwigeo]

You can try dressmakers bias binding tape. Get the stuff that's 3/4" - 1" wide. Macrame rope is another option.

[curly]

G'day Kim ,
I see you are in Daylesford , I'm in Daylesford too . What the hell , have we met ? Just to jog any memory I'm a beardy thirty something fella that supplies tonewood and other fancy woods . We have taken over the old Dwyers mill site on the Ballan rd , if you are heading past swing by .
Sorry about the distraction to the thread peoples , back to rubber bands .
Pete

[Lutherie Gervais]

go buy some filament tape ... it doesnt break or tear out while you are applying pressure.
it streches a bit, and is not so sticky (I find it less sticky and prevent against wood fiber tears out than the brown binding tape supplyers are selling)
it is transparant so you can really see what you are doing and see if you have or not squeez out
and cost less plus you can find some evrywhere

ruber band is hard to control the strenght you are putting in it. You can not see tru, and you are stuck with a big lenght of ruber after you have streched it to cover your small area while you are working yourself up.

Go with filament tape. ... and dont forget to shellac you top, in prevention.

[Kim Strode]

Thank you everyone for your valuable input.

This project began in 2008 and was then interrupted for several years - it is now progressing with good speed and I'm keen to begin further projects.

[Allen]

I use to use rubber banding Kim, but nearly lost an eye when the stuff snapped on me due to deterioration. Never again.

Now I use 1" Herringbone (Twill Tape) as suggested by Robbie O'Brien. Works a treat, and will never break. Got mine at Spotlight.

I only glue with HHG, and on bindings it's really nice as the heat seems to help settle them into place. As well, if you get a spot that doesn't look like it pulled up tight, you can always add a bit more heat and glue, then pull that spot up again.

[Tom West]

Still doing it the old way.......!!
Tom