Binding: a simple task?

[B3Guy]

Hi, everyone! I've recently fallen in love with binding on Strats, and I have a question for those luthier-types out there. I know W does binding on Strat bodies, and also (I believe) around the fretboard on Strat neck, but they don't do any binding on headstocks whatsoever. How hard would it be for an average joe handyman (me) to put binding on a Strat headstock? (I have a Dremel-type tool, and I would buy a set of precision router bits specifically for this job. If you say "no way" to the Dremel, I have a friend who builds grandfather clocks and has a really nice router, and pretty much every other woodworking tool on the face of the planet.)

I would be doing this to an unfinished neck, so I wouldn't be blasting through finish or anything, and a headstock is not a very big thing . . .

What do you think?

 

[pabloman]

Maybe you should practice first. But I say go for it. If you are confident in your ability to do a clean route then do it to it.

 

[Cagey]

There are a couple obstacles on a Strat-style neck that prevent a router from making the trip all the way around. First, there's the nut area. Strat necks are are typically one-piece, not counting the fretboard, so as soon as you get near the nut the base of your router hits that "curb" and can't go any closer. Plus, that area has a three-dimensional contour to it, which binding might not want to follow even if you could cut the relief properly. Then, there's the little corner at the end of the round "curl" at the end of the headstock, where it transitions back into a straight run again. End result is, you'd have to do a substantial amount of relieving by hand with chisels/knives/sandpaper to fit the binding into the thing. Very labor-intensive, and somewhat risky; I imagine it would be pretty easy to wreck it. Probably why you very rarely see bound Strat/Tele headstocks.

With other designs, such as Gibson's, the headstock is actually a separate piece. Because of that, you have a flat surface to play on, and the peripheral shape of their headstock design doesn't have any sharp inside corners. That's an easy part to rout and add binding to.

 

[B3Guy]

yes, the area near the nut I realize would be difficult to deal with, but practice makes perfect, and I certainly intend to practice a lot before the actual execution. (yikes! maybe I shouldn't use that word . . . execution . . .) I don't quite get the other part you say is difficult . . . maybe a picture would help to point it out?  :dontknow:

 

[Cagey]

This is the point I'm talking about...

...although now that I look at it, it may not be so tight. Depends on the diameter of your router bit.

But, you're still going to have a helluva time back by the nut, unless you've got a CNC machine.

 

[pabloman]

Doesn't seem anymore difficult than bound f holes. I have faith that it can be done. I say practice and go for it.

 

[Cagey]

You don't have to route a compound curve to do f-holes like you'd have to with a Fender headstock.

Unless you have a 3 axis CNC machine that'll maintain its own reference independent of the workpiece but relative to it, you're down to carving tools. A standard router is only 2 axis, with the third depending on the workpiece and tool having a flat and maintained surface. Although, you could call a plunge router a 3 axis tool, but I don't know how you'd get the Z axis to follow a contour. Even then, if you look at the back of a Fender-style headstock toward the nut, you see that the vertical dimension isn't perpendicular to the top surface, so you need at least one more axis to compensate for that.

 

[B3Guy]

ok, so I realize it's a meticulous task, but I believe I can do it . . . if not completely by myself, then with my very experienced woodworker friend as a helper. 

so . . . second question  :icon_biggrin: IF this neck (which, btw, I neither have, nor am I getting any time soon), is unfinished, can I finish the face of the headstock ONLY? (and would it be better to finish the headstock face before or after glueing on the binding?)

 

[Cagey]

Actually, finishing the headstock alone is getting to be a pretty popular treatment. I see them more often all the time, especially on exotic wood necks where the player wants the feel of the natural wood. If you're going to bind it, though, you're going to want to do that first.

 

[BigBeard]

Hi, everyone! I've recently fallen in love with binding on Strats, and I have a question for those luthier-types out there. I know W does binding on Strat bodies, and also (I believe) around the fretboard on Strat neck, but they don't do any binding on headstocks whatsoever. How hard would it be for an average joe handyman (me) to put binding on a Strat headstock? (I have a Dremel-type tool, and I would buy a set of precision router bits specifically for this job. If you say "no way" to the Dremel, I have a friend who builds grandfather clocks and has a really nice router, and pretty much every other woodworking tool on the face of the planet.)

I would be doing this to an unfinished neck, so I wouldn't be blasting through finish or anything, and a headstock is not a very big thing . . .

What do you think?

Do I think it's doable?  Yes.  Do I think it's going to be a bitch to do?  Yes.  Cagey has a point about a router in your hands and not in a table.  If I was to attempt this, it would be with my router table, not freehand or with my dremel if I could help it.  I would actually mount the neck on a board or something and do the majority or the rout with the neck fret side down instead of up.  Playing with my bearings to set the depth of cut toward the center of the headstock and the height of the cut with the router in the table.  Then I would probably do the area that slopes up to the nut with the neck on it's edge, after mounting the neck on a board again that way.  Make sense?  Like I said, it's doable, totally with power tools also.... but it's something that might just be 'Jedi' level honestly!  I say 'totally' with power tools, but now that I think about it, you will still be needing some sharp chisels to touch up a few spots.  Try it!!!! I'm curious, and if you do it on a scrap, you have nothing to lose other than your time!

 

[BigBeard]

ok, so I realize it's a meticulous task, but I believe I can do it . . . if not completely by myself, then with my very experienced woodworker friend as a helper. 

With that outlook, I'm sure with a few pieces of scrap wood and some time you'll get it done!  Actually if you master this technique, you could make some cash with doing it for other people...........  I think it would look pretty good in an overly-deluxe over the top kind of way and definately unique!

 

[B3Guy]

My pal has a router table, so is that likely the best approach?  ???

Won't be dealing with this whole thing for at least a year, probably (that's when I do a semester away from home, so I can't take the Hammond, so I would DIE if I didn't have an electric guitar or something rockaliscious . . . yea.)

But I will certainly start up a thread on my guitar progress once that time comes, and this will probably be in there somewhere. Also, I just remembered  :doh: that I am planning to grab a 7/8 strat, not a normal one, so the headstock I will be dealing with (I think) is the "warhead", which eliminates that compound radius concave curve and replaces it with what would probably be either a miter joint or a lap joint. ( http://www.stewmac.com/binding )

 

[B3Guy]

My other idea (ducking to avoid angry comments) is to order my Clapton profile 7/8 Strat neck with a (6-in-line) paddle headstock, then shape it to a Strat shape. (Sorry, the W is cool and all . . . something deep inside me just begs for a Strat body to have that nice rounded Strat headstock along with it.)

 

[BigBeard]

My pal has a router table, so is that likely the best approach?  ???

I can't say for sure if it's the best approach or not.  I know it would be my approach.  I am pretty comfortable playing with my router, though!

 

[B3Guy]

Well I've personally never used one, but my pal (he's a "Geezer" . . . knows his stuff . . .) he could probably make me an internal combustion engine out of wood if I paid him . . . he's a pro. I'm sure he could handle the whole process if I paid him, I just thought mebe some of you guys had experience doing this specific type of thing.

 

[BigBeard]

Well I've personally never used one, but my pal (he's a "Geezer" . . . knows his stuff . . .) he could probably make me an internal combustion engine out of wood if I paid him . . . he's a pro. I'm sure he could handle the whole process if I paid him, I just thought mebe some of you guys had experience doing this specific type of thing.

I had a guy referred to me that had an Epi LP that the binding was pulling off  in one long piece.  I got the rest of the binding off and re bound it, and he had someone else re-finish the guitar before I did any type of finishes at all.  That is my direct knowledge in the art of binding.  Someday, I'll do more binding work, but at the moment that is my binding 'experience'

Like I said, I think it's totally doable.  You just need to realize the limitations of the tool, and how to work around it.  I can picture in my head what I want to explain to you how to do it, but really I can't put it into words.  I mean if you want to come over and I can show you what I mean about how to do this, by all means you're welcome to!  I'm in Western PA, I'll leave the light on for you!!!!  :icon_thumright:

 

[Cagey]

I rowed through dozens of 100-hit Google pages looking, plus the image pages, and couldn't find a single Strat headstock that had been bound. If anybody's ever done it, it's a well-kept secret. Closest thing I could find was where the face was painted one color, while the sides and back were another. Even bound necks aren't very common for some reason, but at least those exist. Of course, Google isn't the ultimate authority, but they're pretty thorough about indexing what's on the 'net.

 

[B3Guy]

yeah, I searched around too, but nobody seems to have done it (again, according to Google). I suppose a faux (painted on) binding would be quite straight forward as well . . . I still think I'd rather try and put the real stuff on it, tho . . . more challenging (and there fore in the mind of a tinkerer, mor fun  :icon_biggrin

And as far as the limitations of the router, I totally get what you want to say. Use it for the majority of the headstock . . . the straight shots and around the curve, then use some good 'ol hand tools (and a can of Genuine Chuck Norris Elbow Grease) to meticulously remove the wood from those tricky spots.

 

[BigBeard]

yeah, I searched around too, but nobody seems to have done it (again, according to Google). I suppose a faux (painted on) binding would be quite straight forward as well . . . I still think I'd rather try and put the real stuff on it, tho . . . more challenging (and there fore in the mind of a tinkerer, mor fun  :icon_biggrin

And as far as the limitations of the router, I totally get what you want to say. Use it for the majority of the headstock . . . the straight shots and around the curve, then use some good 'ol hand tools (and a can of Genuine Chuck Norris Elbow Grease) to meticulously remove the wood from those tricky spots.

Stay away from the Chuck Norris Elbow grease on this project.  I'm thinking more Hugh Hefner elbow grease, it's way smoother than the Norris brand stuff!!!!  But I will let you make that call!  :icon_thumright:

 

[-CB-]

paint the binding on and stick a fork in it