Headstock binding, and the search for glue that works with ABS

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Because of my troubles with fiber binding, and since the preferred celluloid binding now has a $25 hazmat shipping charge, I bought some ABS plastic binding from LMI. ABS is very flexible, but as I quickly found out, there's no general consensus about what glue to use. I tried Duco and one other type that I had on a scrap piece, and neither one of them stuck very well. Thanks once again to the folks on the Cafe, I decided to give some glue with MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) a try. You can get it at Ace Hardware under the name Seal-All. WARNING- this stuff is very toxic, so you shouldn't be working with it without eye protection, a mask, gloves and good ventilation. This stuff bonded very well to my test piece, so I went ahead and did the binding on my headstock last night. I am happy with the results. It didn't turn out perfect, but I think it's pretty good for my first time. Once I sand the corners, I think it will be tough to notice the imperfections.