Binding "Decay"
Binding
Repair
Binding
is found on many instruments along the outline of the
top, back, peghead and/or fingerboard. Not only is binding decorative but
it also
serves to protect and seal the end grain of the top and back.
Binding is usually made from celluloid, plastics or wood. Plastic
binding may be white,
ivory,
ivoriod (ivory with
"grain" lines), black
or tortoise.
Wood binding can be made from numerous species and dyed any
number of colors. The laminates or decoration found just inside
the outer binding is known as the
purfling.
In order to get the multiple lines you see around the edge of an
instrument many pieces of binding may be laminated together.
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The most common problems we
encounter with binding are
shrinkage,
which may cause the binding to pop loose and
deterioration
on vintage instruments which causes the binding to crumble
into countless tiny pieces.
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Repairing
Loose Binding-
Some celluloid binding is particularly prone to shrinkage
and if it shrinks enough it usually pops loose from the wood.
The tight area of the waist is a very common spot. If the shrinkage is
minimal, the binding can sometimes be heated and gently
stretched back into place and secured.
But celluloid bindin is extremely flammable and heating it is by
no means a job for a do-it-yourselfer. Poof! And stretching any kind of
binding must be done very
gently or it will quickly change shape and deform leaving you with no option
but to replace it.
To be quite frank, I have seen so many botched binding repair
jobs that it is among the most common in my "repairs gone wrong"
category when it comes to do-it-yourselfer repairs..
Individuals with no experience use inappropriate adhesives or do
a very sloppy job applying it damaging the finish and often
damaging the wood upon removal.
When binding shrinks a good deal it is often too short to
force back into shape as the tension would surely cause it to pop loose again
or not seat properly.
In the picture below this binding had popped loose and cracked. After gluing
it in place there is a gap due to shrinkage and it was filled with a small
patch of binding.
Gap In Binding Was Patched
In other instances the binding
may pop loose at the waist lets say, be too short to force
back in position but be free from any cracks or breaks. In order to
avoid cutting and splicing at the
waist I may loosen the binding to the point of the manufacturers
original seam in order to place
the splice there, if
needed. Builders and manufacturers normally place seams at
the center of the neck and tail blocks.
Binding Is Further Loosened Up To The Neck Block
To Avoid An Additional Seam
Because binding has been
painted over, removing it will cause chipping
of the finish along it's edges. This is one fact
to consider when choosing the
proper method of repair. Binding is something which is
dealt with before any finish is applied when building an instrument. But since
we are repairing it, we are forced to deal with finish chip which can vary
greatly from one instrument to another depending on the kind of finish and
it's thickness and age.
Binding on the fingerboard can also develop cracks,
especially if the instrument
has become a bit "dehydrated". Since the fingerboard (and other wood) will
shrink if there is a loss of moisture, the fret ends can begin to put pressure
on the binding. (The fingerboard can shrink but the nickel frets can not).
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Some of the adhesives used to
adhere bindings to the body are very harmful to the finish
and the instrument must be carefully masked to avoid
damage. |
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