Pegasus Guitars
Well-known member
I was asked by a local builder how I glue wood binding on a body. Since I had to do the write-up anyway, I thought I would post it here . Nothing special. Just my way to make and use the jig.
1. Make it from 2 pieces of 3/4” ply stacked and glued together.
2. For the pegs, use 3/8” dowel. 1/4" dowels are too weak and can snap off. Nails or screws will tear the rubber bands. Alternate the holes for the pegs in the top and bottom ply so that the ply layers don’t tend to separate.
3. Ideally, the top of the jig would be a dish to match your tops and backs, but you can just use a shim at the neck or tail to raise the uke off the jig surface. Make sure the shim is under the neck or tail block, only need one, so that you don’t pop off the braces.
4. This jig really allows you to see exactly what you are doing, to apply pressure where needed, and makes cleanup during gluing easy. Not so important for plastic binding, which can be done with tape, but very important for doing wood bindings.
6.Put a cleat on the bottom for clamping in a vise.
7. Since these are cheap and easy to make, make one for each shape you have. I use the same kind of jig for guitars and ukes.The shape should be just a tad bigger than your actual shape. You want the pressure from the rubber bands to pull straight down.
8.The rubber bands are #107, available at a good office supply, or on Amazon. Single bands will stretch across a uke and 2 bands looped together work for guitars.You will see some more expensive silicon bands on Amazon. I tried those and they don’t work as well as rubber bands.
9. I always have wondered if I would someday crush an istrument with all the pressure, but in 40+ years. it has not happened yet.
