Rope glues

[ksquine]

I want to make some rope binding for my next build. Any suggestions on glues that won't melt on a bending iron?

 

[printer2]

Titebond III.

 

[hoji]

I am making some, too. Titebond III is what I am using. Just got to this stage the other day. About to try cutting a strip and bending it.

 

[humblej]

hoji, could you please show a couple of pictures of how you built up the slab to make the binding?

 

[hoji]

Here ya go. I am following the instructions from The Ukulele An Illustrated Workshop Manual by Graham McDonald.

Laminate 5/32 blanks

Cut sections at 40 degrees or so, and glue front to back.

 

[humblej]

5/32 thick, how long and wide for the first stack?

 

[ksquine]

Nice....how did it bend? Looks like you glued veneer to one side

 

[hoji]

5/32 thick, how long and wide for the first stack?

I made mine 2" wide, but that's not too important. I made it 14" long, just barely enough to bind the sides of a soprano. I recommend longer, if you can.

 

[hoji]

Nice....how did it bend? Looks like you glued veneer to one side

Yeah, so you glue a veneer to one side before slicing off from the main loaf. This will act as the purfling on the inside of the binding, and also help hold it together. Before cuttting the final binding strips, another sacrificial veneer is glued the other side of the slice. It gets sanded off in the end, being on the outside, and is for structural support while bending.

Bending is ok, but too much heat and it does come apart. Also the veneer on the inside of the concave bend wants to buckle, as it can't stretch.

I'm trying a rosette, about 2.25" around. I managed it but not at all perfect.

 

[James McQueen]

Here ya go. I am following the instructions from The Ukulele An Illustrated Workshop Manual by Graham McDonald.

Laminate 5/32 blanks
View attachment 139045
Cut sections at 40 degrees or so, and glue front to back.
View attachment 139046

 

[ksquine]

Well, so far so good. Tightbond III was way better. I bent it with no veneer backer to ~4" diameter (weissenborn build). I only broke it in a couple places...probably bad glue joints. I think for the body I'll keep the strips short and bend/fit as I go. No way I could deal with a 40" srip of this stuff.

 

[hoji]

Well, so far so good. Tightbond III was way better. I bent it with no veneer backer to ~4" diameter (weissenborn build). I only broke it in a couple places...probably bad glue joints. I think for the body I'll keep the strips short and bend/fit as I go. No way I could deal with a 40" srip of this stuff.

Nice! I did my rope side binding a couple weeks ago, and ended up doing it in small sections at a time. 3-6 inch peices. For one, I never got a whole side's worth in one piece bent. The waist was a killer. And also getting it to just the right shape. I am doing a tight waisted soprano, so your's might go better. One thing that seemed to work was to get it hot and flexible on the bending iron and quickly get it into place and glue it before it cools and gets stiff again.

Then of course there were a few places where it didn't actually complete the bend it needed and simply broke/separated, leaving a triangular gap. I was able to to patch these with slivers, but it's hard to get it to look right.

I'll post pics when I get it finished.