Glue for binding

[Bob Steinarsson]

I am about to install a new binding on an old Hagstrom Jimmy. I have bought the binding from StewMac. I have tried super glue, but no success,and living in Europe, I cannot import the StewMac binding glue and similar glues from overseas due to restrictions. I therefore ask what kind of glue bonds good to the binding as well to the fretboard?

[Jim Bancroft]

Duco Cement is the glue to use, although it can damage the finish. Titebond will work well too. I'd rough sand the gluing surface of the binding, and maybe warm it enough, before installation, to conform to the shape of the guitar. Titebond will not damage the existing finish, and will cleanup with water..

Jim

[Russell Vance]

Firstly, the superglue you can use is of the medium consistency type (sometimes called "control" or "thick") and the new generation of superglues now have variants that are suitable for plastics. Rough up the binding surface to be glued with 120 grit and use tape to tension the binding glue joint.

If you use Titebond remember to rough up the binding surface and don't use too much water when cleaning up as it wicks into the glue joint and compromises the glue. Pre-bending your binding is the key to an easy life - I use a heat gun judiciously applied to the binding until it just loses it's stiffness and then drape and lightly tape the binding onto the guitar until it stiffens - then I glue it up with some serious tape pressure. Hope this helps, Rusty.

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

Living in europe, you can order a similar glue from fred guitar parts in France. His special wood super glue is perfect for this kind of job too (plastic on wood or wood on wood).
As Rusty said, don't forget to scrape the binding's surfaces that have to be glued.