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I'm trying to scrap paint off the face of binding. I taped off the sides and left the narrow top section uncovered. I have sectioned off a razor blade with masking tape as I've heard is a good idea to do. I have barely begun, but all I can say is holy good god. How is this possible to do and have it look perfect? I let the guitar dry overnight. The razor blade gouges the binding and doesn't even leave it with a smooth surface. The blade seems to have a tendency to skip and jump on the finish/binding and hard to control. Right now, I see it as being pretty dang near impossible to make it the whole way around this guitar and have a perfect line between binding edge and paint. Wish I'd gotten some 1/8" masking tape and just tried to tape it because this is awful. This is my tenth guitar, but the first time I have done binding and paint together. Yes it is a brand new razor blade. Any advice?

Don't cut with it, just let the edge scrape. Pull it to you, with the edge away from you.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I notched out a scraper just the right amount that I could use one edge as a guide\index for the other. I got a clean line all around the binding on a Les Paul I sunburst. I do not even tape the binding.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

I ended up putting a much thicker tape guide on the razor blade. It worked decently well and I got an acceptable binding line. Only downside is that the binding was left a slight bit jagged in spots.. Not bad though. The next coat of lacquer I mixed pretty heavily with thinner and it seems to have melted right into the binding and dissolved any of those imperfections. Learned alot just from this one experience. Someone also gave me a tip to put a scraper like edge on the razor blade itself. Ever tried that?

Always.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Yes, I always burnish a hook into my razor blades. Another tip is to use a black purfling line, which gives you a small margin of error, between the painted surface and your binding. I like the idea of notching a scraper to the thickness of the binding, but I've had good success just using my fingers as a stop, up against the sides, leaving just a binding's thickness amount of the razor blade exposed beyond my fingertips.

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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com