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Situation: ebony fingerboard, slotted, profile, awaiting binding prior to installation.

Issue: I want to use a black/maple/black (.010/.020/.010) purfling under the binding, but I'm not entirely sure about the best way to go about this Mostly because I fear scraping through the bottom layer on the purfling if I need to clean up the bottom of the board any further before I install it (unlikely, but possible). Options:

1) glue purfling to binding (what glue? I'm leaning towards CA, maybe titebond, but I'm not wild about introducing moisture at this point), then glue binding+purfling to fingerboard (CA glue, certainly for the bit glued to end-grain. Titebond has popped off on me before.

2) Glue it all at the same time, CA glue, masking tape to hold things in place and flush with the bottom of the fingerboard. Sounds like a sticky mess, though. Alternative: titebond, watery mess.

3) Glue fingerboard to neck (probably Epoxy, although I need to find a place that sells something other than 5-minute araldite), clean up ledge a little, glue binding on like one would binding for the headstock, body, etc.

Thoughts? How do folks who use purfling under the fingerboard binding deal with it?

Mattia,

I do your first option. I glue the purfling to the binding using Titebond II - I use this for bindings that I put in the Fox Bender and they don't delaminate in there. I glue the binding to the fingerboard next - I have used Titebond in the past but might use fish glue in the future, holding the binding to the fingerboard with brown binding tape making sure that the binding is pushed down hard on a flat surface to get the bottom of the purfling flush, and checking along as I glue. It ususally comes out flush. If I am binding with the same wood as the finger board, I sometimes don't bind the soundhole end - I just cut a rebate in the bottom of the fingerboard here to fit in the end purfling and mitre it it with the side purfling, then polish up the end of the fingerboard.

Here's a pic of my binding method:

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Here is what I do.

I don't like the fret slots to be "short" by a ton, so I first glue the purflings on that are the full height of the sides of the fingerboard. Miter the ends the whole bit.

Then I come back with a fret saw and slot through the purfs.

Then I install the bindings.

I usually use glue with some open time. Mostly titebond 2, but I understand the moisture concern and epoxy would work fine too.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I glue the purfling to the binding (usually tape and titebond) and glue it to the board with CA as follows. I clamp the board to a peice of 3/4" mdf, about 1" from the edge.  (Put packaging tape on the mdf to prevent gluing the whole thing to the mdf!!!) I cut miters on the ends, position the binding, and put spring clamps on the mdf tilting them so that the ends of the spring clamps push the binding tight to the board. With a little care, you can get the binidng sucked up tight all the way and keep it flush on the bottom and wick in the CA. That make sense or would a picture help?

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

Wow, that was 3 answers real quick.

Dave, a warning about the titebond II. I had the same thought and ended up with some black acacia (Tasmanian/Australian blackwood) binding that turned a nice pond scum green! Something in the wood reacted with the glue, moisture, and heat.  Some rigorous scaping took it off but it was a pain. That's the only species I've found with that issue but I switched back to regular titebond after that and have had no delamination issues.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

Kent: I'm not quite seeing it....

Brock: FYI, I mean purfling under the binding (ie, visible from player's position), not purfling between binding and fingerboard.

Dave: I'll probably go with that method (which is pretty much how I glue my binding on fingerboards anyway), maybe go for titebond on these (no bending), and save the thick CA for the end grain cap.

Like this but with clamps all the way...

If you tilt the clamps down a bit while clamping, they will push the purfling up tight.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

[QUOTE=Hesh1956]
I have bound probably 10 fret boards, most ebony, with Titebond original and it works great.[/QUOTE]

The only thing about that is if you have to take the fb off for any reason you could delaminate your purfs. (Go ahead... ask me...   )

I like to use glues with a higher heat resistance on the bindings and purflings.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Righto, I'll pre-lam, and then glue up like I always do (ie, same way Hesh and Dave and probably lots of others do). Titebond would sure be less nightmarish to get out of the fret slots at the very least (CA is a pain that way, even the thick stuff which doesn't go all over the place).

Kent: thanks. If I actually had more than 3 spring clamps, that'd be a nifty way to go about it!