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A great way to avoid lifting fibers.... when installing binding and removing the tape is to first shellac the areas on your top where your tape will be stuck down. This works great for the back and sides too if you are concerned that the woods that you are using may shed fibers.

In this case I have only applied shellac to my top with a disposable brush.

When removing the tape it's helpful to try to lift the tape at 45 degrees to the grain directions. It's also helpful to use a hair dryer and preheat the tape in advance of lifting it. The warmed tape helps the adhesive release.

Lastly Zinnser "Seal-Coat" shellac is a great product to have on hand in your shops. It does come in a waxed and dewaxed variety so be sure to select the dewaxed product. It's available many places including Woodcraft and most big box home stores.

Once your binding is installed and the tape removed this single coat of shellac sands off very easily.

The same works well when cutting rossett channels, less fuzz along the edges and it is not necessary to be real careful about getting glue on the top. I just apply mine with a piece of paper towel rolled up and dipped into the shellac cheap and requires no brush cleaning, straight to the trash can when done.

I second the use of shellac on binding, I didn't on my 1st guitar and pulled up a couple fibers with the tape, a little heat also helps pulling the tape. I have a little iron used for applying and shrinking plastic coverings on model airplanes, and a couple seconds holding it on the tape makes pulling easy, too much heat and the glue from the tape stays on the guitar bit it scrapes off easily.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
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Good point Fred!

agree. allthough a sidetrack from this, if using one of those pipettes filled with super clue. If the pipette is clogged, dont use your teets to try and bite the tip off did that a few days ago and my teeths got glued in and so was my beard and my tongue went as numb as when one was 16 and kissed the fist girl for 3 huers in a row without taking a breath between . though i was gonna die for a second or 2.

Lars

3 hours!!!! WOW that's a lot of lip lock Lars!!!

No worries I know a guy who cut his forehead open and then used CA to close the cut - all went well until he sprayed his head with accelerator....

Lars you are too funny

Funniest unintentional quote I have seen in a long time, makes for an interesting visual image!

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

It's also advisable to shellac the ledges & channels too, particularly if you use CA.

Also if the binding lifts somewhere and you have to glue it back down. Dab of shellac first, or you could end up with a "wet spot" that's a bugger to sand out.

Cheers Hip.

Good tip Hip!

How do you guys feel about using a continuous piece of rubber (rubber banding) to apply the binding. As in wrapping it around the guitar. That would eliminate the tape pull problem.