I was asked by a member to post a tutorial on binding with ABS so here goes... Pictures speak louder than words...
You'll need:
3M masking tape (not the thin cheap stuff)
Weldon 16
Binding color of your choice - here I'm using .060 x .375 ABS ivory colored
Flat needle file
super thin blade Japanese saw
Razor blades
Router @ template bushings
Chisels
Apply enough Weldon to ensure you coat coat the binding more is better than not enough, once the binding is coated rub gently it back and forth against the wood Weldon actually melts the binding and makes it soft it can bend around contours pretty easy. Once your happy with the shape use masking tape to keep it tight against the wood. Don't apply to much pressure with the tape so it squeezes out a lot of Weldon - else you'll have bumps. You want just enough pressure to keep it in place while the Weldon sets up some.
Of course you need to cut a channel or (shelf) for the binding to sit on here at the neck it's .062 x .125. Much of his can be done with a router but there is still some to cut by hand. An assortment of sharp chisels and a razor blade assortment seems to work well.
After the Weldon cures enough to pull the tape off trim excess with a Japanese saw - this on is from HF sharp as a pack of razor blades, I personally consider it one of those HF gems.
On the fretboard it's a good Idea to get the excess weldon out of the fret tang slots before it fully sets and hardens like a rock. Again the HF Japanese saw is thin enough to get in the slot without doing any damage and sharp enough to pull the semi hardened weld out out of the slot.
Finish by scraping flush with a long razor blade, try and not tilt the blade to accidentally make the binding lower than the wood.
Corners can be shaped with a lat needle file. Don't worry to much about getting the final profile on the corners. At this point the binding is still pretty soft, you'll want to let it fully cure then to can final shape the corners. Of course the nut is very important area on a guitar so you want to clean that area up real well with a needle file and test fit - Ah just right
Before the Weldon is fully cured it's a good idea to sight the fretboard. If needed, you can stick a razor blade in the low sopts and gently pry the binding away from the wood to make it straight. This time there was no need to straighten any binding out, it went in great.
Another important measurement on a guitar is the 12 fret, this on should be 2 1/16" which it is
Here I'm using a router fitted with a 5/8 OD template bushing and 1/2" straight bit to cut the 1/16" binding ledge to block the fretboard end.
With the end blocked and trimmed, rough scraped and profiled. I'm done till the Weldon is fully cured, depending on temp it's about 2 hours. I'll do a little more work on the binding after it fully cured, but once it is fully cured you can treat it like wood and even sand it if you have to... ABS is the same stuff they make Lego's out of so you know how tough that is when set up.
Binding not only protects the edges from bangs and dings it also gives a guitar a "finished" look.
