Binding Installation — Lutherie Encyclopedia

Binding InstallationType: techniqueApplying protective and decorative strips along the edges of the instrument body where the top and back meet the sides.## Overview Binding is the strip of material—wood, plastic, or celluloid—that covers the exposed edge joint where the top and back plates meet the sides. It serves both a protective and aesthetic purpose: binding seals the vulnerable end grain of the top and back, protecting against moisture intrusion and impact damage, while providing a clean visual frame for the instrument body. ## Process The binding channel is cut around the perimeter of the body using a router with a bearing-guided bit or a specialized binding router. The channel depth and width match the binding strip dimensions. Some builders cut the channel with the top and back already glued to the body; others prefer to rout the channel in the individual plates before assembly. Binding strips must be bent to conform to the body contours. Plastic and celluloid bindings can be heated with a heat gun or bending iron and will hold their shape when cool. Wood bindings require the same bending techniques used for sides—a bending iron or heated blankets. The binding is glued into the channel, starting at the tail end and working around the body. Many builders use binding tape—long strips of masking tape applied in a spiral—to hold the binding tightly in the channel while the glue dries. Others use rubber bands or specialized binding clamps. For guitars with both binding and purfling, the strips may be pre-assembled (laminated together) and installed as a unit, or installed separately with the purfling going in first. Afte…