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Although the steaming lifted out the dents the two worst marks also had some cracked/broken fibres, which needed dealing with. You can just see the cracks in the extreme close-up.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...TB-neck_26.jpg
I decided to use thin super glue and powdered maple filings to try to reinforce the repair and fill any remaining gaps/cracks. Downside, as expected, was that it made the repair more visible,
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...TB-neck_27.jpg
Glue dry and sanded back down to 240 grit. It's not too bad and will hopefully fade a bit more as it's sanded down to finer grits prior to finishing and then stained.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...TB-neck_28.jpg
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Well, the back of the neck is done so I better start on the front. An initial 240 grit rubdown on the fretboard to give me a nice level place to start.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...TB-neck_30.jpg
Fret level, re-crown and initial polish.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...TB-neck_31.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...TB-neck_32.jpg
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As I said at the start of this thread, I planned to bind the F-hole on this build. But, to get the binding to match, and to fix the dodgy binding and glue issues, I was going to have to replace the body binding as well. By the time I'd got rid of the glue, sanded out some of the issues around the binding and fixed the sides, the old binding was practically gone in several places, as you can see in this pic. The block is to provide support to the edges around the neck pocket when I rout the new binding channel, and I made a wooden neck plate to hold it from the back.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_02.jpg
A StewMac binding bit with the appropriate bearing and my trimmer, a couple of passes and I had a nice new binding channel.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...ng_bit_1_5.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_04.jpg
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As careful as I was and even with the supporting block in the neck pocket… the ply top just couldn't help itself and had to throw a chip, which then seemed to disintegrate as I never found it. Instead I made a replacement piece out of some maple stock and super glued it in place, I'm hoping it'll be a close enough match when stained.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_05.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_18.jpg
Because I've already done so much to the cap cleaning up the glue and fingerprints, I was really worried about getting glue on it from re-binding or even letting binding tape touch it. So, I had an idea to minimise the issue. First step, cut some blocks to fit inside the pickup routs.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_07.jpg
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Then, I cut a piece of ply that's about 1cm in from the edge of the binding channel and screwed it onto the pickup blocks. The longer screws in the bridge pickup rout allow it to be screwed into the base of the rout to fix the whole thing in place.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_10.jpg
I also used a piece of StewMac brown packing paper (finally a use for it) under the ply to further protect the cap. The plan is for the binding tape to be fixed onto the ply, pulling the binding tight but not squeezing the glue down onto the cap.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_11.jpg
Heat bags to soften the binding.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_13.jpg
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Next, heat and pre-shape the binding and tape it in place. The pre-shaping should make things easier when it's time to glue it.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_14.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_15.jpg
As you can see, the ply plate is keeping the binding tape off the cap and I've also put a strip of masking tape around the sides of the body rather than the binding tape going onto the basswood. This worked really well and allowed me to safely use the full strength binding tape.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_16.jpg
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If you recall when I reinforced the F-hole I cut an extra template from thicker ply, well that was so that I could pre-shape the F-hole binding. I'm doing the binding as two-pieces so I've left each one extra long for now.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_17.jpg
Before gluing the binding I cut a new block for the neck pocket that would continue the angle of the binding beyond the edges of the body, hopefully to avoid any stress on the fragile edges.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_19.jpg
Body prepped and taped with everything in place ready for the binding.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_23.jpg
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I decided to use Tarzan's Grip instead of super glue for the binding on this build, for two reasons. 1. I didn't want to risk super glue on the cap, which had been tortured enough. 2. I knew that binding the F-hole would be very tricky, to say the least, and wanted some extra time with the glue.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...inding_24b.jpg
Binding tape cut and ready for quick deployment, I hate fumbling for more tape.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_21.jpg
And, just to be sure of a good bond, a light scuff of the inside of the binding with some 120 grit.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_20.jpg
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Binding glued and 'enthusiastically' taped… you should see me wrap a present.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_25.jpg
It's a little hard to judge just how much Tarzan's Grip to use without it oozing everywhere, but it turned out OK. A careful light wipe with acetone to help clean up a few glue globs and then I carefully scraped the top edge of the binding level with the cap.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_26.jpg
Next up, binding the F-hole… or as I came to know it, f'n binding the f'n f-hole.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...binding_27.jpg
