protecting binding when sanding

[stewart]

Hi, I've just received my first kit (LP-M1).
I was wondering if I should tape off the binding on the neck and body before sanding?
Actually, the same question applies for when I apply the dingotone stains. Will the stain affect the colour of the binding?
Thanks in advance for any tips. Very excited about this project
Stewart.

[gavinturner]

Hey stewart,

It's going to be hard to tape off the binding whilst sanding. Firstly it will mean that a little strip just under the binding wont receive as much sanding, and after about 2 minutes the tape will be shredded anyway. Normally, you just treat the binding like you would the rest of the body and sand it with the wood. Just be mindful to go easy if you are trying to sand out a glue spot or similar.

Conversely, I always tape the binding off when staining. There are the odd cases where dye gets into the binding through small cracks that have developed during manufacturing. To stop this happening it's best to mask. My personal experience is that painters masking tape from the big green shed does not stop the dye - it just seeps underneath. Much better to use an acrylic pin striping tape like the stuff 3M makes. I've had really good results with this stuff, and I slop the dye around all over the place.

Hope this helps.

cheers,
Gav.

[stewart]

Thanks Gav. No tape while sanding. One less thing to worry about!