Plastic Binding Sanding Help

[Snaglpuss]

I've got a jumbo build to the point I want to start finish sanding.

I've got StewMac white plastic binding on a EI Rosewood sides and back.

I glued in and scraped the binding with no problem. However when I'm starting to sand the sides and back the purple sanding dust is kind of melting into the binding making a smeary mess.
I could end up scraping the bindings again but they still need sanding to get them smooth enough to shoot finish over.

I'm trying to put a couple of coats of wash shellac on the rosewood but would appreciate any help or ideas?

[johnnparchem]

I am somewhat new at this but on an electric guitar I am finishing with plastic bindings I used I straight edge razor blade cut into a dowel to scrap the binding clean right before spraying with clear, the result was way smother than I could every get with sanding. In my case I was scraping off all of the colors that I sprayed onto the sides top and back.

[klooker]

I'm working on my first build also that has EI rosewood & white plastic binding.

Sanding the sides made a mess of the bindings. The sandpaper (220 grit) scratched the binding & the rosewood dust goes into the scratches. I took a single edge razor blade & carefully scraped the bindings clean along with using a fine gray Scotch Brite pad.

If I do plastic binding again, I'll finish sand the sides before binding then use a cabinet scraper on the bindings.

Kevin Looker

[tippie53]

until you get to the fill stages , don't even look at the binding . other than to be sure you didn't thin it. I like to set my binding so I sand the sides to it not the bind to the sides. You will have stain and fill residue to scrape off the binding yet so don't get too worried.

[Snaglpuss]

I scraped the bindings again with a razor blade after the schellac wash coats.
I smoothed the bindings then with steel wool. That worked great.
(got the idea from another forum).