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Don't know if this is worth sharing but here goes anyway. I've always had trouble installing bindings, have tried it all, tape, rope, rubber bands, clamps or combos of all the mentioned.

Started binding a left handed cut away I'm making for my self, need to see if I can learn a little about playing these things. Being a Lefty was my excuse for not learning to play.

Anyway started out using the hook board I made a few years ago using rubber bands and clamps but soon could see real trouble getting the cut away area tight. Trying to figure out a way to close the gaps I noticed a wedge cut off from the head stock angle cut in a scrap box. I thought maybe I can wedge the area and cut up the piece to make 3-4 wedges and use the hooks as posts to wedge against. This seemed to work ok but the hooks weren't the ideal anchor points so another way needed to be found.

As I went ahead and fit and cut the binding as I wedged it around one side of the guitar it seemed this was a way that could work. It was LESS stressful, easy to dry fit and keep in place and line everything up and KEEP it in place.
Like I said the hooks weren't ideal so I modified the board for a better solution. Removed the hooks and made a version of the mold with about 1/2'+ clearence for the wedges. If I hadn't had this board set up already made mostly would have never gone this route, it more or less evolved. I don't know if something like this has been posted as I'm sure I'm not the first one to come up with this, just couldn't find anything on it.

A few pics to help show the set up.....

A few pics of using the thing....

Just finished installing the back cut away bindings. It went so well, so stress free, no sweating blood trying to get everything looking good and gap free. Any gap just put in another wedge and watch the glue squeeze out and tighten right up.
I know there are different ways to do bindings with great results and this is just another one. I seemed to have trouble using other methods and ended up trying this. Maybe I wouldn't have gone this route or made all this stuff when starting out but I didn't know much then, now just a little more and still learning. Sometimes you end up doing something or somewhere and wonder how the hell you ended up there, "I didn't start out with this in mind, but here I am."

About halfway through your first post I got a glimmer of your idea, When I got to the end, it made so much sense I was amazed I'd never heard of it before. (Or thought if myself, but that's explainable by general stupidity.)

I assumed that you were going to say you used the regular mold with very thin wedges. One would have to be careful not to glue the guitar to the mold, and thinking about it in more detail, the binding probably wouldn't fit because it would slightly thicker than the channel. Making the extra form would be easy though.






























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That is super clever and looks like it really does work.
Great to see new ways to do these tasks. I still struggle at times with my bindings especially when I leave them too thick, like .090". Just not flexible enough.

Thanks for + comments. I thought about just opening up the mold form about 1 half inch or so, this works for the curves but not for the top/bottom ends. Also using the molding form the guitar would need to be raised 1/2 -3/4" to make it easier to place/arrange the bindings.
I've reworked every guitar specific tool/jig 2-3 times as learning new stuff and finding out what works best for me. A lot of the things are a little kludgey modifying piecemeal but now things seem to go really well. Binding was about the last thing giving me real trouble, think I got that solved now. I think all the wood working aspects are good, now just the transition to an instrument maker remains. Still have trouble with set ups but getting better I think. Not being a player doesn't help here.

Bruce,