End Strip Filler and Binding Stain Clean-up

[DavisLee]

Thanks all for the great tips, not sure which way to go yet...sounds like time to experiment again on a test piece of rosewood. I guess it wouldn't even have to be luthier's rosewood and our local Rockler store has various sized slats of rosewood pretty reasonably priced.

Nobody responded yet to the 2nd part of my original post regarding how to remove the rosewood stain from the white binding...any suggestions?

Also, when gluing the white binding strips into the routed channels, left a little of a rosewood-colored stain in a few places. What's the best way to clean this off of the binding?

Quoting John Hall in a previous post,

"The key is after you're done sanding and filling, you scrape them to clean them up. If you do put anything on the binding you would knock it down during the sanding process anyway. Learning how to scrape is part of finishing."

[DavisLee]

Thanks Tommyboy, that makes sense...I will wait 'till scraping to deal with the rosewood stain on the binding. When you're building your first guitar, it's hard to know what things can be remedied by later steps but this is very good to know.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I'm with Darryl on this one. You have some pretty big gaps there and you may not be happy with the way it looks if you try and fill it. Remove it, clean up the sides..make the clean and square, and make a new wedge. If you have a scrap of the rosewood left from the back that is large enough, put that in there with the grain going the up and down. I've done this for end grafts before and I like the look. Same wood, grain going the other direction.

Kevin

[DavisLee]

Thanks Kevin, am definitely giving it some more careful thought at this point.

[Dave Sayers]

Yes, I have something similar. It's going to be glue and sawdust because the gaps are quite small. I made my own wood insert. If I start cutting more bits out I can see the repairs stretching half way around the body. Repair upon repair. If I'm not happy with the way it looks after filling I'll cut out the insert and make a new one.

[DavisLee]

Thanks Dave, let me know how it works out.