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Is it really necessary with some woods? I know that plastic has some play but I actually managed to get a piece of rosewood to flex enough that I could conceivably glued it down, but I'd have to probably use something stronger than frog tape to hold it in place while the Titebond sets. This especially since I already some bold BWBW purfling on the bottom of the strip

Am I tempting fate though?

you sometimes are blessed by luck. Some woods won't bend so well the way you just did it. A bender will increase your odds. Also while steam bending isn't the best method for bending sides it will work with binding

So you're saying "just go with it" and not worry about it? Ooooo-kay. I'm guessing I wouldn't be so lucky if I tried this in the winter when the RH in my shop is much lower than the mid-40's that it is presently holding at?

you will soon learn what will work for you and what won't. I never had much luck with straight wood binding and soon found methods to bend it. Now I use the bending machine but before I made them I used a steam pipe and bend bindings that way. I could never get them to bend on a hot pipe.

I'm using wood binding for the first time so I have a question. On my last guitar I used plastic binding and used tape only to hold everything in place and it worked ok. Now that I'm using wood (Cocobolo), will I need additional support to hold the binding tight while the glue cures? If so, what do I need and where can I purchase it?

When doing wood binding I use 2 things
3M tape ( stretch type )
a bar clamp to afix the binding to the waist
I use tite bond or fish glue. Tite bond is better here as it cures faster

Any type of caul between the cloam and binding?

Also, do you clamp treble side back binding to bass side top binding.........or........treble side top binding to bass side top binding?

nope
I just use the bar clamp across the waist , if you are going to have a gap form that is the typical spot . I do one side then by the time I am at the waist of the other the tite bond tacked enough so I can set the other binding and then reclamp.
Also I will use a scarf joint on the tail end.

Hey Darryl,
What I do is tape the binding in place, and then wrap the whole guitar with cloth twill tape. This really pulls the bindings in tight, but you have to do it fast before the glue really sets up. I also, using a caul to shape, with put a clamp across the waist area just for assurance that the fit is tight.
Have you seen how Robbie O'brien wraps his guitars with the twill tape?

Kevin

martin used to use the tape and found that the proper tape worked without the cloth wrap but if you like wrapping , go ahead. I have heard of long rubber bands , Colt stretch ribbon . but I just use the 3M stretch tape.
this is one of the areas that if it works for you make it an act of God to change . There are many ways to do the same thing. Hey some women don't like chocolate .