Binding riddle

[drbassman]

OK, answer me this.  When I toured the Gibson factory in Memphis last summer, I was amazed at the binding process.  First, the body was clamped on a stand and then the full length of the binding strip was run through a glue box by hand.  A simple wood box with holes on each side, one in the top to hold the binding down in the liquid glue.  After the box, the worker had cloth-like gloves and would run the wet binding through his fingers to while off excess glue.

Then, he would run the binding around the body, starting at the neck heel and going to the butt of the body.  He would wipe excess glue off the body with his gloved hands and then secure the binding with a super long piece of narrow linen that could be used for the entire body in one strip.  He would place the binding on the second half of the guitar and then wrap the rest of it.  The process was done twice for top then bottom, so there was a drying time in between sides.  The linen wrap just peeled right off between sides and didn't stick to the glue!!

The guitar was set aside to dry and several hours later it went to the sand man who sanded off all of the excess glue by hand.  Yes, they sand the entire body to remove the excess glue.  That way, the binder doesn't have to worry about glue residue and just wipes it down occasionally as he goes along with his cloth gloves.

What fascinates me is how easy the gluing process was and the binding was as limp as a spaghetti noodle!  Most of the binding I've ever used is very stiff and I've had to pre-form with heat before gluing.  The Gibson process is so simple and easy.  I watched him completely bind a couple guitars (335s) in just a few minutes.  

So, where do they get that wonderfully flexible binding?  And what is that glue they are using?  Is the wrap made out of linen?  I would love to know the answers!!!!

[amptech]

I have wondered about this too, got some stiff binding as well. Maybe it´s so hot in the factory that the binding melts? 

[Granny Gremlin]

Being that hot in there has got to be against some sort of workplace safety laws.  They could just be preheating the binding, but that stuff cools really quick.  Maybe the glue in the glue box is heated to keep the binding malleable longer without reheating.

[chromium]

Is there a difference in pliability between the plastic stuff and the celluoid/ivoroid binding?  Maybe they're still using the latter?

[drbassman]

Well, the binding looked limp before he even ran it through the glue.  I did recently try some thinner stuff and it was great to work with, so that may be the ticket until I find out what Gibson is using.  I really want to know!