Using abalone as part of a binding scheme or around rosettes
is a nice way to dress up a guitar.
In this video I will show a more traditional method of installing abalone as purflings
and then I will show a more modern method using a newly developed product called zipflex.
In the traditional method, after cutting your binding and purfling channels
you will need to seal them with a coat of shellac.
This will keep the CA glue used for holding the bindings in place
from penetrating the end grain of the top.
This has been known to cause staining in the top itself as well as in some finishes.
You can then fit your bindings to the channel and secure them in place with tape.
In place of the abalone you can use a Teflon strip
to fill the void where the abalone will go.
These Teflon strips are available from Lutherie supply warehouses in a variety of sizes.
Take your time and make sure that the bindings and purflings fit properly.
If you are mitering any purfling lines make sure they are tight joints.
Since you have not opened any glue yet
you can make sure everything fits nicely before proceeding to the next step.
In tough areas like the waist it might be necessary to use clamps to get a tight fit.
Once you are happy with the fit,
then use thin viscosity CA glue to hold the bindings and purflings in place.
Be very careful with your application method.
Some people even use a small pipette to do this.
If you use too much glue it will flow into the inside of your guitar
and down the sides making an ugly mess and creating a lot of work for yourself.
I had a friend that happened to once.
So, don’t let this happen to you.
After the glue used to hold the bindings is dry then just remove the Teflon strip.
The next step is to fit the abalone to the channel.
One way of doing this is to sand the ends of each piece of abalone square.
You can then place it into the void created by the Teflon strip that you remove.
Lightly press the abalone into place until it seats completely into the purfling slot.
If it breaks this is fine.
Just keep pressing it into the channel.
Do the next piece the same way.
On the curved portions of the channels the abalone will break to conform to the radius.
Just keep pressing the piece of abalone into the channel
and press it up tightly against the previous piece.
This way you get a seamless joint.
You can choose your pieces of abalone
to match the color of the previous piece you installed.
This also helps get a seamless joint.
Continue squaring the ends of each piece of abalone
and installing them in the manner I have described.
Take your time as you install the abalone.
Make sure that it goes all the way into the channel
and that the joints are as seamless as possible.
Once all of the abalone is installed use the thin CA glue again to glue it in place.
Be very careful not to use too much glue
or you will have nice drip lines on the inside of your guitar
where the CA glue ran down the sides.
Now, If this is the desired effect then disregard what I just said.
Use a scraper or small razor blade
to scrape the bindings and other purfling lines flush with the abalone.
Then use some sand paper to lightly sand everything flush
with the top or back of the guitar.
If done properly the result, as you can see, can be quite stunning.
If you thought that the traditional way of installing abalone was too much work,
then let me introduce you to a new product called zipflex.
These are strips of abalone held together by two small strips of rubber on each side.
The rubber makes the abalone strip flexible
and it looks like a thin purfling line once installed.
Since the strips are flexible
they can be installed at the same time that you install the bindings.
This eliminates the Teflon strip
and all the time needed to join and install individual pieces of abalone.
Then just wick in a small amount of CA glue to secure everything and you are done.
It doesn’t get much easier than that.