shellac/lacquer and white plastic binding?

[flatfive]

Hi All. I've got a tele body that I'm going to be finishing
in shellac or clear lacquer. The body has white plastic binding
along the top edge.

I'm not sure what to do about the binding. Do I:

- apply the finish over the binding, and leave it?
- apply the finish over the binding, and remove it?
- mask off the binding when finishing?

If I use lacquer it'll probably be sprayed from a can.

If I use shellac it'll probably be brushed or padded on.
It will be a lighter shade of shellac.

I'm worried that if I mask the binding then there will
be a noticeable line where the finish stops and the
binding begins.

Thanks for any suggestions/experience you can share!

[ChicknPickn]

Personally, I'd go with an extra-blonde shellac - - highest grade flakes you can get. Anything else will have a slight amber cast to it, which may or may not suit you. Pad it on with linen squares using a 1-lb. cut. One thing shellac has going for it is that it is much less likely to change color with age than lacquer. It's also easy to remove and won't bother the original finish. Alcohol poses less of a threat to plastics than many other solvents.

[RodeoTex]

If you are spraying or padding on clear or semi clear finishes then treat the binding like the wood.

If you expect to put black or other dark colors then expect to mask the binding.

Either way you are going to need to spray over the binding with clear to seal it in to the complete finish.

Good luck to ya and post pictures.