Birdseye binding?

[dcomiskey]

Is there any particular reason no one seems to sell BE maple binding? I have plans to use it on a new walnut body Im using for a new build, but it looks like I’ll have to make it myself. Is it a troublesome wood to work with at that size?

 

[ARandall]

The only times I've dealt with it in thin dimension (fretboards x 3) it has wanted to tear even with a tiny bit routed off the edge, plus the fretboard has wanted to warp with the waterbased glues we typically use.
So maybe the 'eyes' make for localised issues with stability.......but 3 experiences is not much of a sample size.

 

[Ripthorn]

Because of how the grain swirls around the eyes, it has a tendency to break easily. The eyes are actually micro burls from weird shoots that grow off the tree trunk. This causes unpredictable grain. Can you make it work? Maybe, but you are likely to have quite a learning curve with it.

 

[Joe Desperado]

/\/\/\ This. It fractures to easy to bend. It might be ok on a non-cutaway, but I don't think you will get it to bending around a cutaway horn. You might be able to strategically place the binding there where it has the least amount of burl to it. Also, more likely than not, you will need to drum sand the binding to the thickness you need as cutting on a saw or jointer will tear the figure.