Repairing a guitar, (calling Sphere…!)
This is for Duane, and anybody else who may be interested.
My sons apt mate fell in the dark and whacked his elbow against the top of my kids acoustic guitar, at least that’s their story. It’s repairable but I want to do some sort of decent job.
One of the main cross braces is split near the one end about 4″ long, and I need to glue it, jack it back into place and clamp it to set. The brace is very much salvageable. The rest of the bracing seems to be in tact, I went over it quite carefully with my little tv snake and an inspection mirror with a small LED on it.
The point where the clamp needs to go is about 10″ from the edge of the hole so I have to make a couple of deep throat cam clamps first. I’m going to do that tomorrow. I bought the steel stock, maple and roll pins today.
Since I don’t have the scissor brace jack that a luthier would have for this, I’m thinking of laying in a bottom plate along the back braces, and then shim to height a block, and then clamp away. I’ll do a dry run before any gluing.
Here are a few pictures.
Duane, the blue tape indicates the top face bracing pattern and on the end of the one brace I have indicated where the split is. Also pictured is a drawing and the type of split.
The brace pattern for the back of the guitar is 4 simple braces equi-distant from each other running from side to side.
No glue joints gave way, rather it was the wood of the brace itself that broke. Because of the nature of that, I don’t really have any old glue to scrape away & reglue.
As this progresses, we can discuss the finish later. I would love to get those splits in the top bathed in epoxy or (you said) black super glue?
Suggestions?
Replies
Oops! More picts.
Whoa...can you resize them pics? I opened the 3 megger and my pojunk puter locked up.DL IRFANVIEW and resize to 640x480 OR change yer camera to like 2 mega pixels, no need for anything over that.I'll try the smallest one and see what ya got. http://WWW.stewmac.com has the black superglue IIRC ( cyanoacrylate )
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
PROUD MEMBER OF THE " I ROCKED WITH REZ" CLUB
Ok, I got a look see.Do the brace fix FIRST. Use an old credit card and cut it into strips like 1/4", 3/8th" and 1/2" wide. This is your glue spreader. You need to OPEN the crack with one and smear the wood glue ( if it was to the soundboard, use white elmers, brace to itself TB is OK) in the crack.IF you don't have the jack, you should be OK making a prop from a scrap dowel, a little longer than you need, wedge it in. WAX that suckker so's ya don't make it part of guitar, violins and stuff have sound posts, guitars don't..LOLIf you can clamp it ( sounds like yer on the parts aquistion mode already) do. If not, that "go stick" should be good, but can be finiky.Now the hard part....For them top cracks mask w/your tape on either side of the crack ( attack one at a time, for now) Rub the tape well. MAKE SURE THE BODY IS LEVEL OR SLOPED AWAY FROM THE BRIDGE!!!!!!!!!If you get SG in the bridge, you will RUIN The piezo pick up under the saddle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Drizzle the SG ( clear is OK for now) till it wont take anymore. Then hit it with a shot of accelerator ( Hot Shot) after a few 20-30 seconds ( don't get hot shot all over the place, cuz it will make the next crack fix BUBBLE up when you go to fix it, mask, mask, mask) not too soon or it will boil up and bubble.Probably have to reapply. to build up to the tape thickness.Check the top often for FLAT or just a slight outward ness. YOU MAY NEED TO PUT THE STRINGS BACK ON UNDER TENSION to get the bridge "rolled" correctly, or have the tension where it will be when strung up.
More next post...
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
PROUD MEMBER OF THE " I ROCKED WITH REZ" CLUB
Works cut out fer me. I'm determined to make those clamps. I'll download something to resize my pics. My son knows about that. Hey....it's the least he could do for his fix-it-everything dad. (brother, you have no idea.)My poor DW. It's like she spent the last 22 years in a frat-house locker room.
Ok,,,
Don't forget to line the clamp jaws w/cork. I have some I used stickem glides for table/chair legs made of small discs of carpet too. Got a few dozen of the clamps.I got the pics open, but they were HUGE.Get jiggy with Stew Mac, they are a godsend, get the paper catalouge and email newsletters, you'll love me later.What was that Sea anemone doing in that picture?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
PROUD MEMBER OF THE " I ROCKED WITH REZ" CLUB
I have swatches of leather that I'm gluing on to the clamps.
That works.
Maple or Beech for the jaws?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
PROUD MEMBER OF THE " I ROCKED WITH REZ" CLUB
Maple. I don't want to wait and go into Jersey to get the beech.
I think the stuff they sell at HD is soft maple and not rock.
I gotta look and see what I have in stock. I don't even know anymore. There's stuff there that is really old. Regular 1" stock oughta do it I'm thinking.
I don't recall seeing maple at HD, but I don't get hardwoods there. I do see Pop and Oak at Lowes.I don't see why soft won't do, cam clamps aren't meant to really crank, just apply pressure.1" is perfect.I have a voice today, so if ya want,I'll be in my shop (I hope) most of the day...can call cell or Home, the Iphone actually works here!If I don't answer right off, I'll call ya back. Sometimes I turn on the planer and sit and watch football, and Rosie thinks I'm working and leaves me alone..LOL
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
PROUD MEMBER OF THE " I ROCKED WITH REZ" CLUB
Man, you sure they didn't use that thing for a cricket bat???
Don
The Glass Masterworks
"If it scratches, I etch it!"
I've seen and fixed worse.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
PROUD MEMBER OF THE " I ROCKED WITH REZ" CLUB
I know I know. But.....he bought it with his own money, so I really can't say much.He got it when he was a freshman in college. For 2 years he attended a school out in the wilds of Western Pa. where there was nothing to do but go to Walmart, join a Frat, and drink with the yahoos, all three which he did. Then he moved to inner city Philly to finish up at Temple U. where he imbibed with those intimate, and some not so, parties & gatherings of the diverse crowd yahoos. The guitar followed wherever. Now he has an apt. in the city, a serious girlfriend, and a full time job. They still gather, but what I'm hoping is that this instrument survives and comes out well enough to serve him for years to come. I'm giving it my one chance overhaul, then that's it, he's on his own.I have a classical guitar that I bought when I was a freshman in '73 and is the only instrument to survive. Four others have gone by the wayside. It sits here by my side at the computer desk, and I pick it up every so often when the music in my head is planning an escape.
Jer: None of us play guitar in my family. But... I get to repair things for my kids, also. By remote control, like you & Sphere, & by visiting them. Can't make a Christmas visit w/o some major project. But - they learn from it & are passing it on to their kids.Over the years, my wife created a saying, "Go ahead, break it. Daddy will fix it." I think my kids took her to heart. A little humor here. My #2 Daughter is an ER Doc in Rural MS. She also can do a pretty decent job of wiring. She was putting in a series of can lights in the ceiling of her cathedral ceiling LR. On her last foray into the crawl space type attic over the LR, she was pretty tired & slipped off the sloping walk boards we had installed there. One leg went through the ceiling wall board to a spot about half way up her thigh. Her brother was sitting on the couch right below her & reported that there was a CRASH!!! followed by a leg sticking down through the ceiling, right overhead.Forgot the best "Fixit" story of all. #1 Daughter was a junior in high school. She had watched me clean stoves of all genres for all her life. I was in Uncle Sam's Army, so got to clean a bunch of stoves. I finally got the process down to a science. I'd totally disassemble it, throw all the parts into the bath tub & add 3 or 4 cans of Drano. Let it set over night & all the grease & gunk came off like magic. DW & I went on an overnight business trip. Came back to be greeted at door by #1 Daughter, holding a pan full of miscellaneous screws. She looked devastated. Confessed that she cleaned the stove for us in anticipation of a coming move, & couldn't figure out how to put it back together. We still laugh at that one.DonDon Reinhard
The Glass Masterworks
"If it scratches, I etch it!"
Edited 12/6/2009 10:26 am ET by Don
You need to write this stuff down so others can know where they came from. Believe me, others will be rewarded but the biggest prize will go to you.
Pics, Rezized:
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Everything fits, until you put glue on it.
Hey thanks man. My son is coming home hopefully this weekend and gonna learn me how. I'm sure it's easy.