How to remove a small dent
 

Hey,

One of my dogs snuck into my room, and jumped on my bed, and hit the fretboard, slipped off, and put a small ding on the top of my good guitar. I wasn't happy that night lol. It mainly just broke the finish, but there is a small, narrow dent there. What would be the best way to minimize that? I'v heard that you can put a drop of water on it, and the wood will come back a little, but I'm not sure how to do that. The dings on it dont really bother me, but if I can remove it, I will.

Thanks

I had a similiar thing happen with my GS. Just a small fingernail type dent but really only nicked the finish. My advice......nothing. I did call Taylor and they told me sometimes if its right you can put a tiny drop of crazy glue in it or not. I did put a VERY small drop in it with a toothpick. I must say, it did not do much. So as I am sure you have or will hear.....Unless you are playing it nobody else will EVER see it. I know it blows but I have moved on. Hehehe. Take care. Scott

Don't put a drop of water (or glue) on it. No further advice without a good photo, except my usual: let it get its dings and relax about it.

I had a nylon string come untied. The loose end whipped round and made a significant ding, crushing wood fibers. I was heart broken, the guitar (Gibson Chet Atkins Studio) was only 2 days old. It was a nitro finish and I had some great repair folks do the fix. However, it did NOT make the appearance any better. It was still a glaring ding in the top.

If the finish is catalyzed, the repair is even harder or impossible. So listen to the luthier (H. Klepper), just accept that these things will happen.

If you tell yourself that it adds character to your guitar then it makes it easier

I reference this just for learning purposes, not as a suggestion that you try any of Frank's methods yourself...but it's fun watching him work: http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luth...steamout1.html

I've read about wrapping a soldering iron with a wet cloth and applying that to a dented area of wood. It is supposed to raise the dented area but I sure wouldn't try it....could end up looking worse. If it was mine I'd leave it as is and just accept it. No one else will ever care and they'll likely never notice it. It's just part of the "normal life cycle" of a musical instrument. I'm [I]very[I] careful with my instruments and most of them end up with dings sooner or later.


Tom

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Seriously, I'd just leave it. Finishing experts will all tell you the only way to totally get rid of a dent is to refinish the entire surface.

I agree, the dent dosent bother me too much, but if I could make it look a little less dented without doing much, I would. I know it's not worth trying to totally remove it. I really don't want to add anything on to it, so that's why I was wondering if a drop of water would make the wood swell back up a little? I don't want to put a water spot on it either lol. So should I try that or just leave it alone?

Bit like a new car really, once it's had its first ding (hopefully, just a little one), then you can relax.

Dents can be steamed out of BARE wood but the finish is a moisture barrier and water will not help the issue. They can be filled with either finish or CA but only by someone with experience.

Well, here's an expert's comments and I agree.

I put a very nasty and large dent into the top of my 42-year-old Martin D-35. I photographed the dent and emailed it to the guy who has done repairs on my guitars for over 30 years. I told him I did not expect perfection, but if he could make this look less horrible, I would appreciate it. So he gave it a try and basically filled in the dent with something, not sure what, that he tinted to match the yellowed color of the old top. He did such a good job that you can only see the dent from certain angles with the right light on it. Under those conditions, it lights the dent right up. But most of the time you can't see it. The cost was only about $15. He said it was a trick he learned in the furniture business many, many years ago.

I have other dents in the top that are not all that large and don't really look all that terrible. But this was a bad one, about 3/16" wide x 1/2" long and who knows how deep...

- Glenn

Dents can often be steamed out of finished wood. But there is some risk.

We still haven't seen a photo of what the OP is talking about.

except the inevitable - its like getting that first scratch on a new car -the worst is over !

Sheryl Crow said it best....the first dent is the deepest.