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  #1  
Old 02-16-2016, 09:27 PM
AcousticAmber AcousticAmber is offline
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Default Advice appreciated - Maton top crack

Hi guys. I recently acquired a lovely solid top Maton dreadnought but it has a crack in it that I need to fix myself. It's a shallow crack on the face that goes WITH the grain, so normally I would just glue the crack on top and maybe cleat it.
But the problem is, the crack goes from edge to edge. The start & end of the crack is over the bracing on the inside so I can't put a cleat there. Otherwise, the bracing itself seems to be intact and the face isn't separating from the sides.

The previous owner has no idea how the crack happened but I'm fairly certain it wasn't from being too dry, as the guitar has lived in Melbourne Australia it's whole life (its humid there if anything). He doesn't recall having dropped it either, but you never know. And the crack isn't open at all, you couldn't fit a piece of paper in there.

How would you guys recommend the best way to fix this is? Should I just cleat it as close as I can to the start and end of the crack, and glue on top like normal? Or not even cleat it? Are there other problems with the edge to edge issue that I'm not considering?
And lastly, what type of glue should I use? I have Titebond III but I've read that you should only use Titebond I or II for crack repair jobs. If so, can I use super glue?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, this is the first decent guitar I've been able to afford in all my 9 years of playing so I really want to do a good job. Links to pictures below. Thanks!


http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/am...g.html?filters[user]=144734356&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=1

http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/am...g.html?filters[user]=144734356&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=2

http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/am...g.html?filters[user]=144734356&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=3

http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/am...g.html?filters[user]=144734356&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=4

http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/am...g.html?filters[user]=144734356&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=5
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  #2  
Old 02-17-2016, 06:36 AM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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I would just glue the crack and forget the cleats. Super glue is thin and will wick in the smallest crack, but it will darken the crack. That crack looks old and dirty, so it may benefit from some bleaching before gluing it.
Titebond I (Original) or hot hide glue are preferred....if the crack is open enough to allow them to penetrate. You can add a little water to Titebond to thin it.

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Old 02-17-2016, 07:34 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Looks like it's had a bit of a hard life.

I can see a few impact marks in the top which may have contributed to the cracks

Yes, just titebond it

Steve
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Old 02-20-2016, 08:00 PM
AcousticAmber AcousticAmber is offline
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Thanks heaps for the help.

Since the crack is not flush, what's the best way to make it level? It's a difficult area to try to clamp and I don't have any small rare earth magnets, only large right-angle builders magnets. Could these work or is there a better way?

Cheers
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  #5  
Old 02-20-2016, 08:25 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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I actually repaired a maton yesterday with similiar cracks.

I'm not a fan of rare earth magnets, they have a purpose for alignment and so forth, but I don't think they provide enough strength to hold the two surfaces flat to each other.

I am also a user of cleats, a cleat is a small shaped piece of wood fired to the underside of the crack to add strength to the original break,

My typical repair process on one similiar, is alignment of the split halves, once aligned I will inject wood glue with air pressure through the join, then using long clamps and plastic cauls, fix it in place. When it dries,remove all clamps clean and scrape and then fit cleats on the inside edge.

Light sand and clean and some touch up lacquer,

Matons generically have a satin finish, so something like mirotone lacquer would be fine

Steve
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