fixing a small chip video...

[hopkinWFG]

Fixing a small chip in a guitar finish: http://youtu.be/rTVScFJoe24

as I watched this and it seems really easy fix.. and have decided if I should carry out the same process with my yamaha LS6 which suffers a small finish crack on the surface body of the spruce top... its natural lacquered and has not color paint over it...

this video mentioned super glue being his favourite and was wondering if any kind experienced person could let known on the specific type of glue he is using ?

I wonder if the super glue being applied dry polished would match the color of the original lacquer of the guitar ?

lastly by using super glue would it be easy to abandon the fix if at any point of time if the fix screwed up and to retain the original chipped condition ?

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by hopkinWFG

this video mentioned super glue being his favourite and was wondering if any kind experienced person could let known on the specific type of glue he is using ?

More than likely he is using Stewmac.com's brand, that they sell. They have different viscosities of super glue. "Thin" is often used for finish touch-ups.

I wonder if the super glue being applied dry polished would match the color of the original lacquer of the guitar ?

Usually not. You'll need to tint it, as he shows in the video to match his black guitar.

lastly by using super glue would it be easy to abandon the fix if at any point of time if the fix screwed up and to retain the original chipped condition ?

No, not really. Once you start applying super glue, it's pretty much on there and you are committed. As he mentions in the video it takes time and effort to match colour, level and buff to match the surrounding area.

[hopkinWFG]

thanks for the info and advice... well what would you recommend for an easy and nice touch up on such small crack on the finish ? especially being a natural lacquered guitars without color tinted...

[fazool]

It also depends on the type of finish your guitar has.

I've done a fair number of such "drop fills" with great success. Instead of two layers of tape, I use just one and I use the blade like a cabinet scraper (with a little finger pressure to flex it.

If your finish is nitrocellulose, you will get much better results using liquid nitrocelleulose lacquer.

I use Colortone aerosol nitrocellulose (gloss and satin) from StewMac. I spray some into the smallest sized baby food jar and apply with a model brush.

The solvent in nitrocellulose lacquer dissolves the existing lacquer making them bond into one layer. It's a much slower process as it shrinks more and takes a lot longer to dry and takes more care to polish and buff it. But for a Nitro finish, I would absolutely use this over crazy glue.

[hopkinWFG]

hi fazool thanks... but how can I tell if my acoustic has a nitrocellulose ? my guitar is natural finished without any color tint...

[Ben-Had]

Originally Posted by hopkinWFG

hi fazool thanks... but how can I tell if my acoustic has a nitrocellulose ? my guitar is natural finished without any color tint...

Try here:

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luth...etonetest.html

[hopkinWFG]

so a nitro will become soluble when get in contact with acetone ?

if so true can I just drop acetone into a hardened cracked nitro lacquer and hopefully its soluble and leave the mixed to dry hopefully it will take form and be ready to sand down and buffer shine ?

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by hopkinWFG

if so true can I just drop acetone into a hardened cracked nitro lacquer and hopefully its soluble and leave the mixed to dry hopefully it will take form and be ready to sand down and buffer shine ?

No. .............

[Ben-Had]

Originally Posted by hopkinWFG

so a nitro will become soluble when get in contact with acetone ?

if so true can I just drop acetone into a hardened cracked nitro lacquer and hopefully its soluble and leave the mixed to dry hopefully it will take form and be ready to sand down and buffer shine ?

A big NO. That's just to test for finish type and you want to do it in an inconspicuous spot that you can buff out.

[Frank Ford]

Here's a quote from another thread:

". . .The solvents we typically use for lacquer include lacquer thinner, acetone, butyl acetate, MEK, cellosolve.

So, if you're not versed in the solvents and their uses, I'd suggest this job be done by someone who does it regularly.

This seemingly trivial job is often trickier than you might imagine, and it's not the sort of thing that lends itself to being reduced to a series of easy DIY steps because trouble can seem to come out of nowhere as you proceed.

Finish repair is some of the most expensive work we do in our shop, and that's because it's the often most difficult, dangerous and time consuming. . ."

Of all the repairs that are relatively simple to do at home, finish work is not one of them. Not that it can't be done, but there's a great deal more than simple carpentry involved if you want to make the repair near invisible.