Broken neck repair
 

So I decided to buy a guitar to practice repairs. I bought this guitar for the cost of a couple sets of elixirs. So if I make a mistake, no worries.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_fPTzNhzrH3Q/S4...0/PICT1290.JPG

As you can see, broken neck. My plan is to us a Bessey clamp from the sound hole to the head stock (by stacking blocks inside), and a couple clamps on the fretboard.

Does this seem reasonable?

Do I need to make any precautions with glue around the truss rod?

I am planning to use Titebond III for the glue, any issues with mahogany and yellow glues?

BTW, man is this guitar cheap, painted fret markers, glued in saddle, finish (dip coated?):)

Thanks,

You might find this of some value !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6lzTM__Yrs

Good for you! You can only stand to learn something in the process.

PS - welcome to the forum.

titebond should be fine. good luck!!

I don't use Titebond, but I believe Titebond I would be a better choice that Titebond III. Martin???

I know very little about such things, so pardon my ignorance, but why wouldn't you use wood glue for a repair like this? It's not as though you're going to want to take it apart again afterwards.

Fliss

I use hot hide glue. I've never used Titebond. The builders and repairmen I know who use titebond use titebond 1, instead of titebond 3. It could be because titebond 1 is easier to dis assemble than titebond 3. A repair like this is just begging for hot hide glue because it doesn't creep, but it isn't worth the equipment (a glue pot) and the learning curve for 1 repair.

Reason for Titebond III
 

First of all, all the glues we have discussed are wood glues. We are just using brand names. All things considered, Elmer's white glue would probably work pretty well. My concern with mahogany was the high oil content. I know it's nothing like bubinga, I thought it was worth a quick question.

Fine Woodworking did a test last year on strengths of wood glue. The one glue which surprised me as generally weak, was Gorilla Glue. That with its issues with life, and clean-up, I just don't use it.

As you might have figured out, I am a woodworker. Guitars are new to me, but I like to combine hobbies when I can.

The reason I like Titebond III is a longer work time than the original. Since this is my first neck glue, I figure the more time I have to adjust, and find mistakes, the better. Gluing always freaks me out, tic,tic,tic tic.... it's like a time bomb if I don't get it correct.

The oils in Mahogany won't cause you any problems. Cocobolo is supposed to be hard to glue with traditional glues because of the oils, but I'm allergic to it, so I can't say either way.

Neck "repaired"
 

Well, I have repaired the neck, and glued in the nut. The string height at the nut needs a bit of filing and the saddle wasn't glued in, it was just forcibly installed. I have removed and fitted it so that I can do some setup.

I am not completely happy with how the joint looks, it's pretty obvious that the neck has been repaired. Although it's smooth (filled and sanded smooth) and it doesn't affect the playability. I think in order to hide the repair, I would need to strip all the finish, apply an opaque stain and refinish the neck.

Will post pics tonight. :)

Thanks for everyone's support.

I have been reading in the shadows for some time, finally got around to posting.

LOTS of great information.

Glad it went well.

I just had to fix the broken headstock on my Baby Taylor (that's what I get for letting my 2 year old play it). I was able to make the repair nearly invisible. The fiber/synthetic veneer is the only obvious tip-off. Not totally sure what it's made of or how to handle it.

And, for the record, I used titebond 1.