#1
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Undetectable Ding Repair
Is it possible?
I recently returned a used guitar with a disclosed repaired ding in the spruce top. CA drop filled. The seller indicated it was virtually undetectable. To my eye, it was very detectable. It raised the question: Is it better to leave small dings alone? Does the repair make them just as visible, only in a different way? Kinda' like a different type of flaw? |
#2
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Yes - accept the ding, unless, or course, it is structural.
More dings will follow.
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#3
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It is very possible to make a repair invisible, however it takes skill, I'm not referring to the, I can do a setup skill, or I can cut a bone nut skill, but back to woodworking and more importantly finishing skills.
We achieve these skills from stuffing up and learning how to repair our mistakes. Most repairs done for others are done on a budget, so drip filling a hole with ca is very common. Steve
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Cole Clark Fat Lady Gretsch Electromatic Martin CEO7 Maton Messiah Taylor 814CE |
#4
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Thin CA will penetrate deeply into the spruce, which often darkens it. It also can turn yellow due to chemical reaction. For those reasons, it is usually better to drop fill lighter colored woods with lacquer. But lacquer shrinks much more than CA, and will require a lot more time to achieve a flush fill.
If the wood itself is dented, even an 'invisible' lacquer repair will show a 'birdseye' effect, unless the dent is steamed out before the finish is applied. |
#5
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There are dings, and there are dings. There are repairs, and there are repairs.
It all depends on whether you have the former or the latter.
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"Still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest." --Paul Simon |
#6
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I had a top ding repaired on a 26 year old Martin while it was in for a neck reset. The luthier (he builds his own guitars so he is far more than a tech) drop-filled with lacquer and the ding became virtually invisible. I'm pretty sure he steamed it out first, then filled and buffed. CA is less likely to be invisible, per my limited knowledge. I can work wood pretty well, but tend to leave finishing to those that are far more competent at it. It's a whole different skill.......
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#7
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It's best to leave them alone unless you are confident that you can make it look better. I've had some success making dings and chips disappear, so it can be worth the effort if you've got the skills to pull it off.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of repairmen who don't do good work. It all comes down to the skills of the craftsman.
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https://www.reverbnation.com/bootheelers |
#8
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I like what Howard said.
To add to that, if wood fibers are broken across the grain, not matter what's used to fill it, the ding will darken and no repair technique will "invisibilize" it. Jim |
#9
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"Undetectable" = impossible
"Unnoticeable" = difficult but sometimes possible "Unobjectionable" = reasonable request, but often difficult Make it look "well-attended-to" = what we can actually offer All the definitions in quotes depend on the observer, of course
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Cheers, Frank Ford |
#10
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I'm glad to hear someone like Frank say it, because I've never been able to do 'undetectable.' Some are better then others. For me Lacquer is the best and easiest of all to repair. It's a great finish. I've touched up guitars that are 50 years old and the new lacquer melts right into the old.
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#11
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Quote:
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Dump The Bucket On It! |
#12
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Quote:
Steve
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Cole Clark Fat Lady Gretsch Electromatic Martin CEO7 Maton Messiah Taylor 814CE |
#13
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Depends on the detective.
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#14
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Detective away, did this one for a customer about 2 months ago, where is the hole.
Remember this is also you being informed there was a physical hole there to start with. Steve
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Cole Clark Fat Lady Gretsch Electromatic Martin CEO7 Maton Messiah Taylor 814CE |
#15
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Tags |
dent, ding, drop fill, repair |
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