Are cleats really necessary to repair top crack?

[Ned Milburn]

Originally Posted by tscoggan

Ok, thanks for the advice, guys. I went ahead and attempted to glue & clamp the main vertical crack because the "crunched" part where the impact occurred along the bottom appears to my untrained eye to only penetrate the finish, not the top wood. In any case, I tried to get some Titebond glue in there as well but it was difficult. In fact, I feel like I wasn't able to get much glue in the main crack either...I guess we'll see in a couple days.

So assuming this worked, I take it the next step is to glue some cleats every 2-3 inches along the underside of the crack? In order to get my hand in there I'll need to remove all or most of the strings from the bridge...is this OK or should I loosen the truss rod first?

Thanks again for all the help!
Tom

You don't need to even look at the truss rod. Just loosen the strings.

[Bob Womack]

Are cleats really necessary to repair top crack?

No, but they help you get a grip with your feet while you work.




Bob

[YamaYairi]

You don't need to install cleats.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Are cleats really necessary to repair top crack?

No, but they help you get a grip with your feet while you work.

Excellent!

[6stringRazor]

I can't see how you can get your hands or a clamp in with out taking the strings off.. cleating is what I would do.. Truss rod would be best left alone.. You should check the bracing while you're at it.. Hands in the box and wiggle em' around ..Back in the day I used to use a needle to inject small amounts of glue under a loose brace..After set up I might take a look at the neck/bridge to make sure any problems that might occur are not a result of a lifted top ....retired guitar repair dude!!

[6stringRazor]

Originally Posted by 6stringRazor

I can't see how you can get your hands or a clamp in with out taking the strings off.. cleating is what I would do.. Truss rod would be best left alone.. You should check the bracing while you're at it.. Hands in the box and wiggle em' around ..Back in the day I used to use a needle to inject small amounts of glue under a loose brace..After set up I might take a look at the neck/bridge to make sure any problems that might occur are not a result of a lifted top ....retired guitar repair dude!!

Long may you run..

[tscoggan]

Thanks for all the continued advice, everyone...very helpful. Having glued the crack (it's still clamped), I plan to try my luck at some clests tomorrow. Will let you know how it turns out... :-)

Tom

[tscoggan]

All,
I just wanted to follow up to let everyone know that my little hack of a repair job was a success. Between the Titebond glue along the top of the crack and the 3 small cleats I glued along the inside, it seems secure (and level) now after 24 hours of drying in the clamp. It doesn't look perfect aesthetically, but I'm quite happy with it for a 1st attempt at crack repair.

Thanks again to everyone for so generously offering all the expert advice! I couldn't have done it without your help.

Tom

[YamaYairi]

Glad to help!

[Ned Milburn]

Originally Posted by tscoggan

All,
I just wanted to follow up to let everyone know that my little hack of a repair job was a success. Between the Titebond glue along the top of the crack and the 3 small cleats I glued along the inside, it seems secure (and level) now after 24 hours of drying in the clamp. It doesn't look perfect aesthetically, but I'm quite happy with it for a 1st attempt at crack repair.

Thanks again to everyone for so generously offering all the expert advice! I couldn't have done it without your help.

Tom

Good to hear!