How close a small crack?

[viento]

A tiny crack occured on my guitar
on the tip of the Florentine cutaway.
I don´t know why it came but it is visible.
Would it be an acceptable repair if I
pressed a bit of titebond into the crack
with my finger and cleaned the spot
afterwards with a damp cloth?

[Peegoo]

Has that guitar been hydrated?

I'd hydrate that first for about a week to see if it closes up the crack. If it does, I'd then clamp a long thin transverse-grain cleat under it before it dries out, and then do a finish repair.

[Manos Tourpalis]

Originally Posted by Peegoo

Has that guitar been hydrated?

I'd hydrate that first for about a week to see if it closes up the crack. If it does, I'd then clamp a long thin transverse-grain cleat under it before it dries out, and then do a finish repair.

+1

watch these three explanatory videos by Taylor guitars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS6G...C213A96325167B

it worked exactly as described at a similar case I had

[mirwa]

Whilst titebond will work as a glue for that job, I would use hide glue, simply becuase it is a light coloured top.

Titebond and other alphatic glues when sanded turn black, hide glue when sanded remains clear.

Steve

[viento]

Thanks for your help!
I´ll humidify the guitar for a while and then look how I can squeeze
a bit glue into the leftover gap.
Maybe I´ll try hideglue to do the job.

> I did use hideglue and shaped off the excess jelly when it started cooling and hardening.
The gap now is a tad darker than before but closed.

[mirwa]

So long as its sealed, that is the important thing.

Unusual for it to have gone darker, the joys of hide glue is it drys perfectly clear, the downside of hide glue is you have a working period of about 30-45 seconds before it starts to congeal and cant be used.

Steve

[printer2]

Since we are talking top cracks. I have a fan braced guitar I made a few years ago. The humidity dropped over winter and the center seam separated, the guitar is almost back to normal now. Wondering about the gap, do I try removing the Titebond with sandpaper for the hide glue to have wood surfaces? There is still a slight gap, should I hydrate it more till the wood surfaces meet or do I try and clamp it closed (difficult but not impossible). The fan brace under the center joint is also loose on one side. How would you deal with that?

[mirwa]

Originally Posted by printer2

Since we are talking top cracks. I have a fan braced guitar I made a few years ago. The humidity dropped over winter and the center seam separated, the guitar is almost back to normal now. Wondering about the gap, do I try removing the Titebond with sandpaper for the hide glue to have wood surfaces? There is still a slight gap, should I hydrate it more till the wood surfaces meet or do I try and clamp it closed (difficult but not impossible). The fan brace under the center joint is also loose on one side. How would you deal with that?

If the gap is big enough to fit sandpaper in, then you may have to consider doing a splint repair.

I do not like to mix glues personally, if it was previously glued with titebond, then I will steam to clean and re-use titebond.

This is the joys of hide glue, heat and continue using, no cleaning the old glue out required

Steve

Splinted

[printer2]

Just checked it again, I can just about force a piece of paper in the center of the crack and it tapers to nothing at the but end of the guitar and at the bridge. If I push down on the one side, it has a little more of a bow up than the other, the crack pretty much disappears. I'll just get some Titebond in there and squeeze it together then.

[nikpearson]

Originally Posted by mirwa

So long as its sealed, that is the important thing.

Unusual for it to have gone darker, the joys of hide glue is it drys perfectly clear, the downside of hide glue is you have a working period of about 30-45 seconds before it starts to congeal and cant be used.

Steve

In my (limited) experience hide glue dries to the same colour as the beads/flakes were before water is added, that is transparent brown/orange, so not clear by any means. I do agree it makes for a less obvious join in guitar tops though.

[mirwa]

Originally Posted by nikpearson

In my (limited) experience hide glue dries to the same colour as the beads/flakes were before water is added, that is transparent brown/orange, so not clear by any means. I do agree it makes for a less obvious join in guitar tops though.

Yes, you are correct.

To clarify.

When doing woodwork, it is applied so thin, it drys to a colour and consistency that you cannot see it on the surface of the wood or between the grains of the wood, but if you drop a large thick blob onto a stark White plastic surface (as shown in photo) and allow it to dry, then yes its not invisible or clear on that surface.

Originally Posted by printer2

Just checked it again, I can just about force a piece of paper in the center of the crack and it tapers to nothing at the but end of the guitar and at the bridge. If I push down on the one side, it has a little more of a bow up than the other, the crack pretty much disappears. I'll just get some Titebond in there and squeeze it together then.

You could over humidify the crack by allowing it to soak under a wet rag for a day, then force some glue under pressure into the join and allow it to set, then hopefully as it returns to the correct humidity it does not re-open or split else where.

Steve

[printer2]

Originally Posted by mirwa

You could over humidify the crack by allowing it to soak under a wet rag for a day, then force some glue under pressure into the join and allow it to set, then hopefully as it returns to the correct humidity it does not re-open or split else where.

Steve

I was thinking along those lines but wasn't sure if I should use a damp rag. I put it in my sun room as it has been very humid, about 70% the last day or so. Just checked, it is closed up, I'll do the rag thing to get some added pressure.