Official Luthiers Forum!

hi,

after sanding off the enamel/clear coat and some of the paint, i found a hairline crack on either side of the body-side neck mount of this fender strat knock-off. i have posted 3 detailed pictures in this particular blog entry (http://lilbess.blogspot.com/2013/08/stage-3-secondary-prep-work.html).

i am considering grinding (too strong of a term?) out to create a bit of a trough to lay some epoxy. if i were to use this method, do you have a preferred epoxy suggestion?

alternatively and a lot more work, i was considering using a dremel with a disc cutter to create a crosshatch and then insert a "cookie", sand, fill and finish.

thoughts?

thanks,
shad

I would just use glue. If you can open the crack a bit by bending the neck, you can swab some wood glue in there with a knife or business card and clamp it. Otherwise, some thin CA glue will wick in there

okay, thanks. i can't pull it at all, so perhaps it's almost just a surface crack.

That sounds like an application for thin super glue. Open the surface of the crack slightly with the corner of a razor blade, and wick in thin super glue. Let it set up for 24 hours before loading the repair. If you could get some flexing of the crack, thinned hide glue could work. It penetrates very well--but not as well as super glue. Wood glue, or white glue, or epoxy, are very strong, but don't penetrate well. You have to be able to work them into the joint.

+1 on CA.

_________________
Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

to clarify, you all are talking about this glue http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Glues,_adhesives/Stewart-MacDonald_Super_Glues/Super_Glue.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=24769 and not household "super glue", right?

Yes that type of "super glue". You can also get it under a different label at most hobby shops and woodworking stores.

_________________
Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

alright, thanks!
peace out

okay, well, eric, i cannot even fit the tip of the razor blade IN the hair line crack. it may be a surface crack now, but with temperature changes and age, it could weaken and thus create a huge problem later.

my approach would be to take, perhaps, a push-pin or similar size point and put 2 or 3 holes directly into the crack and then fill it with the "thin super glue" we've all been talking about and top it off with a spot of wood filler (not putty), sand and began the primer+paint work on it.

what are your thoughts to my approach and/or is there a better way to address this issue?

thanks!

Thin CA will wick into the crack, no need to open anything up or poke holes. A whip tip may help you get it where you want it without making a big sticky mess.

_________________
Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

thanks, i found a local hobby store that carries "ca glue". i'm gonna go check it out. i really hope it's what i'm needing, b/c i'm itchin' to get painting! lol