Cracked Top And Edge

[gripper]

The other guitar player in one of the bands I play with has a cheap Schecter with a real thin top laminate that has seperated from the wood underneath where the two top pieces meet just south of the bridge. It also has some seperation around the bottom curve from the strap-post to about a quater of the way to the top. This seperation is from this thin top stuff to the binding plastic. Does he need to take the whole top off or can he inject CA or another adhesive in the seperation and reclamp? The finish is a nice transparent blue but I don't think the looks will kill him. It is a really nice sounding guitar with a nice neck. If I hadn't really looked at it I would have said it had been dropped real hard on its butt except there is no impact evidence at all and no finish damage. I don't mind a "scrap it" advice if it is not worth fixing. Thanks in advance!

[chunkielad]

I'm new to all this but from recently using a veneer and having to fix it with CA after it lifted during finishing, I say go for it - I was doing more finish anyway but I was still careful with it and all was fine.

[gripper]

OK, that worked to a point. After popping the clamp shims off (they got some glue on them) I am looking at a white haze that goes everywhere the clamps didn't touch. WHAT THE??? I haven't done the edge stuff yet. Just the middle laminate seperation. It looks like it is back down flat but this white stuff is everywhere. Normal? Sand or polish it off? It almost looks toxic! Some of it just wiped off with a rag but not close to the place where I put the CA in. If it matters, I used the not runny stuff and quite a bit of it. Took probably half the little tube to get the whole seam wet. I am SO not going to go there with sexual connotations on that last sentence.

[chunkielad]

Sexual connotations

I reckon you weren't carefull enough with the glue - I used the real runny stuff so it wicked into the gap.

Just polish it up and see where it goes. Maybe a cutting paste might be needed? Do you have a pic?

Edited October 23, 2005 by chunkielad

[gripper]

chukie, I am SOOOO close! The white stuff cleaned up with wet-sanding and the seam is all but gone. I used the thinner CA like you said and the binding is now all tight to the thin top and looks OK. Now I think I have to either leave it as is with the little seams showing or try to spot repair the finish. I am thinking leave it. How long will a gluejob using CA last? I sort of thought of this stuff as a temporary fix or a half-way measure. After reading all the stuff using search about adhesives, I guess this is used fairly often. Will I have any special problems if I try to fix or hide the seams because they have CA in them or can I just treat it as the FOURTH time I had to fix the finish on my first semisuccessful build? In case anyone ever tries to tell you otherwise, coffe and chewing tobacco do not make a good wood stain.

[chunkielad]

Well as I said in my first post, I'm new to this so I couldn't tell you how long it will last BUT I have heard of people (experienced people) on here using CA for binding so it can't be that bad! That's another reason I said to use it - it worked for me and MANY others here. The finish touch ups shouldn't be that hard if it's a solid but if it's a burst or something, I dunno.

Another point on the CA lasting, I don't think it likes water but apart from that I don't see why it would fail unless it's being stressed. Water and guitars don't mix well anyway but i would put a clear of some kind over it personally just in case.