bconner Posted June 25, 2006 Report Share Posted June 25, 2006 (edited) Hey Guys, I'm building a guitar with bloodwood on top and maple on the bottom, its a semi hollow body and each side is almost an inch thick. I just noticed that in about 5 areas the glues has come loose, not very much though. Can't be more than a 64th of an inch, but none the less it is splitting. Could I just get a needle and put more glue in an clamp it done? or maybe use epoxy? Any help would be awesome. Thanks. Edited June 25, 2006 by bconner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 It is always better to try to get glue in and clamp it up if you have that much flex. A good glue joint is stronger then the surrounding wood. If you fill it up with epoxy you have to depend on that specific brand of epoxy to be strong. Most are not if you have a glue build up like if you fill a gap with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 It is always better to try to get glue in and clamp it up if you have that much flex. A good glue joint is stronger then the surrounding wood. If you fill it up with epoxy you have to depend on that specific brand of epoxy to be strong. Most are not if you have a glue build up like if you fill a gap with it. Any idea about why the wood has come loose? I'm curious because I'm getting ready to glue a top on too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 If it's 5 areas, and the gaps are big enough for a spatula, I would very seriously consider getting out the household iron, getting the top/back off, cleaning up, and re-gluing with more clamps, and leaving it clamped up for longer. If you're worried about the glue, sure, you can use epoxy. At this stage, in a scratch built, redoing the joint is the right thing to do. IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 What Mattia said. This is a good time to set the quality standards for any and all future projects. Don't settle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bconner Posted June 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 Any idea about why the wood has come loose? I'm curious because I'm getting ready to glue a top on too. There was a slight warp in one of the peices, but I don't believe thats the reason didn't seem big enough to cause a problem for the glue. I brought it out of the house and into a factory and I think the humidity change is what really made it happen. It had been fine for months and then yesterday all of a sudden it pops up. And actualy its only in three areas I looked at it again. I'm going to try and reglue just those areas because I've already done all the contours and taking off the top and reglueing the whole thing seems very inpractical to me seeing as the clamping would be very difficult with the contours. If anyone has any suggestions though on how I'd be able to clamp the top back on with the contours, I might be willing to try that as ultimately qaulity is the goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 Any idea about why the wood has come loose? I'm curious because I'm getting ready to glue a top on too. There was a slight warp in one of the peices, but I don't believe thats the reason didn't seem big enough to cause a problem for the glue. I brought it out of the house and into a factory and I think the humidity change is what really made it happen. It had been fine for months and then yesterday all of a sudden it pops up. And actualy its only in three areas I looked at it again. I'm going to try and reglue just those areas because I've already done all the contours and taking off the top and reglueing the whole thing seems very inpractical to me seeing as the clamping would be very difficult with the contours. If anyone has any suggestions though on how I'd be able to clamp the top back on with the contours, I might be willing to try that as ultimately qaulity is the goal. Well it sounds like the stress applied by forcing the joint into place and or gaps filled by glue are coming back to haunt you. It is seperating and failing. You have to make it right. I would remove the top. Get the joint surfaces cleaned up and true (tight). Then glue it back down. The best way to clamp it back down would be to make a ring out of wood that will cover the area where the top and rim meet (about 1"?). Place the top and ring align and use several clamps around the ring (even pressure is key, and much more important than huge clamping force). Be sure to check your alignment frequently for at least a couple hours (glue may allow the top to slip out of place, as it settles). Good joint surfaces are an absolute must. Using clamping pressure to correct a badly mated surface is a formula for disaster (and most likely is going to appear down the road). It is good that you didn't have it 100% finished and then this happened. That is the big plus. You have the chance to make it right. P.S. Trying to fill the voids if it has seperated in five locations is a bad way to go. If this was a finished 30 year old guitar, and it was just starting to show some seperation that would potentially be a different story. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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