Headstock dent

I have tried steaming it out with the vapor from my coffee machine everymorning, but I was wondering if there is something else that I could do.

Thank you for your considerations :mrgreen:

http://i50.tinypic.com/kcl849.jpg

i dont see any steeming with an iron or coffee maker working on that....its to deep & you have the location of dent along with the finish working against you....
something like that would have to be filled, sanded & shaped then refinished....
just leave it...probobly gives the guitar charactor.....

Steaming out a dent generally isn't done by exposing the surface to steam/vapor.

It is done by wetting the wood, and then heating it to the point where the water inside the wood turns to steam. Thus expanding and swelling the wood.

Which would probably pop the finish right off that dent.

Yep, I have a similar one on the same spot of my Strat, broke my heart at first, but now I don't even see it... Relic.

I was taught by Bryan Galloup, who worked with Dan Erlewine for 5 years before purchasing Dan's shop, that steaming of dents is done with a damp cloth and a soldering iron. Do not wet the wood first. Teh damp cloth is laid over the dent...several layers of cloth....and the soldering iron is paced in the best way to casue the steam to come off of the cloth and into the dent at the correct angels and such. Onemust needs use soem sympathy for the materials as always.
Some dents respond well to this treatment. Sharp-edged dents do not usually come out as well as do rounded bottome dents. There is almost always the need for filling with lacquer/ or super glue depending on the type of finish on the instrument and the amount of time one has to do the job. Quick jobs....super glue will get it done. Lacquer fills demand that one let the lacquer cure before trying to level and finish the job. Fromwhat I can tell in the picture, that dent can be made to disappear if the repair is properly done.

You could try building it out with clear nail varnish then smooth it off with wet and dry then polishing paste, it worked for me, can hardly notice it now unless you look really hard.

Wet tea towel and the wife's flat steam iron.

Wally and I (and others familiar with the vagaries of smouldering iron running at close to 800°F) could use the soldering iron but most folks /are/ going to burn the wood.


But I think that ding is a Superglue cya job.

Clean up the discoloured chipping and carefully float on a tiny drop of glass-clear liquid CA and let it set.

Carefully because it must not run over the rest of the area. If it does that then remove straight away with acetone / nail varnish remover and start again.
With luck the droplet will go where you want it and stay there, do not be tempted to spread it or add another.

Add a little drop at a time and let each set until it is slightly proud.

Let it set hard, about 24 hours, then rub back with 2000 grit wet and dry paper wet to level it and polish up with 3000 grit or a final polishing glaze compound (these are automotive paint finishing grades not woodworking sandpaper).

This is a permanent repair. As a cement CA does degrade over time but we are not asking for adhesive strength. As a lacquer, CA is similar to acrylic - cyano-acrylate

Yep Superglue....... and fine grit paper to finish it up as stated above....

Do you know what your neck is finished with? If it is Lacquer you can drop some nitro on the injured area with a tooth pick. Apply till proud let cure and polish.

If it is Poly, then superglue is your best bet. They also make accelerator for CA glues. Once you get the CA in place as described above, you can spray on the accelerator and the CA glue set instantly (or within a second or two). It's actually a cool system. It will make a hard clear finish. On flat (horizontal) surfaces you don't even need to polish it, it is glass smooth.

Yep Superglue....... and fine grit paper to finish it up as stated above....

Not "fine grit".

You need to go to at least 2000 grit UF "polishing paper" and finish with 3000 or better 4500 grit equivalent UF polishing glaze. This stuff can polish a spectacle lens, (cof) "fine grit" looks like it has been chewed by the dog. Pardonnez ma français :wink:

just leave it... looks good

it adds mojo :cool: