Crack in my lower bout

[Lostininverness]

Hi all, newbie alert.

Been a silent viewer of the site for awhile, so I'm sure I'll get some good advice!

I'm at the finishing stage of a pointy style guitar (sorry, but I am thinking about doing a thinline if that helps???) and noticed a crack running with the grain from the lower bout edge into the control cavity. The wood I've used is kauri, firly straight grained. I've tried applying pressure, but it doesn't seem to want to open any further.

I've read some posts about using CA glue and/or watered down titebond to wick down into the crack to make the repair then clamp. But most of those were on completed already finished guitars.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

Cheers
Grant

[dr_zaius]

You posted too late in the night. Most of the pros are asleep right now. If I don't see a response in the A.M, I will bump this thread to the top, as I am also curious as to what the masters have to say on this one.

[kwerk]

Depends where you are as to how late it is! Only 9pm Monday here!

If it were me, I'd head to Acorn in Manchester St (if they haven't been demolished ) and get my hands on the thinnest CA they have (ask at the counter). I'd sand the stain back and wick the glue in then try and clamp it or at least put some kind of pressure on it. Leave it a day or two, repeat if necessary, sand and restain. You should be good to go.

EDIT: What day is it again?

I should have said 9pm Tuesday

[kwerk]

Welcome to the forum by the way! The Kiwi contingent is growing fast!

(though one or two of 'em pretend to be Australian)

[Lostininverness]

Hey guys, thanks for the quick reponses!! Yep, time zones all the more different on this side of the world.....

Kwerk - looks like Acorn are still standing - plenty of others aren't around there. Which part of the country are you in?

I've read that CA kind of "seals" or hardens wood fibres where wood glue joins them? Or is that just thinking it up too much?

[dr_zaius]

Oh, sorry guys. I didn't see you were from NZ. Its 3am Tuesday over in the states. i should have said most of the 'Yanks' have gone to bed :)

[Lostininverness]

No worries Dr. I guess like kwerk says, we are slowly taking over!

[dr_zaius]

When you guys do finally take over, can you see to it that Flight of the Corchords gets put back on the air? I really miss that show.

[ScottJPatrick]

9.30 am in Scotland now, time for the northern hemisphere to start kicking in. Using watered down super-glue (gorilla glue in the US?) and working it into the crack by gently opening and closing the crack to pull the liquid in can work. Never tried it on a guitar but use that technique all the time to repair cracks in hickory shafted golf clubs. TDPRI certainly has gone global, would be interesting to see the stats per country.

[kwerk]

Originally Posted by Lostininverness

Hey guys, thanks for the quick reponses!! Yep, time zones all the more different on this side of the world.....

Kwerk - looks like Acorn are still standing - plenty of others aren't around there. Which part of the country are you in?

I've read that CA kind of "seals" or hardens wood fibres where wood glue joins them? Or is that just thinking it up too much?

CA is pretty good for minor repair work in wood. I think you'd have a pretty easy time of it with the water thin stuff. You could even use masking tape to clamp it. If that's a V you're building there aren't a lot of places you can easily clamp with conventional methods.

I'm in Wellington for the moment. I shifted here from Papanui in August.

[dr_zaius]

In the States we just call it super glue. Gorilla Glue is its own unique thing. Actually, we call Gorilla Glue "Gorilla Snot" as it has a mucous like consistency and is somewhat messy to handle, imagine liquid duct tape. i don't know one person that uses it for anything, but always see a lot of it in the stores...