If there is any chance that the crack is related to dryness you should begin humidifying the instrument. Obviously on something very inexpensive, splicing or wood replacement can easily exceed its value. Putty will shrink and usually just doesn't look right. While there are obviously some repairs that may require it, wood should be replaced with wood. Putty and wood filler is not an acceptable repair method in most cases. What about just filling the crack with putty, wouldn't that be easier? Oh my, would it! However, I don't do it. If the crack that is being repaired does not follow a straight line but runs across the grain the splice is much wider as a symmetrical splice must be used. But there are other causes that can create the need for a splice, like something that has been damaged and wood is now missing or an area that is under so much stress that closure is not possible.Ī splice is an insert of wood, like a filler strip, that is inserted into the area that is open. This dilemma is usually only found on older, very dry instruments, perhaps something that was left in a very poor environment. More often than not, cracks that have spread open and will not close with humidity are spliced, filled with a inlay of wood. Photo of completed repair Cracks That Will Not Close I try and educate my customers to the nature of wood and lacquer so they understand what is possible. For this reason small chips, sink marks and cracks can reappear after a flawless repair days or even weeks after it has been done. Lacquer is very high in solvents and it shrinks quite a bit. This lacquer fill will begin to shrink almost immediately and a small depression is likely to appear, even after weeks of patient waiting. When repairing lacquer finishes a new lacquer "fill" is placed in the finish crack. When repairing cracks it is usually a two part process repairing the crack in the wood, and then repairing the finish. Glued cracks still leave a small valley in the finish. Depending on the crack, finish repair may not be advisable or necessary. Stripping and refinishing the entire panel to render an invisible repair on a small crack would be overkill to say the least. The real challenge to repairing most tight cracks is primarily with the finish. In an effort to avoid a repeat, and keep the new adhesive from pulling up wood fibers if removed again, this bare area of wood beneath the guitar is usually sealed with finish. To repair these cracks the stress must be eliminated by removing the pickguard and reattaching or replacing it.
If the pickguard shrinks considerably a crack can develop on either side of it. If they maintain a good grip on the top while shrinking it places formidable stress on the top. Unfortunately these shrinking celluloid pickguards can cause a problem.
Several manufacturers employed the process of attaching the pickguard directly to the bare wood of the top before spraying the instrument.
0 kommentar(er)
