Needing some repair advice

[Allen]

I was just sanding out the body of my first Qld. Walnut PJ and I noticed a small ding in the top, not a big deal to fix. But also a crack following the grain in the back lower bout near the waist between the waist and next lower back brace.

I have two thoughts on how this has happened and both of them involve 4 legs, blue eyes and an insatiable desire to get into mischief and a door not latched.

The crack is very tight, and will need some pressure from the inside to get it to open up. I was thinking of rigging up something to put pressure on the inside of the crack to open it up, then rubbing in some Hide Glue, then letting off the "jack" and hope for the best.

Does this sound like a viable solution? Suggestions anyone.

[graham mcdonald]

Sounds like the right approach for the back. For the soundboard ding, try wetting it and see if the ding just swells itself away. If that doesn't work, wet it again, place a small piece of wet cloth (old tshirt or sheet) over the ding and steam it out with a soldering iron. If that doesn't work mix up some fine (180grit) sanding dust from the soundboard with a little lacquer to form a paste and bog it up. Leave it to dry for a week so all the thinners evaporate and then sand. Can hide a multitude of errors around a soundboard

cheers

graham

[Allen]

I've already got the ding in the sound board out Graham. Had to learn the steam trick a few guitars ago. It works a treat.

I'm sure that I read about a crack repair done like this and thought it was the way to go. Thanks for the thumbs up. I'll hope to get it repaired this week. Will give an update when it's complete.

[Kim]

Hey Allen,

I am sure you are already across this but you may want to try just warming the area near the crack gently with a heat gun or low watt bulb placed inside the guitar for a while just prior to application of the HHG. This will give a bit more open time and maintain the low viscosity of the warm glue when it fist makes contact with the wood.

Cheers

Kim

[Allen]

Say Kim, have you been in North Qld. in the summer

No really. I'll do that. Thanks for the tip.

[Allen]

I ended up cutting some short pieces of lathe the exact depth of the guitar and then wedged them inside to spread the crack open as much as I dared. Warmed up the surrounding area with the wifes hair dryer, then rubbed in some thinned Hide Glue, followed by some full strength Hide Glue. Then popped out the wedges and left it to dry.

It worked a treat, and after a light sanding I can't tell were the crack was.