Lacquer cracks guitar repair

Our work consists of repairs of anything from broken headstocks and cracked guitar tops, through replacinginstalling electronics and custom. In my opinion the best thing about nitrocellulose lacquer is that it is an evaporative finish, meaning that it can always be redissolved in its original solvent. Glued cracks still leave a small valley in the finish. If it turns out to be lacquer you can spray subsequent coats which will melt into. Most of the worst and hardesttorepair cracks happen on a guitars top. I doubt the wood is cracked, thats a stress line crack and are normal on strats. The nine best guitar repairmen in dallas dallas observer. Lacquer cracks are found in the posterior fundus of 4. You can see a couple of places where the finish is missing at the edge by the fourth string tuner. To learn more about johns repair and restoration workshops for players.

If it is the only lacquer crack anywhere on the guitar, you might consider doing that, provided it is someone who knows what he is doing. If you glue your eyelids shut, id go easy on the acetone and maybe seek pro help. Theres a product called blush remover that might work the same way. When repairing lacquer finishes a new lacquer fill is placed in the finish crack. It doesnt seem like there are any cracks in the wood itself, just the.

Checking and crazing will occur in both types of coatings. Lacquer cracks have only been observed in the posterior pole of highly myopic eyes. As an instruments wood expands and contracts with moisture content stress is placed on the finish. With all top cracks, timing of the repair is critical. Waiting a couple of weeks before buffing will give you a more lasting match to the old finish. Repairing cracked lacquer varnish on doors home guides sf. Though i would agree that most cases of lacquer checking seems to happen due to abrupt temperature changes, most notably when a cold guitar is taken into a warm environment. Is it possible to fill with lacquer or would crazy glue work better. This type of repair is for back and sides, not tops. Finish off by waxing and polishing the repair site. There are a couple of cracks in the thick plasticy finish. Poly usually doesnt show the surface cracks and checks as badly.

We are located in shoreline, just 15 min north of downtown seattle. This is an extremely common, somewhat expected condition on older instruments with lacquer finishes. The idea is, you want the solvent to dissolve the edges of the cracks and make them flow into each other. In my experience, the cause is most often from temperature changes as the lacquer expands and contracts.

I am looking at used guitar to buy that has a crack split in the poly finish. The only downside is the amount of time required for the lacquer to completely cure. Dan teaches you how to blend new lacquer with old lacquer. Extreme and sudden temperature changes can also cause finish checking, regardless of the instruments age. Cracks in the body of your solid top acoustic guitar are often cause by physical damage to the guitar or shrinkage due to a lack of humidity. Lacquer cracks are almost always associated with a temporal crescent of the optic nerve head, and the lesions tend to be continuous with the crescent in many cases. I usually dont recommend trying to fix such checks, because they are often an inevitable part of the nitrocellulose lacquer aging process. He has been a regular lecturer at conventions for the guild of american luthiers gal and for the association of stringed instruments artisans asia. Neck cracks or lacquer crack gibson repair and restoration. I was thinking about covering the crack with some black tint stewmac super glue, and then sanding and buffing.

This lacquer fill will begin to shrink almost immediately and a small depression is likely to appear, even after weeks of. Thanks to the advent and availability of neodymium extra strong type of rare earth magnets, now we do. Conversely, lacquer cracks are found in more than 80. Luthier question, how to repair cracked poly finish. To quickly hide minor scratches, crack open a pecan or walnut and break the meat in half before rubbing the broken surface against the scratch. Removing scratches from guitar finishes lacquer repair. Checking looks like very fine finish cracks running in all directions. On a setneck guitar like gibson or epi sure i agree, a stress crack around the neck heel is cause for worry. He has also been a guest lecturer at the galloup school of. Apply this paste into the cracks and gently smooth it down. Unlike varnish or polyurethane, lacquer doesnt cure after.

The progression of lacquer cracks in pathologic myopia. The simple repair were about to do is called a dropfill. The wide cracks appear as the coating is drying and happens when it is applied too heavily or the solvents flash off too quickly. Look for lacquer cracks in high myopes for early warning. There is nothing worse than a nasty chip, ding or crack in your favorite guitar. Dont forget that acetone nail polish remover is your best remedy for getting your fingers unstuck with crazyglue. Just using lacquer to repair a crack, they will normally reappear again. Dec 09, 2014 seriously, most of the good advice you will receive here will be along the lines of learn to live with it, as it is a major effort to repair. Aug 14, 2011 the first step in making a repair is to clean the surface with mineral spirits.

Cracks are one of the many ways that coatings film forming transparent finishes and paints can fail. Learn how to repair a polyester guitar finish in an hour using solarez polyester uvcure resin. I have an applause ae28 electricacoustic guitar that plays pretty well, but doesnt look so great. I recently bought a used epiphone zephyr regent jazz box, and found two very thin hairline cracks in the polyurethane finish right by the nut where you would hang the guitar. John levan has written five guitar repair books published by mel bay. Depending on the severity and location of the crack, a repair is as simple as stabilizing the wood and applying glue to secure it. But, like others have said, its best to leave it alone unless you have experience with such repairs. I am thinking that the crazy glue would fill and repair the split and could be sanded and buffed out. I used a glue syringe from stewartmacdonald and titebond iii cleans up with water and clamped it for several hours. You might think that these small cracks would be easy to.

Look for lacquer cracks in high myopes for early warning of. Dan erlewines busy in his shop creating the new 3rd edition of the guitar player repair guide. Id say it has been subjected to extremes of temperature and humidity. One of the most disappointing of those is the tendency to check or crack with a. It would be nearly impossible to sand through the clear coat and leave the color completely intact.

Modern polybased guitar finishes are hard plastic, and when theyre damaged, pieces fall off. The eyes of men have a 2fold incidence of lacquer cracks as compared with those of women. Finish crack in polyurethane how to repair the gear. How to repair a crack in a solid top acoustic guitar our. Fix a guitar poly finish with help from an experienced guitar builder and repair technician in this free video clip. The salesman didnt warn me to expect it to crack or say i should keep in the case for half an hour whenever i move from one place to another and i dont. Depending on the crack, finish repair may not be advisable or necessary. The finish isnt entirely lacquer, you have a thick basecoat of poly underneath it all, and that had entirely lost grip with the wood surface and lifted. Id guess you got too heavy a coat of lacquer on too quickly. Ive done this with some success, but its iffy at best. But, when the check is small, and on a new instrument like this one, the repair becomes something of a necessity, just to keep the instrument in salable condition as a new guitar. Using the right product to repair these issues is very important to a good end result.

The width or length of a wood crack doesnt affect whether it should be repaired or not, because even a small crack can run and get biggerget it fixed as soon as possible, because a delay could further compromise the. Blend new lacquer into old lacquer with flash coats youtube. Now that you have a clean and scratch free finish you can concentrate on filling the cracks. Ok, call me morbid, but i was looking at 50s and 60s j45s over the weekend.

For this reason, the lacquer used to fill a chip or crack can continue shrinking weeks after a nearly invisible repair. The thin, watery superglue will fill cracks in lacquer pretty well. If it is a small dent, use the toothpick to drop the lacquer in place. Roy is right lacquer thinner will rewet the lacquer good news if you know how to make it work for you to blend in new lacquer but bad news when things start going south on you. I am hoping to conceal the crack, or at least smooth it out. Its a patch of lacquer that was chipped off the back of a martin guitar neck.

The guy who is telling you that the wood needs to be reinforced is not the guy i would have do this. A lacquer finish is more brittle and prone to cracks than varnish or polyurethane, but the good news is that the cracks are repairable. Dec 02, 2017 there is nothing worse than a nasty chip, ding or crack in your favorite guitar. Repairing hairline crack in poly finish telecaster. Now that it has cracked, maybe sand it down some and apply the above ratio, and. Im pretty sure the jo27 has a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Unlike lacquer cracks, finish scratches are caused by rubbing something on the outside of the guitar. This will fill the gaps but it will always be slightly visible. Fender forums view topic advice on how to repair lacquer. One of the most common instances is actually not a crack at all, but a centerseam separation. The lacquer itself is put thru allot of stress as this takes place and the finish may develop checkingcrazing is a result of this movement. I probably should have off offered less for this guitar, but it has sentimental value, as i bought it back from a friend id sold it to. Sometimes lacquer can seem easy to work with, but when problems come up they can be stubborn and very hard to remedy. I have done many, many finish touchups with ca, but imho, lacquer is the preferred method to repair nitro.

It can be resurfaced and buffed over real nicely too. Or else your spectacular lacquer finish could start to crack as the wood in the guitar heats up and swells before the lacquer has a chance to adapt. You will inevitably sand through some of the color and leave your finish with an uneven burst. What is the best approach for repairing poly finishes. Nitrocellulose laquer finish repair the unofficial martin. I paid what i consider a lot of dosh and it now looks a mess and i want it putting right. Checking will vary according to the extremes the instrument has been through. Jan 30, 2019 hi just checking my gibson explorer which has been in its case for too long and noticed i believe where the neck was joined to the body lacquer cracks. Nitrocellulose lacquer naturally ages over time, giving the guitar a yellowish, antique quality, often with accompanying spider cracks, also known as crazing. Nitrocellulose laquer finish repair the unofficial. Not sure if i should be posting this here or in dyi, but here goes. This involves cutting a piece of matching wood as closely as possible to the crack itself and fitting the filler wood into the crack. Ive been told lacquer cracks on taylor guitars are something you really dont want.

Peripheral lacquer cracks as an early finding in pathological. Hes been in the business of repairing guitars for almost 40 years. I repaired what looked like a lacquer crack on an epi les paul neck last night. These scratches usually only exist in the clear coat of the guitar. This lacquer fill will begin to shrink almost immediately and a small depression is likely to appear, even after weeks of patient waiting. Restoring checked and crazed finishes woodworking network. Dec 16, 2008 i am looking at used guitar to buy that has a cracksplit in the poly finish. Make sure the grain in the filler wood matches the grain in the guitar as closely as possible. Any way to repair lacquer crazing on fresh lacquer. Guitar lacquer is applied to the guitar after the color is. John also authored pgs guitar shop 101 column, hosted several pg diy videos, and is an authorized warranty technician trainer for taylor guitars.

Knowing how to evaluate the seriousness of a crack will allow you to determine whether to call a repair person immediately or whether it might be ok to leave it alone for a. Lacquer cracks are seen in almost 5% of highly myopic eyes, and the reported incidence of cnvm associated with these lesions is as high as 10%. When a coating system that has no individual coats lacquer coats melt completely into each other is too thick and cracks are extensive, dropfills with other materials are impractical and almost always recrack. There doesnt appear to be a crack in the wood, but i can feel the cracks in the finish when im playing open chords. Heres my 10 wtf moments in my guitar repair building experience. Repairing large, open cracks that can not be pushed back together requires splicing.

Luthier and instructor, robert obrien, shows how to fix hairline cracks in a brazilian rosewood guitar back and then repair the finish. Your repair may not look as good after full cure of the new lacquer. How to age the finish on a nitro finish guitar our pastimes. A repair magnet in the bottom of the cup holds it to the metal lacquer can so it wont spill.

Ive had some success using a tin superglue repair and topping with lacquer. How to stop a lacquer crack from spreading on a guitar finish. As i brush new lacquer into the area, the solvent in it melts the leading edge of the surrounding finish. Many players desire this roadworn look, and finishes such as waterbased lacquers and polyurethane finishes do not age like nitrocellulose lacquers. So i guess i basically need to get some wood at home depot, sand it smooth, apply the lacquer, and then i can scrape some off, and then test my repair techniques. Hi just checking my gibson explorer which has been in its case for too long and noticed i believe where the neck was joined to the body lacquer cracks. Repairing cracks in acoustic guitars examples of cracks caused. The reason why the cracks feel smooth on the outside of the guitar is because the lacquer is cracking from the inside out. The lacquer has checked all over, but the neck is the most severely affected, with the finish actually beginning to lift and fall off. Since the invention of the acoustic guitar, we flattopback repair peeps havent had a crack repair method that was designed for and suited to our needs. The reason why the cracks feel smooth on the outside of the guitar is because the lacquer is cracking from the. If i had bought a cheap st guitar and the lacquer cracked then thats my fault for buying a cheapie. Seriously, most of the good advice you will receive here will be along the lines of learn to live with it, as it is a major effort to repair.

Theres a specialty finish called crackle lacquer thats designed to produce cracks for the visual effect. At what point will our 2000 vintage models start to do the s. Although there is no real way to prevent getting scratches on your guitar other than never playing it outside of your living room, there are some ways of removing them. Besides using thickened lacquer, you can also put a fan on the area to speed up the process. Fixing crack in the lacquer the steel guitar forum. How to repair acoustic guitar finish guitar repair bench.

With a small artists brush, i place a drop of acetone on the dent to soften it and prepare it to accept a drop of lacquer. When that happens, the wood expands at rates different than does the lacquer, and thats how nitro usually cracks. Oct 27, 2008 the guitar has only been out of the house on about 3 occasions and the rest of the time when not being used sits in its case alongside my 35 year old sunburst csl les paul which has as good a lacquer as the day i bought it. Some beat up, some nicely cared for but well played, and one or two near mint. All of them had fairly significant lacquer crazing, especially on the top sheet. Fixing a cracked gibson neck silesia guitars guitar. Step 3 minor scratches to quickly hide minor scratches, crack open a pecan or walnut and break the meat in half before rubbing the broken surface against the scratch. How to touch up and repair electric guitar finish guitar repair. When repairing cracks it is usually a two part process. How to repair cracks in your acoustic guitar if you own an acoustic guitar long enough, chances are good that youll have to deal with the repair of a crack in the wood. Should you really want to get your guitar back to as close to mint status as possible and are willing to pay the price, unless you are really comfortable with lacquer repair, it is a job left for a pro. Welcome to silesia guitars, the guitar repair shop in shoreline that is dedicated to taking good care of your dear friend, the guitar. I put a scratch crack through the lacquer finish of my johnson jo27 with a bridge pin puller.

I would say a ratio of 23 lacquer an thinner would be about right, then apply a number of thin coats. One masters name that kept being repeated by the guitar experts was roger crisler of crisler guitar repair in carrollton. How to stop a lacquer crack from spreading on a guitar finish there was a tiny hairline crack that came of it and i thought nothing of it. Dealing with a guitar finish repair using gluboost products. Once the strings were off, it was obvious that it was a lot more than the lacquer. Top and back crack repair cleats tj thompson guitars.

A lot depends on exactly what the original finish was, and how clean it is, how clean the cracks are, and so on. With a small artists brush, i place a drop of acetone on the. Small ones possibly using the previously mentioned method. While im not opposed to accumulating some mojo on this guitar, id also be up for some technical experimentation id never try on my martin. In this episode ben answers a viewers question on how to repair a dent or possible crack in a guitars lacquer. Cracks in the top wood are of particular concern because the top is generally a softer wood than the back and sides, and a crack can interfere with the soundproducing ability of the guitar.

Evan gluck is an internationally recognized guitar technician. Guitar lacquer is applied to the guitar after the color is sprayed or rubbed on. After dan repaired a crack in a gibson acoustic guitar the finish didnt look to good. This lacquer fill will begin to shrink almost immediately and a small depression is. The finish isnt entirely lacquer, you have a thick basecoat. Choose a lacquer repair kit which contains the substances that you can use to fill the cracks in the lacquer. This usually happens when the guitar is allowed to dry out, causing the two halves of the top to come unglued at the center seam. They occur in a variety of forms to include checking, crazing, cracking, alligatoring, and mud cracking. Theres really no way to fix it cracks of that extent cannot be repaired. May 28, 2008 i put a scratchcrack through the lacquer finish of my johnson jo27 with a bridge pin puller. Lacquer crack means that there is break in bruchs membrane it is a significant finding as you are at risk of getting cnvm choroidal neovascular membranes, which means new blood vessels will start forming.

However, i may be going crazy but ive been watching that crack this past week and swear its gotten longer than the last time i looked. Checking is a mild form of cracking and doesnt go all the way through the finish. This happens on vintage electric guitars all the time, which have a thick buildup of nc lacquer in almost all instances. The guitar will need to have time to slowly adjust to the new milder temperatures, so leave it in the case until it has had time for it to do so. Repairing cracked lacquer varnish on doors home guides. Lacquer does not work well at excessive thickness, nor does it like temperature changes especially if thick, where it becomes very unforgiving. John also authored pg s guitar shop 101 column, hosted several pg diy videos, and is an authorized warranty technician trainer for taylor guitars.