laup
Sore Fingers
Posts: 3
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Post by laup on Feb 13, 2016 20:56:34 GMT
Hi Looking for advice on how to treat these cracks? Many thanks. Paul
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ocarolan
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CURMUDGEONLY OLD GIT (leader - to join, just ask!)
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Post by ocarolan on Feb 13, 2016 22:02:35 GMT
Hi Paul, and welcome to the Forum!
I'm sure some of our luthier members might have some advice for you, but until one comes along why not make a post in the Introductions Section and tell us a little about yourself and your musical interests?
Is that a Simon & Patrick dread in your pic?
Keith
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Post by dave100 on Feb 13, 2016 23:13:56 GMT
What the hell has happened to that poor dreadnought?
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colins
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 2,321
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Post by colins on Feb 14, 2016 11:09:51 GMT
Ouch! That looks like it's been kept in much too dry conditions, has it been sitting near a radiator or left in the sun, of course it may have been put together with wood that was not properly conditioned or in a too high relative humidity, but it is certainly a problem of the wood drying out and shrinking cross grain. Looks like it is only the bracing holding it together.
Before anything can be done it needs to be re-hydrated, get a zip top plastic bag and put a damp sponge in it, not soaking, dripping wet, just damp and zip the bag up leaving a couple of inches gap. Take all of the strings off and put the bag into the body of the guitar and the guitar into it's case. Leave for a few days, checking daily that the sponge is still damp, and see if the cracks want to close up.
If they do close up, then wick a few drops of plain water into the cracks and after a few minutes wick in some thinned Titebond 1 or fish glue, then wrap the body in surgical neoprene tube to pull the gaps together. Then the larger cracks will need to have small spruce cleats glued on the inside to reinforce the repair. All of the internal braces would need checking as well to see if they have come loose, needing to be re-glued. Then of course if you want a cosmetic repair it'll need refinishing, but that's a whole new ball game.
As you can see it's not an insignificant job, I don't know the value of the guitar, but a luthier repair may be more than the guitar is worth. If it was mine I would be routing the top off and putting a new stable top on it.
Some more details and pictures would help.
Folks, please keep your guitars in the case in stable conditions, if you must have them out on stands, make sure that the humidity levels are pretty stable.
Colin
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laup
Sore Fingers
Posts: 3
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Post by laup on Feb 15, 2016 17:23:27 GMT
Many thanks for the advice Colins! Extremely helpful.
It has been kept out and near a radiator.
It is an S & P Ocarolan-well spotted!
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laup
Sore Fingers
Posts: 3
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Post by laup on Feb 15, 2016 17:26:40 GMT
PS Is there any way of treating the guitar on a regular basis to stop drying out (other than to case it or stabalise the humidity)? Thanks Paul
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