How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

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rcnewcomb
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How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

Post by rcnewcomb »

I had the 15" radius dish on the go bar deck when I glued the top braces instead of the 30'. Consequently there are gaps between the brace and the top in some areas.

What is the recommended way to fix this? A few that I've thought of are:
1. Heat and remove the braces. Clean the glue off all surfaces. Radius the braces again. Redo with the proper dish.
2. Thin some glue and work it into the gaps. Hope for the best.
3. Start with a new top and brace set. Hang the current top on the wall as a reminder to always check which radius dish is in the go bar deck.
4. Pick up another hobby

Your guidance is welcome.
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out - another good day in the shop
tippie53
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Re: How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

Post by tippie53 »

what glue had you used ?

I would say remove and reglue

if you used most wood glues heat water and white vinegar in the micro wave. Work it into the open areas and use a spatula you can separate the braces . Clean off the old glue allow a bit of drying and reglue you should be fine.
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
rcnewcomb
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Location: San Jose, CA, USA

Re: How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

Post by rcnewcomb »

I used Titebond original glue.
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out - another good day in the shop
phavriluk
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Re: How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

Post by phavriluk »

My opinion is that it's way too early in the project to be doing compensatory workarounds. Worse to worse, chisel off the braces, clean up the gluing surface and install new braces of the right radius in the right dish.
peter havriluk
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

John, what is the ratio of vinegar to water?
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
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tippie53
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Re: How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

Post by tippie53 »

2 table spns per cup
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
MaineGeezer
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Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

Post by MaineGeezer »

Take 'em off and do it again. Titebond orginal will separate with heat. Or, if they prove stubborn, do as Peter says -- chisel them off. A new set of braces, if the old ones can't be salvaged, is not a whole lot of money. Clean surfaces well, etc., before reguluing, but you already know that.

You are not the first person who has had to re-do something.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
rcnewcomb
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Re: How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

Post by rcnewcomb »

I will heed the advice here. In my opinion the top is the most critical component to the sound of the instrument. This is also an excuse to try the fish glue that I just ordered.
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out - another good day in the shop
phavriluk
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Re: How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

Post by phavriluk »

I tend to be cautious about using new and untried stuff on a guitar project. OP mentions wanting to use new-to-him fish glue on the instrument and I didn't see any mention of testing it first and getting comfortable with its working characteristics before committing it to the instrument. Better, I think, to learn to use new materials on something other than the project itself. This might sound excessively conservative, but the mindset of using anything on a project only when the likely outcome has been tested helps make for a comfortable lack of surprises on any number of counts, not just for fish glue.
peter havriluk
MaineGeezer
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Re: How to fix? Used wrong dish when gluing braces

Post by MaineGeezer »

A bit of experience with a technique or material before committing to "the real thing" is certainly useful and may avoid nasty surprises. I would certainly advise that course of action with hot hide glue; using it successfully does take some experience. I wouldn't worry too much about fish glue, however. I find that it is reasonably forgiving and not difficult to use. A bit of testing beforehand wouldn't hurt, but I wouldn't be afraid to use it for gluing the braces.

The only thing I would suggest is once the fish glue is applied and the parts put together, don't separate them and put them together again. Slide them around to position them if need be, but don't pull them apart. I don't have any solid testing to back this up, and it may be my imagination. FWIW.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
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