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You know how you tell yourself that what you are about to do is stupid and don't do that?? Why is it we tend to do it anyway???

I was trying to take a picture of my guitars bridge from the side ti show the break angle and i had it sitting on the side. I decided i needed more light and reached over the guitar to plug an extra light in. As i reached across the bench to plug in an overhead lamp, i noticed the guitar rock and I said to self: "Hey, that looks dangerous! Better lay the guitar down." But nope. After plugging the light in, as i straightened up, my elbow caught the guitar and knocked it to the floor. I now have a nice 12" crack from the base to the waist.

I managed to get the two pieces together. When it hit the floor it landed on the base of the guitar and must have caused it to compress and as it made the guitar wider, it allowed the two sides to slip past each other and one side ended up on top of the other. When the smash was over, the sides returned to their normal shape (Laminated sides) and for the life of me i could not push the two pieces together. SO i put a bar clamp on the base of the neck to the crack on the base of the guitar and started compressing the guitar from top to bottom. Eventually it it opened the crack wide enough to get the two pieces back in place.



Now..... the big question for me is that there is obvious two places on the back braces where the brace separated from the back. Here's my question. DO i try to re-glue the braces in place? getting glue in there may be a pain. I assume i need to clean out the old glue, but have no idea how i am going to get in there to do that.

I could remove the back which might be easier/cleaner. I'll have to redo the purfling but at small cost. How easy will it be to separate the back from the lining? Heat gun? Too much? hair dryer? steam iron?

Thanks for any ideas.

Rob

That's gotta sting...

You should be able to repair this working through the sound hole. What kind of glue did you use to glue on the back braces?

Uggggggggg. Man , sorry . Makes pit of the stomach hurt . I would have to remove the back and repair .

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Been there, done that...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I agree with Barry,
First glue and cleat the back crack and then reglue the loose braces. Then touch up the finish.It can all be done by working through the soundhole. It will be less work and probably make a better job than removing the binding, then back, then repairing, then reinstalling, rebinding, and then refinishing.
Working through the soundhole can be a bit fiddly but is a skill worth cultivating, and will save a lot of work in the long run.

Braces were glued with tightbond. Just not sure how much i can remove through the soundhole. Almost prefer to remove the back. More work, but easier work...IMHO.

To prep braces to re-glue I use some fine self stick sand paper on the blade of a small long flexible spatula and work it between the brace and the plate.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

You are very right in the fact that we often think “huh this might be bad” and do it any way. I am gradually trying to listen more to that voice after several rough lessons. I feel for you..