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I just cracked a sitka spruce top while cutting it to shape with a saber saw (got to get a bandsaw). It's about 3 inches long and runs from the top of the upper bout to about where the upper transverse brace will be. I assume I should wick in some thin CA glue but my question is whether I should do so before or after bracing the top. I'm guessing before so that the crack doesn't open up when I brace it, but I just want to make sure before I make a second dumb mistake this morning.

I've had this happen before, definitely repair it before you brace. I would also suggest using hide glue over CA. CA can discolor the spruce and you'll get a dark line sometimes, most of the time it will blend in just fine. If you want an invisible line hide glue is about the only thing that will work. I use to stay away from hide glue but know I think it is great especially for repairs. If you decide to use CA just try to keep it from wicking through the end grain. You can seal the end grain with shellac before you do the repair then you should be just fine.

Will hide glue wick in like CA? Can you tell me how to go about it with hide glue? Thanks.

Stephen, i'll let Ed answer you on the how with HHG but from my little experience with it, you can play with HHG to obtain the prefered viscosity, you can have it thick or thin depending on you adding the amount of granules and the size of you bottle's spout., It's the best thing i experienced in glues! MHO

Serge

As Serge stated you can adjhust the viscosity a bit and when it's hot 140f it will flow pretty good. Just apply it to the cracked area and squeeze it in with your fingers, you can move the cracked ends a bit to help get the clue in then you can either just lay it flat with a little wax paper over it and weighted down to make sure it is completly level. Or you can use some blue or green painters tape gently pulled accross the repair to create a tight joint, I would also weigh down the top flat with this technique. In the end the repair will be virtually invisible and nobody but you will ever know that it was ever there.

fish glue or hide glue will do the trick.