Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey guys,

Sorry to ask so many questions but new things always seem to be arising.
Anyway, I had a quick question. I glued up my X-braces and I guess I
starved the joint and little bit of it lifted off my top. The gap is quite small
and don't know how I would get Titebond in there. Could I just use CA glue?
Thanks again for you help, time, and knowledge.

Peace,

Ross

Ross, I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news but you really want to remove the X and start over. If you have a noticably bad joint now, it will only get worse when there is tension on it. CA is not the glue for a structural support such as this. Like you said, titebond will be hard to get in there. Hot hide will work well but it doesn't sound as if you have any of that.
So here's my thought. Chisle of the X and rebuild it. It should set you back about 30 minutes. You'll gain good experience and have a guitar that will last much longer than if you cobble it together in the early stages.

What Paul said. It's one of the most critical joints in the guitar and you're
at a stage where it's easy to fix.
Craig S.

Yep..got some experience with this particular issues. Had to pull mine, too. Used boiling water, let it seep in, lifted with a small trial, came off easy. Let it all dry, resanded, made certain the joints were perfect and the radius was right. Used more glue.

The whole "just how much glue do you use to make a good joint without having to clean up a mess" is somewhat of an art.

_________________
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Ross, don't feel bad I just had to remove a full three piece back on a closed and bound body due to bad brace joints. Things happen, you just got to chalk it up to Mr. Murphy and go on . Paul is dead right here. Correct the affliction, don't just treat the symptoms and things work out better.


I don't know about lifting the braces with boiling water? I had rather chisel them off. Brace stock is too cheap and it's stiffness too critical to mess with steaming it off, not to mention inadvertently opening any seam joints that they cross in my opinion. I beating I can chisel them off just as fast as boiling and or steaming and not worry with weakling any seam jointsMichaelP38842.4894328704

Minor set back, Ross.
Fix it the right way now and you`ll sleep better tonight. Ask me how I know this.

_________________
Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Thanks guys,

This is the news that I really didn't want to hear, but thanks for letting me
know. I appreciate the help. Let the chiseling begin...

Thanks again,

Ross

Good luck in fixin' this Ross!

Serge

[QUOTE=Rossy] Thanks guys,

This is the news that I really didn't want to hear, but thanks for letting me
know. I appreciate the help. Let the chiseling begin...

Thanks again,

Ross[/QUOTE]

Ross, I dont think there are many luthiers who havent had to rip out a few
braces in their early years. My first instrument had all the back braces
replaced (two were installed upside down) and my current instrument had
all its back braces replaced after I changed my mind and decided to go
for spruce braces rather than red cedar.

Cheers Martin

Thanks for this guys, but I did another thread because I ended up knicking
my top some and wanted to know how to fill them. I guess I'll find out
there, and thanks again for the encouragement.

Peace,

Ross