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Well last night I had the second back brace on the SJ Thin line come loose in a spot. This one is way back there. As bad as I hate to say it! It is time to pull the back and redo it. I not even going to bother to save the back for this guitar anyway. I have had too many issues. I have another set of Quilted Sapele and some drops of quilted Maple, so I will just re-do the back. I also exsiled all my Titebond to the house for general duty, and ordered some fresh, but I think I will put the braces on with hide from now on. I have in the past but was having some cold weather at the time this back was assembled. So I went with PVA for open time. That may have a bit to do with the problems. This will be the first build I have ever had adhesion issues on. I will save the back wood for use on something else but not this guitar

Man, that one has surely been an ordeal!!

don't give up....I'm sure after all is sorted out you'll have something extra special!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Michael

Seems a weird one, do you think the glue chalking due to the cold could be a possible explaination ?

I am lucky as my shop is heated, but I have seen others flag this as a problem in cold weather.

Interesting thought. I've noticed Tightbond behaving strangely when it's cold.

Al

Michael, I always use HHG on braces now but I also find that it's beneficial when using it to keep the braces nice and warm before gluing them. Sometime ago I bought a Hostess tray, used to keep food warm, off eBAy, and it has proved to be the ideal tool. Lay all the braces on the tray at a gentle heat and leave for a while and the wood will warm right through and hold heat long enough to give a good gel time. I use a hair dryer to warm the top/back. This is the one I use.



Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Colin,

What marinade do you recommend for the braces?

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Dave, I don't now about the braces, but I always recommend Western Isles single malts as a marinade for me!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

That is what I am suspecting now. I am not talking reall cold just in the 30s My shop is heated but we had had weeks in the 70s so I had shutdown the heater. I really should have waited a few days till warmed back up. but I would have thought the isse would show its self while carving the braces. Live iand learn. One good thing is I now have about 3 new pages in the journal to refer to

I read somewhere here to use a heat lamp. That's what I did. Stuck a bulb in one of those spring reflectors and and pointed in on the material for a few minutes prior to and during and after glueing. Kept everything nice and toasty, even my fingers. I turned it off a couple of minutes after so the squeeze out would start to gel so I could clean up. Clinton