# Gorilla glue on Ye Olde Epiphone headstock thing?



## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

My son plays a fairly recent Epiphone Dot. The other day it fell down and did that Gibson/Epiphone thing with the headstock breaking off. Unhappy days in our house. 

On those guitars the headstock face is covered with a black plastic veneer which also broke and came unglued from the headstock wood in about a square inch of area. The woodgrain broke in a way that works pretty well to weave it back together with hardly any trimming broken fibers so that's good. The break line is about a third of the way between the nut and the 1st / 6th tuner mounting holes. 

I would usually fix something like this with a Tightbond type PVA wood glue but with trying to also stick that plastic back on and stick it together would I be making a mistake to use Gorilla glue instead? Plenty strong, I can deal with that foaming up that it does. I'll sand out and refinish along the glue joint afterwards anyway. 

Will it make a glue joint that's too brittle? 

Any issues I'm not thinking of? 

j


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## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

IMHO Gorilla glue is the last thing you want to use
Titebond or a good carpentry white glue. Ensure clean mating surfaces and clamp evenly over the whole surface with wooden cauls to protect the finish and spread the pressure

M


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## ZeroGravity (Mar 25, 2016)

Gorilla Glue expands so it probably isn't a good choice for this kind of repair. TiteBond is the way to go.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

There are several kinds of Gorilla glue (so as others have warned, be careful) including wood glue, but regular carpenter's glue is fine. With proper alignment and clamping, regular wood glue is fine. ie, it's never failed me.


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## ekim (Apr 18, 2018)

Another vote here for the titebond. Be sure to clean any loose fibres off both areas as well. I'd also do a dry run with all of your clamps before you glue. Titebond has a longer open time but, its Just nice to know where everything is going


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

Titebond is fine. Don't forget to put some wax paper between cauls and headstock or you'll have quite a mess to clean up. Remove all the tuners- obviously. Usually one big C clamp is fine but good to use two. With just one clamp on, leave it with just enough pressure to hold everything in place. The take a small wood block and use it between top of headstock and a hammer to gently knock the piece firm to ensure a good tight fit. Then clamp with firm pressure. 

Always do a dry run first. Good luck.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Headless. Never worry about it again...


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## DeeTee (Apr 16, 2018)

I've actually done an Epiphone headstock repair with Gorilla Glue. It's good when it's a bit chewed up and you've lost some wood fibre and you're going to put splines in.

That said, if doing it again, I'd use Titebond as much as I could. I suggest type 1, as it doesn't creep as much as type 3. I used Titebond around the splines.


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

Im not sure of the lasting power of gorilla glue, I know it will bond more materials, but tightbond III gives the best wood to wood bond. That foam, by the way, fills gaps but does not add strength for the gorilla.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

DeeTee said:


> I've actually done an Epiphone headstock repair with Gorilla Glue. It's good when it's a bit chewed up and you've lost some wood fibre and you're going to put splines in.
> 
> That said, if doing it again, I'd use Titebond as much as I could. I suggest type 1, as it doesn't creep as much as type 3. I used Titebond around the splines.


Hardly any lost fibers on this one it slides snug into place on a dry fit so I'm planning not to use splines. 

The plastic facing on the headstock doesn't really do anything anyway as long as it's sitting in place it's OK or I guess I could go along afterwards and wick some cynoacrylate into the crack. 

I think the only visible fault in the end will be the split across the face of the plastic headstock veneer

j


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

KapnKrunch said:


> Headless. Never worry about it again...


ha ha take it over to the chop saw cut it square put an old Hamer locking nut on it and some tuners down on the bridge and tell him i traded it for a Stranberg 
j


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## DeeTee (Apr 16, 2018)

It sounds like a long split too, so there's a lot of surface area for the glue to attach. Should be ok.


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## alwaysflat (Feb 14, 2016)

Wrap the truss rod as squeeze out will get in the channel. My Epi LP Studio , fibers were so snug, a few light taps longitudinally with by deadblow helped seat it on dry run fit test.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

alwaysflat said:


> Wrap the truss rod as squeeze out will get in the channel. My Epi LP Studio , fibers were so snug, a few light taps longitudinally with by deadblow helped seat it on dry run fit test.


The break is below the truss rod cavity so no glue got in there. I glued it up with Weldbond over the weekend, trimmed the squeeze out, and now need to sand it out and refinish the joint area. It seated really well I tapped the grain together from the top of the headstock and clamped it. The plastic veneer on the headstock looks bad with a clear break line across. I may try to epoxy the broken bits full and sand it to a matte finish similar to the rest of the plastic. I think first I'll string it up and be sure it's working as it should. 
j


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