# wood glue question



## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

i was given an older ovation today, that had been terribly repaired previously. the person who gave it to me took it to the local tech, and was told the (second) fix wasn't worth the money (i think i disagree, lol).. i said to the guy "i'd love to look at it, and if i can fix it on the cheap so you're happy, pay me what you think that's worth. if i can't you're out nothing you weren't already out." the guy said, "nah, take it. no worries, keep it if you can fix it". so i said "ok" 

so i took it apart, and it was just dried glue (from the prior repair attempt) all over the inside of the neck joint, so you couldn't get the neck tightened on properly. cleaned it all out, and did a little pocket knife carving on the neck block, and viola.. she fits again... i'm pretty happy at this point!

anyways.. the question: to glue the fingerboard back down to the body. i have weldbond wood glue. is there a reason i shouldn't use that (how hard would it be to unbond in the future)? if there is, what should i use instead? 

thanks in advance.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

i looked here-
http://www.neverseezproducts.com/weldbond1.htm
im not familiar with the stuff- id think that if it was myself id use a white carpenters glue. i did a couple neck resets with mastercraft maximum carpenters glue, from canadian tire- for years before i only used titebond, but this seems just as good. a white glue is easy to undo in the future- on any neck work thats important. but i dont really know what that weldbond stuff is.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

well, it is a white glue, and the consistency is similar to carpenter's glue, but i don't know enough about the properties... maybe i'll stick (hah) with white carpenter's glue..


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Depending on the brands. White PVC glue ( what you have) runs 2500lb 2800lb sheerload breakage point. The yellow runs 3200lb to 3500 lb test load. This means that the wood broke before the glue failed. 


A yet another Ovation falling apart. I have heard that story several times. Do you think that wood and plastic together works :smile:


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

I have used a lot of different manufacturers' wood glues in my business over the past 30 years. Weldbond is not a great glue IMO.

ANy more modern wood glue will give a superior bond... 

I like Lepages industrial woodworking glue (white), Titebond II or III is also excellent. There are many others, not sure what you can buy off the shelf though, I get mine in 20 ltre pails from industrial suppliers.

AJC


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> A yet another Ovation falling apart. I have heard that story several times. Do you think that wood and plastic together works :smile:


well, for free? YES 

this guitar didn't fall apart. it was taken apart and futzed by someone who didn't know what they were doing. i've not seen a ton of dead ovations myself, and i've seen a lot of guitars in my life. the cheaper guitars' back materials aren't acoustically pleasing to my ears, but the kamans and some of the older ovations are really just lovely guitars. they still slide off my lap though.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

also, thanks for the input on the glues, guys.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

suttree said:


> well, for free? YES
> 
> this guitar didn't fall apart. it was taken apart and futzed by someone who didn't know what they were doing.


Why ? People take guitars apart for no reason? 

Just go to Crappy Tire and get some gravel guard and do the bowl or glue 40 grit paper to your pants:banana: That will keep 'er in place.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> Why ? People take guitars apart for no reason?
> 
> Just go to Crappy Tire and get some gravel guard and do the bowl or glue 40 grit paper to your pants:banana: That will keep 'er in place.


yah, i guess they do. then they glue the heck out of everything, when that's not the problem... lmao.. i can understand why the local tech passed on it, it's always a crap shoot when you're repairing a poor repair. i'm not very hopeful that i'll get a great guitar out of the deal, but there's a chance it'll work out, so what the heck... at the least i'm learning, and i'll have a neck to practice fretwork on. at the most, i'll get a great free guitar. 

as to the 40 grit paper, that's a good idea, just call me ol' gritty pants


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

> yah, i guess they do. then they glue the heck out of everything, when that's not the problem... lmao.. i can understand why the local tech passed on it, it's always a crap shoot when you're repairing a poor repair. i'm not very hopeful that i'll get a great guitar out of the deal, but there's a chance it'll work out, so what the heck... at the least i'm learning, and i'll have a neck to practice fretwork on. at the most, i'll get a great free guitar.


ive taken acoustics almost completely apart to repair crappy glue jobs- you see it a lot on old harmonys and stuff- when the top and back shrinks or expands at a different rate than the sides, it comes apart at the seams. guys pump epoxy or contact cement or whatever into the seams and clamp em- so youve got an indestructable glue joint at a seam that doesnt mate properly. ill get the top and back off and fix it properly, and the braces etc.
some guys build models n stuff- i like doing this better.
these days, without a work bench, its not so much fun lol.


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

Don't you normaly use Hide glue for this? It's the only glue I use for joints that I might have to take apart later? And if I don't holds for almost an internity :


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

OK - I will throw my 2 cents in here. I belong to a web site for kit guitar builders and almost unversally everyone recommends Titebond 1, not 2 or 3. 2 and 3 are water soluble and can be affected more so by high humidity.

Brian


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## Lab123 (May 27, 2007)

Suttree.....I like the look of the Ovation...Should be a good fix-er-upper....A lot of people will try and repair a guitar themselves before they take it to a guitar tech and spend some money....They do such a bad job that tech, understandably, doesn't want any thing to do with it...Hide glue is probally the best to use choice ....I use Titebond , but have used carpenters glue in the past. Good luck with the project....Keep us posted with some pics.....Larry


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

cheers guys. i used weldbond because i had it around, and if it messes up, well i've learned something. it looks to be holding. i should have taken pictures of the process, duh me. i'll snap some later of it now. this is by far a bigger repair project than i've ever attempted (i can basically do setups, that's about it).. good fun so far...


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