4ener
Rookie Solder Flinger
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
|
Post by 4ener on Apr 6, 2021 12:29:58 GMT -5
Hey There,
A friend brought me a Strat he picked 2nd hand that has had a gouge filled in with some kind of crud which is unsightly. It looks like it covered with either clear nail polish or something else. Is there anyone out there that could let me know if I can fix this to look more like it used to?
Any suggestions or ideas welcome....
|
|
|
Post by thetragichero on Apr 6, 2021 14:42:21 GMT -5
doubt you can get it looking perfect as the finish aging won't be the same (as someone who has spent hours mixing brown and yellow dies to try to match a finish tint, i wouldn't suggest it), but you could clean out what's in there and build up some higher viscosity cyanoacrylate (super) over a few days to slightly above the level of the rest of the fingerboard and then carefully (this means tape around the gouge to not damage the surrounding fingerboard) sand it level, then buff it out
|
|
|
Post by frets on Apr 6, 2021 14:43:43 GMT -5
Go to a lumber store -Or - Lowe’s or Home Depot or another hardware store that sells wood. Go t the wood dept. Ask for some light colored sawdust. This is usually sold in a bag. Or they might have some in the cutting board area. Craft Stores also carry it. Any kind of light colored sawdust will do. You want it to be fine sawdust. A lumber yard would have it immediately as guys use it to clean up liquid messes on the floor. Some auto parts store carry sawdust. If you want to make it yourself. get a light colored board and using 100-150 grit sand paper, sand until you have a nice little pile of saw dust that is of sufficient size to fill the divot.
Now that you have your saw dust, you now need a tube of gel superglue. You could use wood glue but the superglue is favored. I use this brand as it gives me a longer time to work the mixture.
You have to work fast with this next step. On a paper paper plate, using a tooth pick, mix the sawdust with the gel glue so that the mixture is spreadable. Using the tooth pick, put a layer of the mixture into the divot. Give it 5 minute or so to set. Then do another layer, smoothing as you go. Keep on going with the layers until it has filled the divot and the last layer is above the divot in height evenly by no more than a 1/2 mm. You can get the last pass of the mixture even with the fret board by cutting out a small 1 inch wide by 1 1/2 inch tall square from the middle of a paper plate. You’ll use this as a little spatula to get the mixture even with the top of the fretboard.
Let the whole fix dry for 24 hours;
NOTE: You can use regular wood glue to do this process. If you do that. When you’re done sanding, use a Q-Tip in regular liquid superglue and do light coats of the superglue over the divot area;
But lets say you’re using the gel superglue method (I highly recommend the Dap Rapid Fuse) You now need to sand it down even with the fret board. Using very small square of 400 grit sandpaper, carefully sand the divot down to the level of the fret board. Once level with the fret board, use a 600 grit to smooth it all out.
To seal and finish the job, use liquid (not gel) superglue. Put a tube of sealed superglue into very hot water. This thins the glue. Remove the glue from the water. Using a Q-Tip, spread on a very thin layer of the glue from fret to fret covering the surface of your fret board are. Once dry, repeat.
You also could tape off the fret and seal it with semi-gloss clear coat. If you’re not concerned with the appearance, you could seal with clear nail polish.
You’re done.
|
|
|
Post by frets on Apr 6, 2021 14:48:39 GMT -5
Hey 4ener, I forgot the pic of the best superglue for fixing the divot.
|
|
|
Post by frets on Apr 6, 2021 16:55:24 GMT -5
One more thing I failed to mention. Before you fill the gouge with my method, use some nail polish remover to get the clear polish out. Use some Q-tips to get in the crannies of the gouge.
|
|
|
Post by blademaster2 on Apr 7, 2021 6:58:01 GMT -5
I have a guitar that had a deep gouge on the back of the neck, which was bothersome because I felt it all the time. I tried filling it as well as I could with similar wood glued in but that was not enough.
What I ended up doing was to add lacquer to the area with a Q-tip to eventually build up the height and the gaps around the glued in wood pieces. As the lacquer dried it would shrink and I would add more until it domed slightly. Then I left it to cure for literally a month or more before carefully wet-sanding it flat and polishing it.
The colour does not match terribly well because the new wood, although the same species - mahogany - did not match well (mahogany can vary greatly in colour). However it feels to the touch like there was never any gouge at all so the result was exactly what was needed.
In your case, perhaps a thin sliver of the same type of wood could be glued in and then filled in a similar manner? It would at least feel right under the fingers.
|
|
|
Post by cynical1 on Apr 15, 2021 11:28:50 GMT -5
Let me toss this little secret out. Very little shrinkage, very thick and does not react poorly to lacquers or other finishes. HTC1
|
|
|
Post by JohnH on Apr 15, 2021 17:04:57 GMT -5
I've got a little ding in the back of the maple neck on my Fender Am Special Strat. its on the upper half, it's not too annoying, and doesn't impede playing but it is a bit annoying!. It's small, but if I could fill it without spoiling the area I would, even if its not a perfect dissappearance.
When people post products here, they are generally not ones I can find in Oz. Is there a generic product type that would be recommended (eg, a thickened super glue?), and how best to apply and finish?
If I do it, I'll practice on a dinged-up beater guitar first.
|
|
|
Post by frets on Apr 15, 2021 18:29:27 GMT -5
Dap RapidFuse. Let’s you work with the glue before it sets. I add sawdust.
|
|
|
Post by frets on Apr 16, 2021 14:06:46 GMT -5
Hi John, I was looking for something else on my shelves today and saw my other super thick super glue that I use for dings that are not gouges and more superficial. It’s thick and sets fast and you can buy it on EBay. the Dap Rapid Fuse I mentioned has the advantage of being worked before it sets. It’s still fairly thick and will not dry as fast on you. I use the Dap for gouges where I mix sawdust and shape the repair. But it could be used by itself for a ding. I just thought you should know my two choices that are readily available.
|
|
|
Post by ssstonelover on Apr 18, 2021 19:09:22 GMT -5
Depends how deep it is... the superglue and sawdust trick works fine BUT the color will match "endgrain" not flatsawn or quartersawn as sawdust darken ups like endgrain when hit with superglue. I have maple veneer I use for various purposes (0.5mm thick) and that would be ideal to fill a small gouge, when then you would need to level it carefully step by step (can be done with patience).
|
|