What's the Best Glue for Guitar Repairs?

jaken777 · #1 05-08-2006, 05:31 PM

There is a lot of glues on the market & i have used a few from time to time for guitar repairs ect,
what i want to know is there a glue on the market that is better than most to use for guitar repairs ect, there is much debate over what glues are used on the construction of a guitar, but people over look the fact that if the guitar is not made with a good glue to begin with the guitar will fall apart & some much sooner than other's! - (I've seen this happen in some cases with old guitars & some New guitars aswell)

The glue on a guitar is a very important factor, it must be very strong to hold the mass of wood that is always under stress together,

So what are the best glues to use for repairs or construction of musical instruments?

-Are there any that resist heat & moisture better than others?

-what glue will last the longest?

-what are your veiws & expert advice on the type of glues to be use on a guitar?

This topic is open for debate.

Rotti · #2 05-08-2006, 06:28 PM

I suppose there are a lot of opinions on this but I just wanted to mention one product that some people may not have tried. Gorilla Glue. Or any brand of Polyurathane glue. It expands as it cures so it fills cracks nicely. It's also very strong.

nickcoumbe · #3 05-08-2006, 07:14 PM

titebond

rgr · #4 05-08-2006, 07:37 PM

Model airplane glue, it won't hold wood together but it helps to pass the time while the wood glue is drying.

ryanb · #5 05-08-2006, 08:08 PM

Depends on what you are doing with it, but Titebond original is the answer for 99% of the jobs ... CA for the others.

David McCarroll · #6 05-08-2006, 08:25 PM

Any woodwork, Titebond. Superglue (I think you get one called Zap in the US which is nice and runny, so it penetrates cracks well) for repairing plastic stuff. Don't use Epoxy adhesives of any type on wood as they don't really stick to the timber, and when the break opens up you have a hell of a job removing the rock hard epoxy residue. Traditionally instruments were made using Hide glue, and if you are repairing an old/ancient acoustic or say, violin, you may want to investigate modern Hide glues, but they smell, and they are relatively hopeless in high humidity situations.

I strongly recommend a visit to www.stewmac.com as they are the suppliers to about 99% of the world's luthiers and repairers!

Cheers

David

jkahrs · #7 05-08-2006, 11:22 PM

Titebond has never done me wrong. --Jason

chef21 · #8 05-09-2006, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgr

Model airplane glue, it won't hold wood together but it helps to pass the time while the wood glue is drying.

lolololololololololo

nickcoumbe · #9 05-09-2006, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgr

Model airplane glue, it won't hold wood together but it helps to pass the time while the wood glue is drying.

American Pie 2 anyone?

brothersnowgone · #10 05-09-2006, 05:12 AM

I'd have to say titebond aswell, just repaired my new 570 neck with it the other day and it looks beautiful.

rty13ibz98 · #11 05-09-2006, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David McCarroll

Any woodwork, Titebond. Superglue (I think you get one called Zap in the US which is nice and runny, so it penetrates cracks well) for repairing plastic stuff. Don't use Epoxy adhesives of any type on wood as they don't really stick to the timber, and when the break opens up you have a hell of a job removing the rock hard epoxy residue. Traditionally instruments were made using Hide glue, and if you are repairing an old/ancient acoustic or say, violin, you may want to investigate modern Hide glues, but they smell, and they are relatively hopeless in high humidity situations.

I strongly recommend a visit to www.stewmac.com as they are the suppliers to about 99% of the world's luthiers and repairers!

Cheers

David

gotta go with dave on this. i use titebond for almost everything wood-wise, but i use cyano-acrylate(super glue) for fretwork and finish stuff...not body, though. lots of buffing to get rid of the white residue.

rich

Cozi101 · #12 05-10-2006, 07:23 AM

Hey I recently got some medium glue from stew mac and I have it in my draw and I got it out today and it has like a white powder on the outide of the bottle, I seem to remember this happening to one of my other super glues aswell. Anyone know what it is or why it's happening?

AirGuitar · #13 05-10-2006, 08:27 AM

I use this stuff (although not bought from this shop, its the only pic i could find):
http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/4/p...Fast-22030.htm

Its really strong stuff, and sets overnight.

jaken777 · #14 05-13-2006, 12:23 AM

I have just finished running some test's on diffrent type's of wood glue's with my father who is an expert guitar craftsman, we got a number of timber block's of the most used wood's for making guitars, after the glue on the blocks of wood had cured we frose them in a frezzer, put them in an oven at a high heat, let them sit in the sun & rain,banged them with a hamer, we found the only glue that lasted thru all these test was -Selley's high stress wood glue 308 -yes this glue left the others in the dust! unlike the other glues Selley's 308 is a glue you mix, it come's in a powder from with a hardener that you mix up with water the hardener is mix into the glue to set it, once you mix it you must use it!

Selley's 308 glue -tech name is- Melamie Fortified Urea Formaldehyde, the hardener is Formic Acid, this glue is non staining, highly water resistant & super high strength & drys in the same time as Titebond wood glue, Selley's 308 is the one glue to look into if you want that repair to handle high stress, or make a guitar from scratch using this glue will result in a guitar that will last for years! So next time you have a repair or want to construct a guitar look in to this glue.

http://www.highwayhardware.com.au/ne...elleys_308.htm

Cheers -Jake.

ryanb · #15 05-13-2006, 07:04 PM

I wouldn't use it for building a guitar. A glue that cannot be taken apart at all is not particularly desireable for a guitar, where parts often may need to be replaced/modified down the road. Try taking off a fretboard glued on with that stuff. Hide glue comes apart at much too low a temperature for me. Titebond is both plenty strong enough for the job, hard enough, and easy enough to get apart when necessary. It's also a lot easier to work with. There are definitely times super-strength glues are appropriate, but I dare say that if Titebond isn't strong enough for a joint on a guitar, you need a better physical joint.

$0.02