How to recover a squashed neck

[Mr M]

I've recently bought a Carvin 5 string neck-through neck for a project. Unfortunately one part that will join the body wings was squashed/rounded in the shipping.

To return the neck is not an option (look where I am living -->) and that's not their fault.

To contact the shipping firm is not an option either (see my previous sentence)

To make it clear here are the pictures:


here is a close up, but it's not very clear either:


Is there a way to recover it? If I'll use the neck this way, there will be a gap between the body wings and neck. The only solution that came to my mind is to prepare some wood dust (or whatever it is called) and fill this gap with this dust and glue.

Is there a way for example to apply some water evaporation on that part and let that part swell.

[PilbaraBass]

it's on the back and not that large...

i wouldn't fill it and I certainly wouldn't mess with trying to swell it back

I would either:

leave it and, using a sander, blend it with the wings after everything has been glued up...a nice shaped scoop in the back would actually be kinda cool

or...put a laminate over the entire back after everything has been glued up...if I were laminating the top, I'd definitely go this way.

[Dusty G]

If that rounded area doesn't extend too much into the thickness (profile) of the wood, and you wouldn't mind having the body a bit thinner, you could plane a little thickness off the back of the blank, and get rid of the divot before attaching the sides.

[FBB Custom]

I can't really tell how bad it is, but I like the suggestion to put a full-width back laminate over it if the squash mark doesn't go all the way to the front.

The other thing you could do is cut a binding stripe down either side of the back of the neck and inlay something decorative.

[Mr M]

Wow thanks for all your friendly suggestions.

The roundness is going almost 2 mm, so I can put a veneer/laminate.

To put binding stripes on both sides is a clever idea too.

Thanks a lot!

[anonymous278347457]

well...you could always just saw it off and make it a bolt on?

personally I would just plane it thinner, and if you dont like it that thin, just add a back piece

[pilotjones]

I kind of like the idea of putting in some of that herringbone inlay they use on acoustics.

[Hambone]

Why not just squash the other side and call it a "feature"?

[Mr M]

Originally Posted by Hambone

Why not just squash the other side and call it a "feature"?

Brilliant idea

[HeathW]

water and heat, if it hasn't broken the fibers it will come straight out, I've done this many times on repairs on guitars and furniture, two ways to try put a hot wet cloth on the damaged area over night, see what it looks like in the morning, if it hasn't come out totaly then get a soldering iron nice and hot place wet cloth on the damaged area and place the soldering iron on it, leave abit move to the next area, making sure the cloth is keep wet, this will steam it out. I'll be surprised if it doesn't get it totaly out.

[Greenman]

Ive seen where a guy soldered a small metal funnel and copper tubing to an electric kettle and aimed the steam at a dent in a gun stock. The dent came out almost perfect.