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Double Bass broken scroll, glue recommendations?

E

ethnotime

Sep 24, 2006
207
8
#1
So the end of the scroll broke off on BOTH of my basses (the piece on the side). It looks like a simple job so I figure I can do it just need glue recommendations.

I had someone fix it on one bass but it actually came off again. I don't remember accidentally knocking the top part of the bass on anything and i'm thinking that the sudden dry weather here in NYC is the cause. So I'm thinking of something strong, maybe hide glue? I did a search and that seemed to come up a lot but it looks a bit complicated.

Any ideas?
 
#2
I used hide glue for mine. You need to really test your clamping setup because these are all rounded parts which are tricky to hold. Rehearse your clamping process because hide glue congeals in seconds. And make sure that if your clamps have wooden parts, you don't glue them along with the glue drippeage (that's probably not a real word).
 
#5
Can you post some pics? This sounds like a job best executed with a custom jig, but nothing which would be difficult to make. Perhaps just two 12" lengths of 1" x 2" framing pine, a couple of very long wood screws, and, yes, some foam. You can still play the bass, so might as well take some time and plan the repair properly.
 
#8
Yeah the "ears" of the scroll, that's what broke off and yes, embarassing to be gigging around with something like that. Happened on both basses, the Kay and the Juzek. Both happened while moving the bass around in my tiny studio.

I'll look into getting some clamps. Lemur sells "screw clamps for double bass repair", is that what I'm looking for? No picture unfortunately.

Thanks for all the replies.
 
#9
Find yourself a Harbor Freight store. They have a multitude of clamps cheap that work just fine.

Hot hide glue, and test your clamping routine for a few hours before you add the glue. I have glued something to come back and find that the clamps have slipped off later. Always dry fit to test, because if it won't hold that way, it certainly won't when you introduce some slippery glue.

Also, if you are close to a good luthier, I would suggest that you might take this to them. You could spend as much getting set up to do this repair as you would just paying for the labor. This shouldn't be that expensive...

FWIW
Brian
 
#10
I might take it to a luthier. I wanted my Juzek looked at anyway, plus the endpin might be shot. But I have the same problem on TWO basses. Means two trips to the luthier. Also the Juzek scroll broke off a few years ago and was repaired by a luthier. Yesterday when I took the bass out of the bag, the scroll came rolling out! I don't remember banging the bass on accident so it must have just 'fallen' off. That said, if the clamps and hide glue aren't too expensive ($20 or so together) then I might as well try and do it myself.

I'll check out Harbor Freight. It's still nice to go to a store and see what you're going to buy.
 

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