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Heel Split/Crack - Repairable?

twangchief

twangchief

Supporting Member
Oct 30, 2003
768
28
61
Altoona, PA
#1
Well I put too many toothpicks in to repair a stripped screw hole in my neck and split the heel from the rear screw hole back to the rear of the neck. The split even appears to be propagating forward towards the front of the neck.

Heel_1.jpg

Heel_2.jpg


A local repair guy tried to glue it but he said it is not repairable. Is it repairable?

Thanks.
 
#4
I would gently pry the split open just a little bit, and try to get some Gorilla Glue in there. You have to get it into the crack. It won't work from the outside. Let it rest for 5 minutes, no more, then use a quick clamp or two to squeeze that split shut. Squeeze it tight!!! Quick clamps have rubber feet, shouldn't hurt the neck. Didn't hurt mine. Leave the clamp(s) on and let it dry for no less than 2 days. The longer you let it rest, the stronger the bond. The glue turns into a foam and expands. It will expand into any tight area of the split you couldn't get to as well as out of the crack. Carefully shave off the excess foam with a razor or paint scraper. That may do the trick. If it does, it was only about $25 for the glue, clamps, and razor. If not, it was only about $25 for the glue, clamps, and razor, so it wasn't an expensive attempt.
 
#7
Pics may help.

A glue 'n clamp repair should do the trick. Do a little research for the right glue for the job.

No need to pry the sections apart. Remove the neck (if you haven't already done so) and re-install the culprit screw in the neck heel slowly. This should widen the crack to the point where you can inject / wick / whatever glue so it reaches the critical surfaces. Remove the screw and the fissure will diminish, almost self-clamping itself in the process. The repair will still need to be mechanically clamped.

Keep in mind that Kubicki necks are 37 laminates glued together.

Riis
 
#11
Yes, it can be fixed. Not a big deal. I personally would use West Systems epoxy, but others may have their own opinions. If it were here in my shop, it would be about a $40 repair. And yes, I have actually done repairs like that many times before, and I've rebuilt at least a hundred necks that were broken far worse than that. Take it to someone who knows what they are doing.
 
#12
Bruce Johnson said:
Yes, it can be fixed. Not a big deal. I personally would use West Systems epoxy, but others may have their own opinions. If it were here in my shop, it would be about a $40 repair. And yes, I have actually done repairs like that many times before, and I've rebuilt at least a hundred necks that were broken far worse than that. Take it to someone who knows what they are doing.
Click to expand...

It can be fixed successfully. Take it to an experienced pro.

+1 on West Systems epoxy. I would use the slower-setting 206 hardener + careful clamping. Whoever does this may also want to re-drill and carefully dowel-plug the existing holes and re-drill the pilots for the neck screws. I would even be inclined to go to machine bolts+ inserts.

Titebond or hot hide glue may get you there, but I would lean toward a tougher/permanent bond with a fissure that spans between those screw holes and the end of the heel.

Gorilla Glue would be more trouble in this case because both mating surfaces need to be dampened before the application of the glue. -you would need to spray into the cracked area for that to happen, which makes me uneasy. GG also expands 3-4 times in volume and can make cleanup a PITA.
 
#15
twangchief said:
Please make recommendations for a repair shop that I could send this to. I'm not going to take it back to the guy how said it was not fixable.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Stringed Instrument Repairs by Jeff Hostetter - New Freedom, Pennsylvania
These folks are in PA, but it may be a trek for you. I don't have first-hand experience with their repairs, BUT they are reputable, and have been helpful to me on online forums in the past. Check out their website and you will see that they tackle some challenging stuff.
R
 
#16
Altoona is not exactly a metropolitan area (I used to live in Cumberland, MD) but the neck can be shipped rather inexpensively to a reputable craftsman. There's another thread with recommendations somewhere. The neck can be fixed, no doubt!

Riis
 
#20
while i'm beneath this bus you guys are throwing me under, maybe i could check the oil? :D

PMs tell me that it was indeed glued and clamped, but split apart again; this eliminates regular wood glue or hide glue as an option.

i'm thinking an epoxy-type repair (yuck), coupled with drilling out the holes and installing cross-grain plugs (not end-grain dowels!), so that the screws aren't directly forcing the glue joint apart.

threaded metal inserts instead of plugs might be promising, too.

thoughts?
 

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