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Double Bass Ply de-lamination, and Kay C-1 restoration
- Thread starter mortar
- Start date
You may get a range of opinions on using Titebond in the plywood, but for me that's a good plan. Note that there are both cold and hot hide glue formulae, most will prefer hot.
Bottled hide glue is loaded with formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen, and is functionally useless as it can reliquify when temperature and humidity rise.
Your bass was made with hot hide glue; there's no good reason not to repair it with the same.
Your bass was made with hot hide glue; there's no good reason not to repair it with the same.
It won't hurt to mend the plys with Titebond. Unlike a neck joint, there isn't any reason to ever want to delaminate those plys.
- Aug 1, 2005
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- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
It is your bass, you can do whatever you want to it. Remember that you are more like a short term caretaker than the last owner that bass will see. It should outlive you.
The bass was made with hot hide glue, so that would be the recommended use for repairs. Titebond, epoxy and even super glue will hold the repaired sections, but if you ever need to re-glue or dis-assemble them in the future, you just $#@!'ed the next repair person. Many shops, mine included, will refuse to work on an instrument that shows signs of previous application of titebond, CA glue, and epoxy. Do you want an easy short term fix ten minute repair or are you willing to take 30 minutes and do a repair that will keep all sides happy for the next 100 years and be reversible?
j.
www.kaybassrepair.com
Kay Bass Repair
The bass was made with hot hide glue, so that would be the recommended use for repairs. Titebond, epoxy and even super glue will hold the repaired sections, but if you ever need to re-glue or dis-assemble them in the future, you just $#@!'ed the next repair person. Many shops, mine included, will refuse to work on an instrument that shows signs of previous application of titebond, CA glue, and epoxy. Do you want an easy short term fix ten minute repair or are you willing to take 30 minutes and do a repair that will keep all sides happy for the next 100 years and be reversible?
j.
www.kaybassrepair.com
Kay Bass Repair
There ya go. Now you know from personal experience what we mean.
Grab the strongest white vinegar you can find. It plasticizes carpenter's glue.
Nasty bit of business, and you want to get ALL the residue off so hide glue will stick.
Grab the strongest white vinegar you can find. It plasticizes carpenter's glue.
Nasty bit of business, and you want to get ALL the residue off so hide glue will stick.
This is for guitars, but it might give you ideas/tips:
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The inner veneers on Kay basses are usually yellow poplar or similar. Sheets of thin poplar can be had at craft stores.
Thanks Jim I might give you a call next week.
Well I've decided that I will be taking on this project myself. I have been spending about a hr or so on it when I have a little spare time..
I have one question for now, for the most part the de-lamination repair is going pretty smoothly, there are some inner plys that probably have been separated for sometime and they are dried and curled up. Do any of you ever use a veneer softener?
Well I've decided that I will be taking on this project myself. I have been spending about a hr or so on it when I have a little spare time..
I have one question for now, for the most part the de-lamination repair is going pretty smoothly, there are some inner plys that probably have been separated for sometime and they are dried and curled up. Do any of you ever use a veneer softener?
I decided to leave as much of the oldMOJO as possible to make this a usable instrument.
Alot of the edges are pretty rough, I'm slowly going around the gluing up all of the loose plys and loose pieces. I have been sanding the edges somewhat. What can I do to add a little protection to all of the exposed wood. Apply a few coats of lacquer? The edges as they are catch just about everything they come in contact with.
Alot of the edges are pretty rough, I'm slowly going around the gluing up all of the loose plys and loose pieces. I have been sanding the edges somewhat. What can I do to add a little protection to all of the exposed wood. Apply a few coats of lacquer? The edges as they are catch just about everything they come in contact with.
I have another question the top was de-laminated and shredded at the neck block. It was pretty bad when I got it but I did break off a small piece trying to get the top off.
My plan is to build the area back one ply at a time. Would cutting each existing plys back in .25 increment be enough to hold it all together. There is a section on the back of the top that will take a long ply that will need to be replaced.
Edit, would it be a SIN to add some type of reinforcement directly under the bridge on inside?
My plan is to build the area back one ply at a time. Would cutting each existing plys back in .25 increment be enough to hold it all together. There is a section on the back of the top that will take a long ply that will need to be replaced.
Edit, would it be a SIN to add some type of reinforcement directly under the bridge on inside?
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Reinforcement where the sound post meets the top is not uncommon. I've done this on two of mine.
