headstock repair

[slidezone]

Just recievied my new/old F2...its a beauty for sure but needs a repair to the large scroll on the headstock. Just wondering best approach to this. Its relativly minor at this point but want to make sure it stays that way. Thanks

[sunburst]

Whew! It's still on!
It can be pretty hard to glue those and keep them aligned if they come off.

Two repairs to consider.

1. Superglue. If you can mask off the surrounding finish with striping tape so that no glue can contact the finish, water thin superglue will wick into the crack with the crack held tight and glue the crack in seconds to minutes.
If done well and no glue gets on the finish, it can be nearly invisible.

2. Hide glue or tightbond. You'll have to work the glue into the crack and clamp 'til dry, and the glue that gets on the finish will wipe right off with a damp rag while it's still wet.
A problem that can show up with the glues that contain water is swelling of the wood so that the alignment is less than perfect, especially if there is one of those scroll "strengtheners" in there which can swell and actually push the joint apart.

Without looking at the instrument I'm not sure which I would use on that one.

[Michael Lewis]

Hot hide glue. The most difficult aspect to this repair is properly clamping the scroll. If it fits together well with light pressure then maybe all you need is a rubber band or tape. Be sure to clean all glue residue from the finish surfaces BEFORE letting it dry. If it turns into a mess the scroll can be attached with a dowel, but that requires some touch up to the finish.

[jim simpson]

How about a drywall screw? couldn't you just drill a pilot hole plus another larger bit to recess the screw head, then insert dowel rod to cover up! Why not? Besides duck tape, drywall screws are most usefull. I have a fiddler friend who has the neck of his instrument attached with 2 visible drywall screws. It's the funniest thing but it sounds good and seems to hold together.

[craigw]

I've had the same problem with one of my mandos that was repaired with insertion of a biscuit to strengthen the glue joint. check out Frets.com for a good explanation and display of the same type repair job

[Dave Cohen]

If you want to make an enemy out of every luthier on the planet, go ahead and use a drywall screw. If you want to make future repairs impossible, go ahead and use a drywall screw. And especially, if you want to greatly devalue your vintage mandolin, go ahead and use a drywall screw. If you want to make your headstock look terrible, go ahead and use a drywall screw.

I was gonna go on ranting, but I looked at what I said above and decided that I covered the subject.

[slidezone]

Uh, well I use drywall screws for drywall(and some furniture repair too!)...I would have to think that Jim was being a bit "playful"...I am a newbie with only one post so...
# Thanks for those with helpful info...Ill check all my options on this as I just want to do a good job so as not to #have to revisit it again. Seems to respond to heat(warmth) as It closes up(a little) when I let it get a little sun(just a little) Im not a luthier but do repair lots of furniture for my antique business so Im not totally in the woods. Seems that scrolls are suceptible to this type of damage and its relatively common so...Considering that this fracture is very tight, super glue seems like the best option. I do have a real luthier fairly close(I live on an island) so before I actually do it I will have him look at it just to be safe. I just wanted to check with the posters on the the cafe boards. Theres lots of sage advice here it seems...mostly...thanks again