repairing cracks

[pickinBob]

I got this old stella bowl back on ebay for the heck of it. It's in good shape except for a slight separation on the back. I can see a little day light through the sound hole.

Question:

Can I inject a little glue into the crack and wrap the instrument with elastc until the glue sets? What about glues? Can I use wood working glue commonly availible at Home Depot?

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[sunburst]

I'm a little out of my area of expertise here, but since you haven't gotten any responces I'll suggest that if you can easilly close and align the crack, you can glue and tape it.
If you use a painter's tape, or a masking tape that doesn't leave residue on the instrument or take the finish with it when you peel it off, it should work fine. Pull the tape tight to hold the crack shut while drying.
You could use Franklin's Titebond or Elmers carpenter's glue (the yellow stuff) worked into the crack with a thin blade of some sort. Clean the excess glue off with a damp rag before it dries.

[pickinBob]

Sounds like a snap. What about this new glue I've seen out called "Gorilla Glue"?

[JiminRussia]

The clamping and gluing is fairly stright forward, but you may want to consider the "why" of the crack. There is a high probability that the crack originated from the wood drying out. If that is the case, you probably want to re-hydrate he wood before the glue and clamp process. It will make the process much easier and will be much more permanent. There are several methods of re-hydrating, but steam seems to work the quickest and the best. The down side is that the steam methods are half known science and half black magic and can harm the rest of the instrumnt if done incorrectly. This may take a little research on your part if you decide on this approach. Good luck.

[Luthier]

pickinBob,
Do not use Gorilla glue but rather do as sunburst has suggested. Your finger is also a great glue applicator. Work the glue into the crack. Also after you have cleaned up any excess glue, dry the area left from the damp cloth so the tape will stick. Any squeeze out that comes out can be cleaned up later once the crack has been taped closed as long as the finish on the bowl is still entact. That is another nice thing about the Titebond. It won't stick to a finish.

Don

[pickinBob]

Sounds like a short weekend project for me. Now all I need is a beidge and strings. and I'm pickin'! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif