Have I done something bad?

[dudlebug23]

I've had a increasingly growing crack on the back of my mando for about a year and a half. I haven't done anything about it since it is on the back, and at first I thought it was in the finish, not the wood. Well, It has grown and is starting to branch off. It's at the top near where the scroll meets the body of the mando. I think it originated when my mando fell over and it perhaps got fractured. anyway, yesterday I decided to pour Gorilla Glue (a super bonding super glue) into the crack. It looks sealed and I hope it will hold, and it's not the nicest looking thing, but who cares since it's on the back, right? Anyway, are there any repairmen out there that can tell me if what I've done is bad? Will it make it worse, or will it hold? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Michael Lewis]

Oh well. . . . . Unless the crack was completely closed, and I mean wood to wood, the Gorilla Glue isn't likely to be of much help because it is strongest in close contact but not strong across any gap. Now that it is in/on there and cured it is more or less permanent. I don't know of any solvent that will remove it, or even soften it. If it needs to be removed it will have to be sawn or carved out.

[mandolooter]

I'll try an keep this short...

Just for the average Joe's/Jane's info...very few glues will have ANY structural strength unless, as Mr Lewis stated, the woods are actually in contact with each other. One of the exceptions is construction adhesive like the Liquid Nail products, but there a mess to work with and if visible, ugly as all getout. #Never heard of anyone using them in instrument construction but my knowledge in that field is limited to a few small repairs on my own stuff, but I've read 4-5 building and repair manuals in preperation for my first that Im starting this fall (soon!) I have been a journeyman cabinetmaker/furniture builder for more than 16 years and have done a LOT of glueing with a lot of different woods, of both domestic and tropical species. Thats why your prep-work is so criticle before ya get out the glue bottle/pot and start spreading and clamping. #Read the label and see if it sez "bridgable" or something to that effect, that means the two peices don't have to be in direct contact for the glue to work. That said your repair still could "work" to stop the crack from spreading if there was enough contact at the ends of your crack where the wood actually is touching. #Time will tell. #Keeping it in a stable enviroment, both humidity and temp wise will help and is good for any prolonging any instrument's life and well-being. #I wish ya good luck with yours! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[sunburst]

Epoxy bridges gaps well, I don't trust any other glue or adhesive that I've used to hold well without a good joint.
I can't imagine anything I would use liquid nails for in an instrument. Besides being ugly, it is subject to plastic deformation or creep.

dudlebug23, I don't want to be too hard on you, but I hope I never have to fix that crack.

[steve in tampa]

I have done small carpentry/furniture repairs (not instrument) using wood glue and sawdust mixed together.Learned that from and oldtimer that learned it from and oldtimer.