Wood grain guitar finish crack

Finishing diy kits wudtone custom guitar innovation. The cycle gets progressively worse like the blue paint in the picture. Cracks allow water and water vapor to get in and the moisture causes the wood to swell which then causes the finish to start peeling. The damage goes across the back in a different direction to the grain of the timber and seems to affect the wood rather than just the lacquer.

Dec 24, 20 this is because of the darker color of most side woods and the grain and grain fillers have a bit more going on to catch the eye and mask a crack than a top does. A goodquality naturalbristle brush, a reasonably dustfree, well ventilated space and some patience are all you need. This is an extremely common, somewhat expected condition on older instruments with lacquer finishes. As far as i can see the options for grain filling are using epoxy resin, grain filler or wet sanding danish oil into the wood. Remove all the lumps, crevices, cracks and whatnots, so the lacquer can be sprayed evenly. Crystalac wood grain filler dries to a clear, smooth finish. While it is difficult to tell anything from the posted pics, there is really no such thing as a finish crack on a poly finished guitar like an epi. My guitar body arrived very well sanded but ill want to sand it a little more after i fill some of the grain.

How to make wood grain disappear when painting home guides. Its often the makeorbreak point of a project, and can involve several steps. Depending on the severity and location of the crack, a repair is as simple as stabilizing the wood and applying glue to secure it. Grain filler of all types seals a lot of the wood grain for an even finish. Drop fill the chips with superglue after the bottom nail polish has hardened. Hand rubbed guitar finish part 2 filling the grain youtube.

May 30, 2016 there are many grain filling products out there aquacoat is what works best for me in most cases. Get them to run their finger over the joints at the rails and stiles and they will feel the crack. Its not a difficult job but there are a few basic steps to keep in mind which we will outline. Ive decided to use danish oil as the final finish on the guitar, as it seems relatively easy to apply, and is pretty cheap, so the only real help i need is with the grain filling i thinkhehe. These larger rings and sections add to its strength, and the complexity of the tones. Hand rubbed guitar finish part 3 tinting wood with artist oil paints duration. Colortone liquid stains are lightfast metalcomplex dyes that can be mixed for practically any desired intensity. In this article well explore the best finishes for cherry, including those that enhance its natural properties for the best presentation. All the parts fit well, and the wood of the guitar body and neck were smooth, wellfinished, and of surprisingly high quality. The finish kits come with either, deep colour, base and top coats depending on the type of kit, designed to meet the demands of wood. One way that cracks can frequently be identified is that they tend to follow the grain wood cracks that cross the grain usually come from a severe blow, and this will be obvious.

The crack doesnt follow the wood grain, it is perpendicular and it ends with a spider end that goes like a crack on a windshield. However it can be fixed by a good repair man, as being nitrocellulose, the finish can be blended back together. Apr 17, 2012 the guitar will need to have time to slowly adjust to the new milder temperatures, so leave it in the case until it has had time for it to do so. Cracks come in many lengths and form various patterns of intersecting lines that predominately run in the direction of the wood grain, brush strokes, or spray patterns. If you want a glasslike finish, such as on a desk or a tabletop, you have to fill the grain actually the wood pores in the grain, says jim. Some of these cracks will never materialize into an external crack, where as, others will. Checking will vary according to the extremes the instrument has been through. Dan erlewine shows how to prepare the wood for a prsstyle finish with stains and aerosol lacquer.

Adding wood grain filler to your finishing repertoire is a great way to bump your wood finishing results up to the next level. Dribble a few drops of water on a section of the guitar, and begin sanding. Lackofhumidity cracks typically run along the grain of the wood. Getting a smooth, blemishfree finish with oilbased polyurethane is within your grasp if you follow the steps in this article. I do custom painting projects, guitar painting, airbrushing, spray can painting, wood working, and a variety of other finishing work and tutorials. Acoustic guitar cracked top repair by randy schartiger guitar. This can absolutely reek havoc on a guitar where many parts are assembled with exact tolerances. I doubt its a full wood crack given it is running across the grain and. I think its used primarily to fill small cracks and such. I have an applause ae28 electricacoustic guitar that plays pretty well, but doesnt look so great. Repair chips and cracks in finish fender stratocaster. To achieve this the open pores of the timber should be filled using wood grain filler. The real challenge to repairing most tight cracks is primarily with the finish.

Dont leave your guitar out in the car it the temperature is below freezing and then. Another type of breakage, called cold checking or cracking, is caused by exposing the finished item to freezethaw cycles. The backs of guitars probably finish third in terms of frequency of cracks. The backs are usually a little thicker than either the top or sides, therefore a bit tougher. May 22, 2016 acoustic guitar cracked top repair by randy schartiger. Nov 11, 2018 all hardwoods are fairly open grained, some more than others. The body wood on this guitar is spanish cedar, which is a very porous wood. A guitar builder asks about using epoxy versus conversion varnish for filling the wood grain on his instruments.

Nitro wears nicely, but a lot of what people think makes old guitars sound better is mostly an educated guess that cant be scientifically proven. Excess grain filler has plugged the string holes, but it helps to prevent the wood from swelling and cracking the finish while wet sanding and it can be drilled out. Feb 04, 2017 my bad, i was thinking it was a urethane finish. Finish crack in polyurethane how to repair the gear page. The thing that would concern me is how the crack runs parallel with the wood grain on both sides of the neck. Would it be possible that the guitar s headstock took a good bump and the wood flexed a little bit, causing the finish to crack, but not hard enough to split the wood grain. But now you are likely thinking about the finish and if the repaired crack. The highsolid finish cures by chemical reaction and requires fewer coats to fill open grain woods.

All hardwoods are fairly open grained, some more than others. Apply a healthy amount of solvent with your brush to the crack, in long, quick strokes that run with the wood grains. The finish provides complete protection against beer, wine, cola, coffee, tea, fruit juice, milk. Normally cracks like that in that area would mean a crack in the wood or at least has been stressed enough to crack the finish. Theres a thin crack under the guitar not far from the jack input.

Remember that you cant make a guitar body flat when finished if it doesnt start out flat. Moisture, or lack thereof, is wood s achilless tendon. Watch the trade secrets video, a shrinking pickguard cracks the guitar top. Knowing how to evaluate the seriousness of a crack will allow you to determine whether to call a repair person immediately or whether it might be ok to leave it alone for a little while. This may take a few dips of the brush, which is why speed is. Guitar finishing 101 the highlighted grain stain finish. One 2ounce bottle makes two quarts of stain at normal concentration. I like to use clear finish to see the wood grain, and just mist on the final coats to create a satin effect. Grain filling methods for guitar bodies a guitar builder asks about using epoxy versus conversion varnish for filling the wood grain on his instruments. And i even put a strong torchlight in a dark room to see if the light went through the guitar from the inside out but it didnt. In an otherwise attractive piece of wood, an unsightly split or crack can run deep like family turmoil.

In an effort to avoid a repeat, and keep the new adhesive from pulling up wood fibers if removed again, this bare area of wood beneath the guitar is usually sealed with finish. Epiphone have used a scarf joint on most except sheratons for years, which is stronger due to grain changing direction and cheaper due to amount of waste. After sealing, the classical guitar is allowed to gas out remaining alcohol is allowed to evaporate for a few hours. First things first, you will need to assess whether your guitar is suited to this type of finish. To repair these cracks the stress must be eliminated by removing the pickguard and reattaching or replacing it. They can put it on fast and it builds thick easy to rub out to a high polish without burning through. Repairing cracks in acoustic guitars examples of cracks.

Using water based products for instrument finishing, target coatings 9000 6000 and varathane wb discussion in. If its not cracked on the opposite side and you get no movement out of it i would leave it alone and just keep my eye on it for a while. Wood fibres are not entirely unlike the drinking straws mentioned earlier. I have a crack in the finish on my fender dao exotic wood. It wont repair the way nitro lacquer would, in a chemical way. Gel coats the surface of the wood and obscures the grain. Dec 10, 2018 sand the wood you are about to paint with 150grit sandpaper to prepare it for filling. Dealing with a guitar finish repair using gluboost products. Or else your spectacular lacquer finish could start to crack as the wood in the guitar heats up and swells before the lacquer has a chance to adapt. The first time the head stock split but did not open, as a result the wood grain fit perfectly together like a jigsaw puzzle. Stuff is going to happen to your guitars, and discovering a crack can be absolutely. Use it to achieve a smooth, craftsmanquality finish on furniture and all your woodworking projects. As the name implies, the highlighted grain stain finish is a tinted transparent finish that accentuates the grain pattern of your guitar and is sealed with a clear oil finish.

Nonshrinking and nontoxic, this product is easy to. There are a couple of cracks in the thick plasticy finish. There doesnt appear to be a crack in the wood, but i can feel the cracks in the finish when im playing open chords. Jun 23, 20 the crack in the back of the guitar seems more like a split to me as the the guitar had been dropped or the neck bumped.

How do i fill cracks after priming a wood guitar body. Lacquer finishing trouble shooting guide wood finish supply. Too much moisture will cause wood to swell and often distort from its shape. A simple guitar finishing trick for a better shellac finish duration. Today, i love restoration, and that includes wood finishing. Apply to the wood, scrape or squeegee off excess, let it dry, sand the surface level, and clean with a damp cloth. Repair large chunk of missing poly telecaster guitar forum. Wood grain filler for guitar bodies guitar kit world. Examination with a strong light shows it to be just a finish crack it doesnt quite follow the wood grain, and the top is glued to the heel block at this point, so the wood is stable. The best way to do this is to seal the wood under a finish in order to control the amount of. Apply enough solvent to cut down to the wood, but not in to the wood. So, when we wanted to get filled in on filling wood grain, we turned to jim. How to repair acoustic guitar finish guitar repair bench.

Cracks in the body of your solid top acoustic guitar are often cause by physical damage to the guitar or shrinkage due to a lack of humidity. If your guitar has finish checking, polish will build up in the. It will not affect the guitars tone, and personally i would leave as is. How to grain fill a classical guitar guitars international. Would it be possible that the guitars headstock took a good bump and the wood flexed a little bit, causing the finish to crack, but not hard enough to split the wood grain. Unlike offtheshelf hardware store stains, theyre formulated for guitar finishing.

Nitrocellulose lacquer provides a softer finish that allows the wood grain to breath. With all of the above facts, i have concluded it is a finish crack and not a. This video shows many more discoveries of preventive maintenance not performed and what can and does happen, plus gluing the cracked top and. And he will tell you that finish is very important. Most every woodworker and finisher ive known who has worked with it for any amount of time has strong feelings about the right way to finish cherry. Compressor in good working order and drained once or twice daily and pressure regulator controls, and moisture trap installed in the air line as close to the spray gun as possible within 10 to 25 feet of the gun.

Continue layering until glue is just above the finish. Using water based products for instrument finishing. This is because of the darker color of most side woods and the grain and grain fillers have a bit more going on to catch the eye and mask a crack than a top does. Learn how to fill cracks after priming a wooden guitar. Hand rubbed guitar finish part 2 filling the grain. How to repair a crack in a solid top acoustic guitar our. There are many grain filling products out there aquacoat is what works best for me in most cases. Guitar necks offer the luthier many variations of wood species from which to choose. Colortone powdered grain filler is supplied as a fine powder, ready to mix with water a 1. Taylor uses a uv cured polyester finish instead of a lacquer. Dont worry if the cracks dont disappear right away. Wood putty or wood filler is a much thicker mixture, and is used to fill larger cracks and voids in the wood. Also i tried pushing both side of the crack but apparently nothing moves. To achieve a smooth glossy finish we require an even surface to work with and when using an open grain timber such as mahogany this can be difficult.

Here i will be doing a slightly thicker finish by creating a sanding slurry with the truoil in order to fill the grain slightly. Waterborne wood grain fillers are the new kids on the block, but are rapidly gaining favor because of the easy soap and water cleanup and greatly shortened drying time it offers. Finish crack in polyurethane how to repair the gear. The polyester paint fills and seals the wood grain of the guitar, which allows the polyurethane top coat to adhere better to the guitar. Oilbased polyurethane varnish brings out the wood s natural beauty or wood grain. I am doing a tv yellow finish with reranch and their recipe calls for water or oil based grain filler in a cherrydark mahogany type color. That is because poly remains more flexible than the wood, and will not crack unless there is a crack in the wood beneath it. I recently bought a used epiphone zephyr regent jazz box, and found two very thin hairline cracks in the polyurethane finish right by the nut where you would hang the guitar. Oilbased filler is as old as oilbased finish itself, and has a dedicated following. Old masters woodgrain filler natural tone is ideal for working with fine grain wood. Im assuming my best bet is to remove the finish to eliminate the cracks. The ageold way that craftsmen have been addressing this problem for years is to stabilize the level of humidity. Finishing an ash telecaster in butterscotch nitrocellulose. At this point we should mention that there are some species of wood that do not require grain and pore filling.

Gibsons being one carved piece with grain obviously following the same direction. It is advisable not to practice this on your latest guitar. A properly matched spray gun needle, nozzle, and spray cap in good working order. It doesnt seem like there are any cracks in the wood itself, just the clear finish. A high gloss clear finish enhances wood grain because it acts as a lens to allow us to. Sometimes what looks like a crack in the wood is actually just a crack in the guitar s finish. I have a lot of experience touching up and drop filling lacquer finishes, so i. Dont get too much water on the guitar, as if it manages to somehow soak into the wood, the wood will expand and crack the finish. Mark off chipped cracked area with tape 2s around chip drop fill the chips were wood shows with matching black nail polish. Using the right product to repair these issues is very important to a. Grain sealer i cant believe its not lacquer solarez uv. Wood finishing is an art form, and the more youre at it, the more you see that it isnt an afterthought.

On the other hand, a climate thats too dry can cause wood to become brittle and ultimately crack. With the exception of classical guitars, traditionally, acoustic guitar neck wood was the same material as the back and sides of the guitar. The guitar will need to have time to slowly adjust to the new milder temperatures, so leave it in the case until it has had time for it to do so. I tried two hardware stores and a paint shop and they looked at me strangely when i asked for grain filler and not wood putty. The first step to finishing a guitar is to sand the wood to make sure every surface is flat and free from ripples and imperfections. Most of us have seen instruments with these unsightly finish cracks. If youve had tearout planing figured wood, you know exactly what the rising and falling grain is. Its a good idea to know a bit about your guitars finish so you can better maintain it. Even the hardiest fillers are intended to withstand compressive fo. To give you an idea of how critical his ears are, he is playing a guitar with his components without finish.

After you prime a wooden guitar body, the next thing youll have to do is fill in any cracks. Check for any fissures or voids in the wood especially the alder, which often has tiny cracks. Most wood fillers are intended to be little more than aesthetic solutions. Most often, this will be caused by the finish reacting to extreme cold or rapid changes in temperature, resulting in whats generally referred to as checking, a weblike spread of damage many modern polyesterbased finishes are immune to this damage, but nitrocellulose lacquer can be very sensitive in this regard. Our 4step approach shows you how to apply the varnish successfully. In the majority of cases, you should base your choice of finish on the characteristics of the timber your guitar is constructed from or choose the finish you are most interested in beforehand and order your guitar with this in mind. A finish crack tends to wander across the grain, and most often. The wood grain pattern of the body and headstock was so pretty that i decided to just go with a natural wood stain finish. I must say that for the money, it turned out to be a smashingly good guitar. How to repair cracks in your acoustic guitar guitar alliance. General wood finishing would you like to add information to. The grain of the wood runs parallel to the neck and a crack that runs parallel to the neck is most likely going to be a crack involving the body wood.

Cracks that run perpendicular or at an angle from the neck for a short distance is most likely a finish crack from a tight neck joint and harmless. Gloss finishes are shiny and have a glasslike look. As an instruments wood expands and contracts with moisture content stress is placed on the finish. Harder to see in pictures, but the piece on the left has the grain filled with a mahogany colored filler, the piece on the right does not. Hairline cracks on painted cabinet doors and drawers.

Its suitable for application on any wood, from hardwood to thermally modified wood, as well as most composite materials. Avoid cracks by insuring your instrument is properly humidified and well. If you own an acoustic guitar long enough, chances are good that youll have to deal with the repair of a crack in the wood. To check for sure, with a rag or paper towel wipe some naphtha on the out side, then check the inside for a dark or damp area, if you see none then you dont have a crack. You could put your fingers in through the crack when i got this guitar to repair.

Finish crack in polyurethane how to repair discussion in. Now youre ready to spray a smooth blemishfree professional finish. I cant believe its not lacquer grain sealer is easy to use and can be applied with brush, roller or tack cloth. The body i am filling today is mahogany and the end finish will replicate that of a cherry back les paul therefore i will be adding the transtint red mahogany dye to the grain filler to darken the grain. End grain happily absorbs dye deeper than the side of wood fibres.