how do i fix it? (repost from old forums)

[jaytee]

a few months ago i noticed a little crack in the finish of my guitar....on the side of the neck...its kind of chipped out too..kind of like a little hole in the finish...
i heard about people filling in such blemishes with clear fingernail polish...but i wonder if this is wise....i thought it must be a real emergency to put fingernail polish on your guitar....
does anybody know what i should use to fill it in with? i want to prevent it from getting any worse....
--jt

[SteelSlider]

Hi Jaytee.

Sorry it took so long replying to you. Not having done this before, I had to ask some pro's I know.
Two different remedies were sent to me.
Everything is the same with the exception of the material used in the ding.
The first said to use clear fingernail polish, the kind that hardends.
Since I don't fiddle with my nails like that I have no idea how hard the polish gets, so I'd tend to lean toward the second. You'll know more about the hardness factor of the polish than me.
The other one used is Superglue.
You can make the choice, as both will probably work.

Make sure the ding is cleaned of funk from the hands while playing if it is an old ding.
Lay the guitar on something solid, out of everyones reach. It will neede 12 to 18 hours to sit there. When laying the guitar down, make sure that the ding is on the top, the apex, of the neck. Facing up. You want it flat, level and on the top so the superglue won't dribbled down the side. Possibly cradle it with pillows or something so it doesn't lean or tilt.
Next, place a drop, or how ever many it takes to fill the hole. Looking at the ding surface from the side, you'll want to fill the hole level, then add just a bit more, so it's slightly rounded, just a bit. You don't want the superglue to run. When finished adding the glue, you may wish to blow lightly on it, to put like a skin on the surface.
Leave it lay for 12-18 hours to harden really good.
Next, you'll need some 1000 to 1500 grit sand paper. The finer the better.
What you want to do, is to dampen the sandpaper with water. This is called wet sanding.
Very carefully, without a lot of pressure, begin sanding that mound down to the finish on the neck, adding a drop of water when the sanding looks to be getting dry. Be careful you don't sand the finish off the neck. It's tedious and needs to be done slowly. When you can run your finger over the patch and feel nothing, you've almost finished the job.
Next you need a fine rubbing compound if the finish is 'high gloss'. That high gloss is what is on the body of the guitar. Check out our Luthier shop or guitar shop for this.
On the neck though, it's usually a polished finish, so back to the guitar shop for some guitar polish. Polish it up, wipe it down and your back in business.

The finished effect sometimes will be very hard to spot. I've seen completed jobs that the only way I could tell was to have it pointed out to me and held up in the light.
It doesn't sound like a big production. Fairly easy it seems. I'm sure you have Superglue or nail polish hardner laying around but you may have to buy a sheet of fine grit sandpaper and some polish.
Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

[jaytee]

superglue! i never thought of that.....
but im glad somebody else mentioned the fingernail polish thing anyways.....so i dont feel like such an idiot over suggesting it....lol...it just seems to me finger nail polish doesnt belong on a guitar....
thanks for the instructions....i think i can handle this (considering my parents made custom furniture...i BETTER know how to wet sand!)
i will have to go buy some supplies first tho....so im glad the chip doesnt seem to be getting worse very quickly....cuz ill prolly hafta order it online....guess ill just add it to the list!
thanks SS :o)

--jt

[SteelSlider]

You shouldn't have any problems, jaytee.
I've confidence in ya.
Good luck.

[ESP_Viper]

Just a question, but doesn't super glue turn stuff white? The things that I've ever put super glue on have turned white where the super glue is. I trust the guy you talked to knows what he's doing and has done it before. But just wonderin'.

[jaytee]

true esp....but it depends on what you put it on.....i am going to guess that the things you put it on were plastic....and it reacted with them....kind of melted them even....

ever get superglue on your fingers? they dont turn white....do they? mine never did....

at any rate...im more concerned with this chip getting bigger....its at the base of my neck and its not like a running crack..its more like a separation of the finish from the wood....almost like a bubble....without the air pocket....but very small...thank god...so im just gonna keep it from getting any bigger....thats my goal...

flaws happen.....ill try to make it the best i can...but if it ends up a funny color on one little dot of my guitar...ill get over it....but if i let it spread...im a fool......

i read an article that said...if you got no guts...take it to a luthier...but even luthiers dont do some things perfectly...some things you might as well do yourself....i think this is one of those things....


--jt

[ESP_Viper]

Ya know what, I forgot that it was plastic that it turned white. It didn't really melt the plastic, but just turned it all white and pissed me off. I have never glued my fingers together, but I've seen my dad do it a few times haha.

I can't blame ya wantin to get that fixed. What kind of guitar is it?

Since we're talking about finishes on guitars, are there any kinds of products that will take those really small surface scratches out of the paint? I am guessing it's from my polishing cloth, which is SUPPOSED to not scratch, but it obviously has!

[jaytee]

lol....lucky you....super gluing your fingers isnt exactly my idea of fun.....i always get it on me tho!

it kinda depends on how deep those scratches are...but...yeah theres polishes out there....

if i were you id take a peek over at musiciansfriend.com and around a few other sites too.....
if i remember right.....there was something called swirl remover that was actually for after wet sanding.....i dunno if it would work or not...youll have to read the product description...shop around a little....
if i find anything on any websites as far as instructions or advice.....ill post it and let you know....

g'luck

--jt

i looked real quick and that swirl remover was at stewmac.com
but...BEWARE...its like $12 and they will get you for another $8 for shipping and handling......if i were you id look around and read the labels online and then see if my local music shop would have anything comparable...or if they had any ideas....

[jaytee]

ALL DONE!
i finished my repair job...and it looks GREAT! i had to point it out to my husband so he could find the flaw....you hafta look *really* close to find it.. :)
only thing is...after i had it all cleaned up...i found where the crack was starting to run to....lol...but i have to wait for it to get a little worse before i can fix the rest of it! cuz i just dont see how i can get superglue into the small crack thats left....oh well...time will tell....when its cracked enough it can be dealt with..ILL BE READY!

anybody who attempts to do any similar procedure...i *HIGHLY* recommend a touchup stick for wet sanding...it can be found here...
http://www.stewmac.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?client=27720655&action=SERVE&ITEM=catalog/p.html&A=%2BNAME_LINK%3DMicro-Mesh_Touch_Up_Stick

you may also want to check local hardware stores before you pop for shipping and handling too tho...i only looked at one store but i couldnt find anything with such fine grit....

--jt