Back and Sides

This weekend, I hope to strip the back and sides of the guitar and get it ready to re-finish. I've been dragging my feet on this, because it seems like there might be some 'original' finish under there that I'd like to preserve; but I'm pretty sure getting the paint off means ruining the other. I'll just have to bite the bullet and strip the thing.

This weekend.

Top again

Here's the top after another round of stripper. I think it looks better. It also looks to me like the pickguard shadow from the 'guard that it came with proves that, at the very least it's been on the thing for a long time, and was there before the paint.

I am a bit discouraged about the paint/finish on the back and sides. It's a thin coat, and I think a round of stripper would go straight through and kill whatever original finish remains below.

...unless I use some of that citrus Safest Stiripper...?

Cleaned up

Here's the body after a round of glue removal from the edge. But, speaking of removal, I am convinced there is a layer of some sort of clear coat or something like that, on the back and sides. Underneath this--which I admit has a kind of old-guitar-funky-finish vibe--you can see that it looks the way a Martin mahogany back and sides should look. I think this coat of...whatever it is...needs to come off, but maybe I'll get a few professional opinions before I do anything rash.

The top still has a ways to go before it'll be ready for any kind of finish.

Back glued to sides

A three hour tour today with indispensible help from the Chisel took the two pieces and made them one. A momentous occasion for this battered old guitar. Suddenly, it really looks like a guitar again, rather than a weird woodworking project.

Pay no attention to that "mitebond" bottle back there. We have used hide glue for this job, and all gluing jobs on this Guitar Rescue project.

Now I need to clean off the excess hide glue on the ledge/edge of the guitar, and get it prepped to re-install the original binding.

The Silk Road

I wanted to add some strength to a few areas which have been repaired. My buddy Todd recommended using a piece of banjo head--skin--for top cracks. I am vascillating on whether or not I even need to cleat them at all, since they closed up so nicely. But, a few of the more major side cracks and bashes do need reinforcement, so I'm choosing to use some stuff my wife--an expert in all things fiber--guarantees is perfect for the job. It's silk organza. Traditionally guitar makers did, and still do, use fabric on the sides for reinforcement, but I believe they usually use linen. This organza she gave me is so strong and light, that when it's glued on the wood it becomes a mesh patch that just isn't going anywhere. Here's a glimpse or two:

The pic on the left the patch itself glued in place. On the right is a swatch of the organza, with the patch in the background. It seems like great material--tough and light. In addition, the color she gave me blends into the wood very nicely. I put a small bit of it over a repaired side crack near the heel block, and almost couldn't even find it afterwards.

Ready for glue

Yes, I will probably remove a bit more glue residue. I definitely have to fiddle around with the top and back some more, to get the fit right, but essentially, the two parts of the body are ready to become one again. Maybe this weekend?

Funky Crack

So, I glued up the funky crack on the bout near where the pickguard will be. It does look better than in the above photo now. I'll post a picture of it soon.

Top Cracks Revisited

There is still one top crack I haven't really dealt with, and that's because it has remained closed from an earlier repairman's work. I believe he used white glue, and even worse, it's not a very good repair. It could be improved upon if, and this is a big if, IF I can get the old glue out of it.

The finger brace which needs to be made would lay right across this crack. Unfortunately, there's a ledge instead of a nice flat surface for that brace to sit on. Re-repairing this crack would make the guitar look nicer on the outside, as well as giving the brace a good flat surface to be glued on, on the inside.

I'm itching to glue the back to the sides, but my better judgement says, fix this little mess before I do, or later I'll wish I had.

Miscelaneous gluing

Chisel came over again tonight and helped me do a little gluing here and there on the guitar. We decided that an extra brace needed to be added way down by the heel block, just to add some stability to all those cracks that have been closed up there. Yes, the heel block itself would tend to add some stability, but Chisel has noticed on the J-50 we rescued for him, that the area down there is a bit mushy. So...on goes the brace.

I took the spatula and checked around every brace in the top one last time to see if there were any gaps. It's pretty well all shored up. I did find that the heel block had a spot where the spatula went in pretty easily, so I slathered some hide glue in there and clamped it.

There was also a small side crack I discovered in the once-over that needed a bit of glue and clamping.

Tomorrow night I will make the small finger brace for the top, and I'll put some fabric patches on a few of the side cracks.

Not long now until the back will be re-glued to the rims.

More Strippage

On Sunday, the 29th, I spent a lot of time stripping the top. I'd put a coat of stripper on, close the thing in the new basement bathroom--which has an exhaust fan--and set the timer for fifteen minutes or so. By the end of the day I had most of the top stripped.  The "sunburst" finish meant that the paint at the edge of the instrument was thicker, and took several more coats to get down to the wood.

I did try to send another picture of the top in  mid-strip, but I must have mis-addressed it. (I'm using my wife's iphone now.) Anyway, the top is now pretty much stripped, though it is somewhat blotchy looking. There is a fair amount of general clean-up to be done as well--the binding is messy looking, the line around the bridge needs cleaning, and there are still quite a number of spots on the top which need to be attended to.

On the positive side though, I think it'll look pretty cool once it's got a coat of some kind of finish on it. This guitar will be all about funky, but I think it will wear its repairs well.