It would probably apply, but I have never done a cello before. I would have to see where the break was before any kind of estimate could be given.
This. As others have noted this is not a complicated fix - yellow wood glue and clamps.
Glue is cheap. Go for it.
Yellow glue or polyurethane (AKA gorilla glue) will hold it. The yellow glue will be neater, as the PU foams as it cures. (And it needs a little moisture) The PU is stronger, but either one should be stronger than the wood, so that is moot. The trick is to get the break exactly aligned so that most of the joint has no gaps. You might have to remove a few splinters if they are mangled out of position and holding the rest of the joint apart.
Yellow glue has a shelf life of a year or so…I buy a small bottle when the need arises.
For a $1500 cello I would probably have the entire neck replaced instead of just patching it together. The glued patch is going to affect the overall resonance of the instrument. The effect will be subtle enough that you aren’t going to care for an el cheapo guitar, but for a high quality instrument it’s worth the extra money to do it right. For a high quality electric guitar you can just order a new neck and bolt it on, but replacing the neck in a cello is something best left for a pro, IMHO.
I’d at least take it to a pro for a quote. I’d take a $1500 guitar to a pro, too. My idea of “cheap instrument” is a couple-three hundred.
Did the neck just pop off at the joint, or is it actually broken?
Epoxy or polyurethane glues should be technically capable of fixing it - they’re typically stronger than the wood, but if the timber has frayed or cracked where it has broken. An unthickened marine epoxy should soak into the fibres and remedy this. Tight clamping will be essential.
No, no, and no! For a cello neck, a professional would never use anything but tried-and-tested hide glue, for the simple reason that it’s a reversible fix. (I’m assuming, of course, that the neck has detached, rather than the much less likely possibility that the neck has snapped in half.)
Good point. If it’s an existing joint that’s broken, then using the appropriate original adhesive is absolutely the right thing to do.
Could the OP post a couple of pics of the neck? The location of the break may make a difference in how it should be repaired.
I built a couple of guitars in high school, and I seem to recall that the conventional wisdom at the time was to not use carpenters glue or white glue to build a guitar. These glues remain plastic, and the joint can “creep” over time. This probably won’t happen if the glue joint is in shear (the force runs the length of the break) and has a rough surface, but I’m not sure how comfortable I would be gluing a headstock back on with carpenters glue.
Epoxy will result in a joint several times stronger than one with wood glue. No one will ever be able to steam it apart, so make absolutely certain that it is set up and clamped properly. JB Weld was mentioned upthread. While it is good for some repairs, it has fillers and I think that it is too thick for woodworking. I’d use a clear epoxy.
Gorilla Glue was also mentioned. It’s waterproof and the foam gets into the pores of softwoods, but I doubt it has enough strength for the neck of a steel string guitar.
Finally, clamping can make all of the difference in the success of a glue joint, and you’re not limited to conventional types of clamps. Depending on where the neck is broken, it may be more effective to use spring clamps, inner tubes as rubber bands and who knows what.
BTW-Panache45, I’d take a $1500 instrument to a good luthier. IMHO, that’s a pretty valuable instrument, and good craftsman is more able to make a cheap repair than a cheap craftsman is to make a quality one.
I’m not a wood working expert, but I’ve fixed enough broken crap that I will tell you epoxy is not all that great when used with wood and other porous or flexible materials. Wood glues or similar specialized glues are a much better solution for wood breaks.
Epoxy is relatively thick and does not easily flow into all the little crevices of a material, plus it’s more brittle over time (in my experience) than wood glues if the fixed material is underging bending forces.
Sorry, I can’t post I picture right now. I can show you this.
http://www.blogut.ca/2008/01/30/new-physics-practicals-laboratory-open-house/
If Beaker’s head is the neck, then his mouth is the break. (Sorry, that’s the best I could come up with) It’s about halfway up the neck and four or five inches long. I don’t believe the guitar is steel stringed, they feel like some sort of plastic.
I’ve pretty much decided to give it a shot, still debating on the adhesive though. It will still be a few weeks before I have a chance to try.
Wood glue can work, so can epoxy, but I don’t recommend the quick kind. It’s got good filling properties, but as a glue, it’s not so good. You should repair it, that’s the American way. Or, if you want to ship it to me, I will repair it for free, but you pay shipping both ways. Usually, that’s twent bucks or less each way. Sometimes as little as twelve, depending on size and weight if you use the post office. Don’t even think about using UPS or Fed Ex, they’re way too expensive. If need be, I can put another neck on that body, but that’s a hassle on acoustics, I take it we’re talking about a cheaper acoustic? If it’s like most electrics, heck you take out four screws, and put another neck on. If that was the case, I’d have to charge for whatever the neck was worth, but I often find them very cheap on wrecked guitars, if you don’t mind a used one.s
Oh, I forgot, use [email address redacted by moderator] for the repairs, if you choose to go that route.
Be warned if you use Gorilla Glue, it WILL expand and seep out of the joint you are gluing unless you use a very very small amount. If it expands out onto the surface it will look terrible and be damn near impossible to get off. It does not expand right away, it does so during the curing prices. I learned the hard way.
Closing this (Rob) Zombie guitar thread. One assumes the OP of 1 1/2 years ago got it done.
samclem, modderator