Trip to the Beauticians

[DarwinStrings]

I can assure you that I did not leave looking any more beautiful than I already am.

I have been playing a fair bit of guitar lately, every day I manage to pick it up for a while. A few days ago though while doing a bit of renovating on my home I tore my thumb nail right down to the flesh, always a bummer when you are not a plectrum user. I have repaired my own cracked nails before with CF and CA glue but this time it was right off.

So I considered a falsey and walked into the beauticians to get a price to put a new thumb nail on. Five bucks says the guy who served me, I thought it was going to be more so sat immediately down for the treatment. The next thing that surprised me was that the plastic nail he glued on was only glued (CA) to cover about 3mm of the existing nail. He then took some pink looking gooey stuff and laid that over the whole nail and false nail covering the joint and left it to harden for about five minutes then he came back got the Dremel out smoothed it our and shaped it. I have just played with it for about 15 minutes and so far I doubt I will ever bother trying to fix one myself as for $5 a pop and ten minutes at a bench I see many more trips to the beauticians in my future.

[kiwigeo]

Don't ya love Darwin.......a slab of beer and a nail job all for less than $50!!

[blackalex1952]

I met Paco Pena in the 1970's. His LH fingernails looked, well, really "weird"-like something out of a werewolf movie...He told me that he built them up with hide glue.

[lauburu]

In the 70's or 80's I read that John Williams used 5 minute Araldite to rebuild torn nails. I suppose it all depends what technology is available to you at the time.
Miguel

[Dave M]

This maybe not the right place for a long discussion on this but as a classical player with weak nails this is close to my heart.

When I have used a nail repair kit using silk fabric and CA glue it has worked but leaves the nail weakened so the damned thing breaks again when it has regrown.

I wonder what the material was that your beautiful assistant used and what the longer term result was?

Araldite - epoxy may indeed do better than CA. I am unsure if it is the nature of the glue or simply the covering of nail that is the problem...

I would love to play steel string but it just isn't going to happen.

Dave

[blackalex1952]

A friend of mine swears by apple cider vinegar. She soaks her nails in it nightly. Gelatine is good in the diet as well, consulting a naturopath might be a way to go, perhaps get a hair analysis to check for mineral and nutrient deficiencies. As for steel strings, the nails only serve to back up the finger pads, so are shorter than for classical playing, IMHO.Acoustic steel strings can very effectively be played with a plectrum, particularly if the Gypsy Jazz style of downpicking is learned.

[kiwigeo]

Quite a few classical players (including myself) use the callouses at side of the nail rather than the nails themselves. My nails are pretty well pared back to the finger tips and I never have to worry about breaking them.

[DarwinStrings]

I wonder what the material was that your beautiful assistant used and what the longer term result was?


Dave

I asked and he said it was acrylic, I sniffed a bit of off cut and only got a faint sniff of solvent as it dried pretty fast. I didn't see him mix it so it may have been a one pot and I have not seen a product quite like it before. It had a texture sort of like a "Redskin" in the midday sun when it was applied

So far am very happy using the fake nail and considering a full set. I reckon you could work out how to DIY with the right products but at $5 a pop I'll just get them to do it.

Yep Martin, maybe that's a better choice for me (cause I seem to break them a lot) and I have used pad only before but for now I am in fingernail mode. Also I have never owned a nylon, can't say much about them then can I other than that I do like the sound of them and have my first nylon half built