Crack repair

[DaveW]

Does anyone know how to make a crack in wandoo disappear ?
Im building a deep bodied OM out of wando and a crack appeared,it isnt bad as it doesnt go through to the inside
I dont think CA and sanding will do it as the wood is so light
will I just have to live with it ?

[DaveW]

a picture of the offending crack
IMG_0691.jpg

[nnickusa]

Can't see your pic. Did you use the File add thingy?

[DaveW]

Yes I used the add file thingy but it doesnt seem to work for me
any hints?

[nnickusa]

Look in the tutorials section under Allen. He's got a tute up there for the posting of pix. Gotta be small but.....

[DaveW]

cheers

[DaveW]

Hmm
I dont have the "Upload Picture " box
got all the other boxes but not that one??

[auscab]

Hi Dave, and Nick ,
I was looking at that tute and was going to suggest it but my view of those instructions is different, Allen did that in 2008, so things may have changed or my computer is showing it different.

I have a Filename section, and below that a

File comment section below where I am typing this reply now

First I have to re size the picture so that it is less than 1200 x 1200 pixels in my pictures section of my computer

Then click the Browse tab in the Filename section, find the picture I re sized

Then click Add the file in the File comment section.

I think i explained that right , if the pixels number I gave is wrong , wait and you will get a message for the right size.

[auscab]

I just went through that whole tutorial , and 3/4 down the page is a picture Kim put up of a guitar signed by the Fab Four, I stopped and drooled at that for a while ,then went right down to the bottom of the page , it's all 2008 except the very last post by Markus dated June 8 2012 with a picture of what to look for when posting a picture.

[Allen]

Yes. That was a pretty old post and we did have heaps of people that were having trouble with the older version of the forum software. I suppose it could be updated for the newer version, but who's got the time?

As for crack repair, HHG is about the best there is for an invisible repair if the crack can be brought together. If it can't then a wedge of wood that matches grain and color slipped in the crack can do a marvelous job but with Wandoo getting that pattern to match might be a problem.

[charangohabsburg]

Yes. That was a pretty old post and we did have heaps of people that were having trouble with the older version of the forum software. I suppose it could be updated for the newer version, but who's got the time?

I've got no time but I "made some time" and have done something (it starts here with my post from earlier this year and continues with a second post). I hope it is good enough to suffice ANZLF Quality Standards.

[DaveW]

Hi Allen
excuse my ignorance but what is "HHG"
The crack is pretty well closed as unusual I cant see it on the inside
I did run CA along it and clamp when I first found it but it didnt alter it
Wandoo seems to be almost like glass its so brittle ,I couldnt plane it ,I could only sand it to thickness,when I was planing it seems to chip instead of shear ,and yes my planes are sharp.
hopefully the picture is attached this time
thanks for everyones assistance it was greatly appreciated
Dave

[charangohabsburg]

excuse my ignorance but what is "HHG"

Hilariously Huge Genius

Well, not really. It is more something like Hot Hide Glue

I have never touched a piece of wandoo, so I can not give any real advice and I am not sure if inserting a splint could be an option to hide the crack or not. Maybe wandoo is too brittle to do such a thing.

CA glue tends to darken most or all wood that is not already dark, while hide glue does not affect the colour at all.

File comment: Hopefully you can now see the picture
I was having size issues

Yes, I can see it.
Could you see (can you remember) which was the maximum size allowed?

[auscab]

Thanks for the link to your tute Markus ,I did not know how to do all the things pointed out. I see it's on the end of Allans one now, Good ,I will study it .
I just did a test to load a big picture and I got a message back saying no bigger than 1200 x 1200.

HHG , Its good glue like Allen says, and " if the crack can be brought together " is important.

If the crack had a bit of spring in it ,and would not come up tight, and you did not want to fill with the same timber.
You would require a glue with good gap filling properties , HHG is not good at doing that, it shrinks back a lot.

For good gap filling I use a two pack glue, Techniglue , and add colours to lighten what would be a dark crack. if the colour addition to the glue is not perfect then you have a second chance just before the finishing stage to tweak it with a colour job. I use a box of mainly oxide colours but also spirit colours. Mix up what is needed starting with the lightest colours mixed with shellac, and paint out the glue line then add the secondary colours then the missing bits of the natural swirls of the darker bits of grain, keep the shellac thin and pat each colour application flat before it drys , feather edging the edges . The more figure in the grain of the wood the easier it is to hide problems.

[DaveW]

Hi Markus,
sorry I didnt actually keep reducing it till it was usable and keep a record of the size
That picture was 29kb I only remembered about the size issue when I was having a play and another picture actually could be uploaded and that was about 79kb if I remember correctly,I cant be more specific
the crack has no spring in it as it seems to be only on the surface ,inside it isnt visible.
so I guess the only way is to try and fill and blend
the wandoo has some streaks of pinks and browns so I might be able to use that to my advantage
Dave

[simso]

That will pull up just fine to almost invisible, you need to seep the glue into the crack and clamp it up properly, that is tight but not too tight, I would then re-inforce that area internally with some cleats that have grain running in the opposite direction.

Coat of sealer and clear

End result should be practically invisible

[DaveW]

Hi Steve
it doesnt seem to pull up any tighter than what you see but I will take your advice and put some cleats on the inside to prevent it spreading
and maybe after final sanding etc it will look ok?????
not confident but optimistic
Dave

[Taffy Evans]

It's times like this when I think..."what inlay design could I use to cover this repair"? But I see its hard in that position. Good luck

[DaveW]

yes Taff That had crossed my mind

[matthew]

if it were a bass or a cello I'd reinforce the inside of the crack (even though you can't see it on the inside ) with a strip of good linen soaked in hide glue.

[P Bill]

if it were a bass or a cello I'd reinforce the inside of the crack (even though you can't see it on the inside ) with a strip of good linen soaked in hide glue.

I just setup a nice sounding Dolfin with fibreglass repairs on the outside of the lower bout ribs !