Oud Neck Repair

[Stilts]

Hi all,

Has anyone on here had any experience with building/repairing ouds? I've got one with a neck snapped clean off (pics provided) that I'm a little hesitant of just diving into. Any tips on securing a snug and stable fit again?

Thanks

[kiwigeo]

I've built a lute. The neck/body join is a simple scarf joint reinforced with a dirty big wood screw running through the neck block.

Looks like your Oud has a neck tenon that fits into a mortise in the neck block. The neck tenon appears to have simply pulled out of the mortise and taken some of the wood fibres off the neck block with it.

Options:

1. Without touching the torn wood fibres on the neck tenon or mortise I'd try and refit the neck. If it fits ok then refit using hot hide glue.
2. If 2 doesn't work then things start getting tricky. Id look at cleaning up the torn fibres from the neck tenon and then doing a repair job on the neck mortise.....the latter will be the tricky part.

[Allen]

I'm with Martin on this one. About the only options I could think of.

Must say that those two pictures are top notch in showing the details of the repair required.

[kiwigeo]

Ive found this forum really useful for lute and Oud builders/repairers: http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/

[kiwigeo]

This site also useful: http://www.droud.com/repairs.html

[Stilts]

Thanks heaps guys, I'll give those sites a read over when I have the time

[Stilts]

So I removed the triangle embellishment at the neck join to keep it intact while repairing, and it turns out that the neck block is just toast around the mortise area. Looks like this was the main cause of the breakage.
I'm looking at replacing this section of it with a nice sturdy piece of wenge I have laying around, and then doing a reset with some dowel. Bit of work involved, but hopefully it'll get the join strong again

[kiwigeo]

Replacing the neck block is going involve lifting if the forward section of top? Have they used hide glue on this instrument?

For extra insurance you could put a couple of long wood screws through from the back of the neck block into the neck shaft as well as having the dowel tenon.

[Stilts]

The section of the block where the neck was attached looked like it was water damaged - it was rather brittle with rot lines through it. The glue appears to be a titebond style of yellow glue.

Before I go through the effort of trying to remove the rather hardy poly finish and separate the top to access the neck block, I've just taken the damaged area out and plan to add in a new hardwood piece after stabilising the surrounding material with some epoxy. Hopefully that gets somewhere, if not then I suppose the real fun begins...