Glue advise

86kubicki · Post by **86kubicki** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 5:15 am

I recently purchased a used 360 that looks like it had the nut re-glued. The nut itself is a bit skewed so that it overhangs the neck a bit on the bass side and doesn't come flush with the fretboard on the treble side. I can see a bit of glue residue on the bass side binding while there's a bit of finish gone on the treble side headstock.

Aside from repairing the finish chip, my big concern is repositioning the nut. I'm wondering Paul, if some sort of superglue has been used to re-affix the nut, is there a safe method to loosen the nut?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 5:51 am

Looks like superglue to me, and this is the reason why JH and others have cautioned against using superglue--that finish chip on the treble side is heartbreaking and not too well repaired...

Titebond is the best adhesive to fasten nuts into place, as all you want to do is immobilize the nut. The strings do most of the work. You must wait a couple of hours for the Titebond to grab, and it needs to be applied to clean surfaces that are slightly roughed up for best grab.

This nut can be tapped off without removing the TRC. Strings loosened and pushed to the side, take a small wooden block and place it on the body side of the nut (as opposed to the headstock or TRC side). Give it a light tap with a hammer, screwdriver handle, anything hard. Even if it's superglued into place, it should pop right off.

Then, clean it off, rough the nut and mating area a bit, and reglue. A nut slot file helps. Thee are available from Stew Mac.

paulv63 · Post by **paulv63** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:04 am

Hey, A StewMac plug from Paul! How dare you!!!

86kubicki · Post by **86kubicki** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:08 am

Thanks Paul - great advice as always!
P.S. I just looked at the my thread title - "Glue advise"??? Yeesh...

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:56 am

I don't buy paint supples from StewMac. Other stuff, especially tools, it's hard to avoid...they're the Walmart of luthier stuff, but their prices are Nordstrom...

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 11:09 am

Paul: slightly off-topic, but a glue question nonetheless---on vintage Rickenbacker case with a broken plastic handle, what would be the best adhesive to use that would mend the handle back as one piece? The handle is actually split cleanly on one side right above where it swings back and forth, and it would be an all plastic surface-to-surface bond......thanks.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:07 pm

The plastic handles, are, unfortunately, made of one of the ethylenes and are not solvent-bondable. Neither will super glue work to bond these plastics together. If it were a leather handle, well, piece o' cake for a cobbler (they still have those somewhere, don't they?).

Saving the case and keeping the original handle functional and looking good, are not possible, I'm afrid. But new handles can be bought from luggage shops, and rivets can be drilled out and easily replaced. I'd call around and see if a luggage repair place can do the job. Chances are they could.

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 3:04 pm

Elderly sells some nice leather handles that will buckle onto the existing hardware. Although in the past I obtained case hardware from RIC, through my local dealer, for a damaged latch. It was the exact part complete with new rivets. That way the case stayed original.

Elderly Handle