First Crack At It
Moderator: jingle_jangle
First Crack At It
Curmudge: I am interested in knowing what should be done when a finish crack is first noticed in a relatively new conversion varnish finish. Should one proceed to seal it as soon as possible using the nail polish approach?
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
-
jingle_jangle
- RRF Moderator
- Posts: 22679
- Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 6:00 am
- Contact:
Is the crack caused by temperature shock or is it stress?
Let the guitar stabilize and seal it if the former. If the latter, there's something wrong structurally. Is it on a body joint or the body/neck joint? Possibly a loosened or broken joint; in this case the crack is a surface indication of something deeper.
Clear nail polish is OK as a sealant of small cracks. It can be carefully sanded after it's hard, with #2000 paper and a bit of Windex, and then buffed out with Perfect-It III or equivalent until it is undetectable. The same can be done with gap-filling super glue, except it's a bit trickier to handle and harder to sand.
Finish cracks nearly always go down to the wood, and if dirt gets in there (and it will) it also means that moisture is getting in there. This is how finishes begin to peel.
Let the guitar stabilize and seal it if the former. If the latter, there's something wrong structurally. Is it on a body joint or the body/neck joint? Possibly a loosened or broken joint; in this case the crack is a surface indication of something deeper.
Clear nail polish is OK as a sealant of small cracks. It can be carefully sanded after it's hard, with #2000 paper and a bit of Windex, and then buffed out with Perfect-It III or equivalent until it is undetectable. The same can be done with gap-filling super glue, except it's a bit trickier to handle and harder to sand.
Finish cracks nearly always go down to the wood, and if dirt gets in there (and it will) it also means that moisture is getting in there. This is how finishes begin to peel.
“I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did.”
― Kurt Vonnegut
― Kurt Vonnegut