Official Luthiers Forum!

Can anyone offer me advice on how to best deal with this crack in the back of a new wenge build. I suspect a sudden drop in humidity caused it. It appears to start at the waist and continue for about 5 or 6 inches.

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Under Compensated Nut!

If you put a clamp across it will it close up?
I'm working on my first acoustic build right now, so take that for what it's worth.
But I've done repair work for about 14 years.
If you can stretch a clamp over the waist and it will close, squeeze some glue in there and clamp 'er down.
It would be a good idea to put a few cleats on the back side(interior) of that crack, but that probably won't look all that great. If it's far enough back I'd definitely do it.
If it is a personal build, I would do it in a heartbeat. Don't like closing cracks with out reinforcing them in some way.
If it is for a client, I don't know what to tell you, but I'm sure several builders here have repaired something like that before and will know what to do.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

That looks pretty wide at one end. If it's still around 1/16" after re-hydration, I'd put a splint in there. Hard to tell from the pic.

Brent

Vertical grained Wenge does seem to split very easily, but a well made splint might go undetected.

In this neighborhood wenge is sometimes called 'African Crack Wood', and many builders seem to avoid it.

That’s not a crack. (Use your best Paul Logan voice)



Now THAT’S a crack!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ouch?

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

I'm afraid that looks to wide to just clamp up and get away with it. A wenge guitar needs to be built in a dry shop. Fwiw I fill with CA thinking that will help with wenges crack issues.

Robbie O'Briens new tips du Jour might be worth a look.