Can I use a cracked chunk for the body?

[LPBR]

A few days ago I came with a question about the use of a cracked chunk of wood for a guitar body. The idea was to cut off and dispose the crack section and then reglue the remaining parts with another piece of wood I have here but the idea was abandoned because the other piece is not big enough.



Anyway... I am still fixed in the idea of useing this cracked chunk because I don't want to dispose it or just forget it in a corner of my shop. I think I developed some kind of emotional binding to it. LoL!



I was thinking on what are the real issues in the use of a cracked chunk for a guitar body other than the aesthetics itself?

After cut the chunk it will remain with a 1/16" crack of aproximately 7 1/2" long. I was thinking about to "inject" some glue inside the crack to prevent it to continue opening although the wood seems to be dry enough and stable to me. Also I will apply a top anyway (and maybe a back) so the crack will virtually disappear.

Am I correct to imagine that the top will reinforce the whole set and help to estabilize the core?

What are your thoughts about this?

 

[kasu]

Shouldnt be a problem really if the wood is dry and you further stabilize it with a top. Hard to say without pictures. Will there be any string tension in the proximities of the crack? I think that would be the only cause for concern.

 

[LPBR]

Hi Kasu, that's what I thought! I am going to use it!

 

[hardangerfjol]

pics ?

 

[kasu]

Hi Kasu, that's what I thought! I am going to use it!

Well, once you bond with a piece of wood, theres no choice but to go with it.

 

[fatdaddypreacher]

it's hard to tell what you have without pics, but often a piece wood can be saved with minimal loss by following the crack pattern with a saw cut--or several--to remove crack and leave sufficient surfaces for reglueing for a temporary glue up. after that has set, you can then recut slowly and carefully following that line with a bandsaw, leaving the width of the kerf all you are removing, then reglueing back together. often the cut and repair can be made where you are the only one that knows it's there.

pics would help

 

[jkes01]

it's hard to tell what you have without pics, but often a piece wood can be saved with minimal loss by following the crack pattern with a saw cut--or several--to remove crack and leave sufficient surfaces for reglueing for a temporary glue up. after that has set, you can then recut slowly and carefully following that line with a bandsaw, leaving the width of the kerf all you are removing, then reglueing back together. often the cut and repair can be made where you are the only one that knows it's there.

pics would help

FDP, are the cut marks left by the bandsaw what help to hide the seam when glued up?

-John

 

[fatdaddypreacher]

perhaps i didn't explain well, but the plan is to do the 'temporary' glue up close enough to where there isn't any one part of it with a gap wider than the bandsaw kerf. this step is just a preliminary step allowing one final cut with the band saw. this joint doesn't have to be perfect, as it will only serve as a means to hold the two pieces together in order that another cut can be made when this one is set. if the joint is resonably tight, with no gaps wider that the bandsaw kerf, then the second and final cut can be made following this glue line, leaving the two boards with parallel surfaces which can then be glued back together. so i think the answer to your question would be, the saw cut is in fact the glue joint. hard to explain. perhaps i can do up a video, or some pics and post, although that sure ain't my strong points.

the more crooked the split is, the harder this is to pull off, incidently, as the joint will try to 'crawl' if the seam gets too crooked, but this is the best way to do this without ripping a parallel chunk out of the board and rish it being too narrow.

 

[jkes01]

I would watch it

 

[fatdaddypreacher]

i'll see if i can do something tomorrow, if that's not too late