I got a really cool, interesting paperweight in the mail today.

VOLVO))) · June 23, 2012, 08:45:21 PM

That was probably a 1500+ dollar job... just sayin'.

Baxandall · June 23, 2012, 11:00:28 PM

That's a dead guitar imo. Just send it back. My Ripper is on the way this week or next btw.

RAGER · June 23, 2012, 11:20:40 PM

yeah no shit. $1100 guitar that needs a $1500 repair don't equate. Unless you just wanna learn on something. But I'd make no guarantees. if it plays great afterwards. 300-400 bucks. if it plays like ass afterwards, no charge cuz it didn't play at all before. At least it plays like ass now.

But what year is it?

edit* i reread the thread.

VOLVO))) · June 23, 2012, 11:54:10 PM

Imma make it live, you bet y'alls asses on that. It wont be crazy pretty, but it will play, and play well. It fits together pretty well. Im going to epoxy it, again (-shudder-) then clamp it tight, let it cure, then take a heat gun to it to see if I can get the old epoxy to mix with the new shit. Then... splines... then a new headstock cap, then probably some form of paint... i wish I had a paint booth...

James1214 · June 23, 2012, 11:59:26 PM

I've had a luck softening old epoxy for removal from poorly repaired cabinet doirs with MEK (nasty fuckin stuff) and a brass bristled brush before. the MEK will destroy the finish on the guitar for sure but worth a try if u can get hold of some. at the very least you can reduce the amount of epoxy to something more manageable.

VOLVO))) · June 24, 2012, 12:14:51 AM

See, my issue using solvents here is the inability to scrape out the epoxy. Unleas that shit just straight dissolves it into nothing?

Pissy · June 27, 2012, 07:45:09 AM

It breaks down the petroleum parts stuff into more subtle particles. The filler in the epoxy will remain, and it would need to get out somehow. Might turn to powder you can blow out with the air compressor. I would wonder about how it works on wood though. the wood will absorb the solvent and it might take a while to leech back out. If it doesn't get out of there, efforts to repair/refin will be futile.

Do you have an ultrasonic cleaner? once you get it to a point where your ready to make sure the surfaces are clean for putting back together (post epoxy removal) you might try dippng it into one of them with a straight Murphy's oil soap bath. I have one and I use it all the time, but there's always a water component in the bath, which I'd imagine is bad for what you need. Murphy's is good for wood though, right? Of course then you'll be tasked with removing the residue of the soap. I think Denatured alcohol would be ok here, then back to the air compressor, the alcohol is mild enough that the paint should be ok, and no residue.

DO NOT put any solvent into an ultrasonic cleaner. Fire will ensue.

bass sic · June 27, 2012, 10:00:03 AM

I'd be worried about the mek soaking in and fucking with the new epoxy down the road. It probably would break down the old epoxy though.

ryansummit · June 27, 2012, 10:33:19 AM

ive done a lot of restoration on furniture cabinets
never fine woodwork or guitars
so i did some research before jumping in(had to edit to make clear that i have no idea what im talking about as far as guitars go,i would slop gorrilla glue on, shoot it with finish nails, maybe one of those metal framing cleats with all the teeth, string,and get laughed at)
regular paint strippers like zipstrip are made to remove epoxy aswell
when its real fancy wood i use the citristrip and that seems milder(might be an illusion)
but it should soften the epoxy, depending on how long you leave it on it breaks down more layers
then solvent and a brush wil expose the wood grain
then neutralize x3, whatever route you take
if your planning to use a dowel or some kind of biscuit whatever i would make a small pilot hole so it can get underneath the top layer quicker and break it up from the inside (ultrasonic sounds like a better idea)
when i was doing epoxy concrete coatings over existing epoxy the proper prep for a good bond only involved scuffing up the existing so it wasn't shiny but thats concrete to be walked or driven on
not much tensile strngth issues to worry about
however you do it it will be a nasty battle scar of awesome

Pissy · June 27, 2012, 11:15:43 AM

You know what Jake, you might consider using this as an opportunity to go all Dan Erlwine and fashion a jig specifically intended to mock up both pieces for the purpose of kerfing out the bad swath of wood in favor of a genuine mahogany scab, fingered in. If you got that process done right, you'd probably be in the catbird seat for bringing the dead to life and turning many frowns upside down. Plenty of dudes have done what you see there and would be happy to send you their paperweights.

VOLVO))) · June 27, 2012, 11:50:43 AM

The hard part about that is the truss rod. Im not sure if I can remove it from the headstock end... thats totally doable if I can. If not... infinite pain. Hahaha. I have to strip the neck down to the joint where they scarfed in the headstock, orignally. anyways.

VOLVO))) · June 27, 2012, 02:32:58 PM

Tell philfinesse that he's lucky i love Husky. Ive hand scraped every inch of this tele neck with this knife.

Pissy · June 27, 2012, 02:57:52 PM

You guys and your newfangled old ways techniques.

I know he's looking fwd to it.