reg Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 Looking for some help please! Just taken in an old violin labelled G B de-Lorenzi. It had a small wing break and someone (grandpa) has tried to mend it with superglue, which seems to have sunk into the wood on both sides. To invisible mend it seems impossible unless we can dissolve the superglue somehow. We could scrape but will then obviously remove wood Any suggestions please Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marty Kasprzyk Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 There are super glue solvents sold in expensive small plastic bottles which will probably be banned in California soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
reg Posted July 27, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 Yes thank you. It is just that I am a bit wary of using a strong solvent like acetone Quote Link to post Share on other sites
duane88 Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 34 minutes ago, reg said: Yes thank you. It is just that I am a bit wary of using a strong solvent like acetone Shy of cutting the crack away and inlaying a small patch through or nearly through, that is about your only option. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jerry Lynn Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 If you are incredibly lucky, the crack was glued with hide at some point before CA was used. In that lucky circumstance, the protein glue acts as an insulator for the CA, sometimes you can do a controlled moistening the area and “peel” strips of CA out. Usually this only happens with center joints that have been glued with CA. But, you never know. The above suggestion for commercial debonder is good. If it is too agressive, you can incorporate a small amount of acetone into laponite for a weaker version. Good Luck! Jerry/other jerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FoxMitchell Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 Acetone on a cotton swab and a lot of time and patience will dissolve superglue, and depending on where and how careful you are, without harming the surrounding area. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Violadamore Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 4 hours ago, reg said: Yes thank you. It is just that I am a bit wary of using a strong solvent like acetone Sugar, it's nail polish remover, not MEK or something. You can buy it in the beauty section at Wal-Mart. Use it outdoors with a syringe or a cotton swab. The major problem is damaging the finish, if you get too bold in splashing it around, and having to retouch afterwards. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
duane88 Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 32 minutes ago, Violadamore said: Sugar, it's nail polish remover, not MEK or something. You can buy it in the beauty section at Wal-Mart. Use it outdoors with a syringe or a cotton swab. The major problem is damaging the finish, if you get too bold in splashing it around, and having to retouch afterwards. Well bless your heart, Darlin'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rue Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 2 hours ago, Violadamore said: Sugar, it's nail polish remover, not MEK or something. You can buy it in the beauty section at Wal-Mart. . .. 1 hour ago, duane88 said: Well bless your heart, Darlin'. Even I am comfortable using acetone - and that says a lot. I am just in the process of getting over my fear of superglue... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uguntde Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 I don't know how well Aceton works but I can confirm it is completely harmless. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
duane88 Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 1 hour ago, Rue said: Even I am comfortable using acetone - and that says a lot. I am just in the process of getting over my fear of superglue... Who was it who said that the difference between poison and cure is the dose? Even water can be dangerous used on the wrong varnish/instrument. The Darlin' was a repsonse to the Sugar, not meant in any other way than playful. Superglue is like sandpaper. It has gotten a bad reputation, but it is just another tool in the box that can be used in the right way at the right time. Have you ever heard Roy Quade tell his story about superglueing himself to the floor and having the solvent just out of reach? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Merkel Posted July 28, 2018 Report Share Posted July 28, 2018 11 hours ago, reg said: small wing break It'll never be under much stress, don't you think? What would happen if you used acetone or etc to dissolve the glue and clean it up some, align the crack while still wet, and let the remaining superglue hold the crack? Then finish as normal. If sg + acetone will cooperate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CSchabbon Posted July 28, 2018 Report Share Posted July 28, 2018 If the violin is a shitbox, please ignore my comment. If its worth anything, I would not use acetone, not cut away any original wood, not make a through patch, not glue the crack again with superglue. There are gel debonders for super glue, easily available on the internet. Or very strong wood stripper, the one that strips epoxy. Those substances can be applied from the inside, repeatedly every 30 or so minutes. After a day, or two, or maybe three, the crack will slowly open should it still be closed at this time. Important is not to stress the joint, once it breaks open its a disaster. Slowly work the gel from the inside through the crack and wipe immediate with cotton buds whatever gets through to the varnished side. As I said, that's a lot of work, but I have done it several times, and its so much better than cutting away original wood. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrRoadrash Posted July 28, 2018 Report Share Posted July 28, 2018 Medically you would use a petroleum product, in the US an ointment like Vaseline or aquaphor. This does dissolve the glue bond on skin rather gently but I'm not sure what effect it would have on the finish or wood compared to other products Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Violadamore Posted July 28, 2018 Report Share Posted July 28, 2018 9 hours ago, DrRoadrash said: Medically you would use a petroleum product, in the US an ointment like Vaseline This suggestion has more possibilities for tasteless and questionable humor than I know what to do with. Seriously, I'd be concerned that the petrolatum would invade the wood, and make the crack permanently unglueable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
reg Posted July 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2018 Thank you all - much appreciated Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Conor Russell Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 Be careful with nail polish remover. It can contain moisturisers and conditioners, that might make the wood hard to glue. Any chemist shop will sell ordinary acetone, and more cheaply too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Violadamore Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 5 hours ago, Conor Russell said: Be careful with nail polish remover. It can contain moisturisers and conditioners, that might make the wood hard to glue. Any chemist shop will sell ordinary acetone, and more cheaply too. I meant the "100% Acetone" variety only (which strips nail polish off in hurry, BTW), and only in generic packaging, not the 50% water and additives formulations, or name brands, which I consider a ripoff. Drug stores/pharmacies ("chemist") in the US will charge more than Wal-Mart (or its relatives, like Fred's or K-Mart). The acetone for removing nail polish is more pure than what you get in cans at the hardware store, and costs about the same (when you figure it out by volume). One expects that the people who frequent MN have the good sense to read ingredients on things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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