please help me with a Tough finish fix

[Craig Anderson]

I have a finish issue on a neck body joint.  As I sanded the joint for a reset (loosened the neck bolts and sanded the joint insitu) some finish pulled away at the edge of the heel.  I put thin super glue on a piece of plastic bag and slipped it under the

edge hoping it would wick into the gap.  It didn't.  Now What?  I also have a chip I filled where the fret end is.  I wicked super glue into it and it left a ring around the perimeter of the chip that didn't get filled! Now what?

Any help would be appriciated.
Thanks,
Craig

[Paul Breen]

I'm assuming your dealing with poly or the like? The neck chipping should be done with the neck loose or you risk super gluing the neck to the body. The chip at the fret needs to be removed and re-done.

Is it just the picture or are those frets real flat and very low?

[Craig Anderson]

Yes, it is 2 part poly.

The neck was loosened from the body by loosening the neck joint bolts. With the fingerboard extension still attached to the body the neck was then tipped up and the heel moved away from the body. Sandpaper was then inserted between the body and the heel and the paper was drawn along the joint. In this way the heel was sanded down and the neck angle corrected. The separation occurred as the paper was drawn through the joint. This is the first time this has happened to me while doing this repair.

I then loosened the joint again, stuck some plastic under the heel joint to protect the body, put a small dab of very thin super glue onto the plastic, opened the joint, placed the dab beneath the chip then closed the joint onto the dab of glue. It soaked into part of the joint but left half untouched..... ooops, now what?

I guess it's the picture making the frets look flat and low. They are new and barely filed down at all.

[Paul Breen]

You need to loosen the bolts and block or shim the neck away from the body as best you can and then drop fill the chip. If the sheet plastic guard is touching that area it will wick the CA away. It's a fussy bit of work but you have little other recourse without detaching the neck extension.

Small as the chip is and given the location, I might opt for lacquer for the repair.

[Craig Anderson]

Yes, that sounds like a good approach. I guess if I can't get it right that way I will remove the neck altogether and work it from there.
Thanks for your insights!.

[Greg Mirken]

Is the finish just lifted from the heel, or is a chip missing? If it's just lifted, try again with the heel away from the body, body protected, and a small drop of thin CA on the tip of a toothpick. Be glad it's a gloss neck; I have an awful time hiding a repair on satin.

[Craig Anderson]

Well, I ended up removing the neck from the body. Nothing was getting into the chip. It will be easier to work on this way and I'm sure it will be OK in the end. Thanks so much for your advice and giving me the benefit of your experience.
Best,
Craig