Aliphatic resin removal from old "repaired" cracks?

[Chaz Harris]

Anyone have any ideas? I have a beat up Guild D25 I got for $200 that I'm fixing up as a knockaround guitar; at some point it received a long side crack and a fairly clean crack on the edge of the top by the lower bout. 

Unfortunately, someone also gobbed some glue in both at some point, and in a fairly ugly way. I'd like to fix both back better, and I figure that I'll probably have to deal with more "repairs' like this in the future.

What are your favorite methods/products for stuff like this?

[Dave Richard]

White vinegar, mixed with water(50/50), will often soften water based glues, soften it enough to pick, brush, or somehow work the old glue out. There is a product called 'De-Glue-Goo'(Stewmac carries it), which is a gell form of vinegar, for this purpose.

[Chaz Harris]

Thanks, Dave. I might try some vinegar and a toothbrush today and see if I can clean some of it up.

[Alex Glasser]

hot water works sometimes.  some people add meat tenderizer to the hot water as well.  dave's vinegar mixture sounds good as well. the degloogoo works too.  just be patient and you'll do it!

[Mark Fogleman]

Slow and steady wins this race. Let the vinegar work for a few hours.  I soak a 2 pieces of damp cotton tee shirt material with straight white vinegar and cover ~3-4 inches of the outside and adjacent inside areas needing to be de-glued at a time.  A dental pick will get the stubborn stuff after scrubbing lightly with a toothbrush.  

[Chaz Harris]

Thanks for the extra info, Mark!

[Kerry Krishna]

  Dave Et Al'... If Glue De-Glue is really just jelled vinegar ,  (there must be something else to it) it is as easy as pie to make yourself, and I have done exactly this a few times.  Get an empty  plastic squeeze bootle of ketchup (maybe a north American thing eh?) and half fill with vinegar,  then add 2 tablespoons of  powdered Psyllium Husk to it and shake like mad for 40 seconds or so. Wait about 10 mins, and it is ready to apply. You want to have more of a thick slurry than a total gell though.

Psyllium Hush is a food thickener for folks who choke of liquids, and is 'also good for the bum' if you catch my meaning.

 This stuff works with many liquids to thicken them into gel.