Happy with your splint method?

[David Farmer]

I have done some splinting. but never quite the same way twice and never with that feeling of having it completely figured out.

I have one on the bench and am determined to come up with a repeatable system this time.

Anyone care to share a method they are pleased with?

Has anyone  compressed the tapers of splint or crack? With a tapered tool?

[Mike Kolb]

Just a "me too" to what David's saying... I seem to use a different method every time, and (like David said) always have the feeling of not figuring it out 100%.  Perhaps it depends more upon the individual crack itself, the length of it, the amount if separation, whether or not the sides are level with each other, etc?  

That being said, the cracks get repaired and the customer's usually happy... but a level of consistency in the methodology would be satisfying.  

[nathan clark]

Here's my routine:

http://fingerlakesguitarrepair.com/splint-martin-top-crack/

I use wood glue on any guitar with a lacquer or shellac finish.  Although CA works fine with a tight-fitting splint if its' a modern guitar with a finish that won't be harmed by an acetone "mop-up".

I will spot scrap the splint with a razor blade bent and given a burr with a screw-driver to sneak up on a good fit in spots where the sanding alone didn't achieve a good fit.

I shy away from compressing the splint because it can raise the edge of the cracks.

If you don't cleate the crack first, splinting can raise the top at the edge of the cracks.  

You can make the splints flat sawn (as in my article) or quarter sawn.  I've done it both ways and appearance wise, it doesn't make much of a difference on your average crack.

[David Farmer]

Thanks Nathan,

I appreciate your photo stories on your sight. It's a lot of work to put something like that together.

I thought about cleating first but was afraid of having to clean the glue from the cleats out of the crack.

I had good luck tapering and fitting the splint using a sanding block pulling it as you show using your fingers.

I am thinking of trying a caul with a thin table saw groove in it to keep the sides aligned during glue up.

I'm hoping that will let me slide the splint in until its tight and then flush it on the inside prior to cleating.

What do you think?

I'm planning on using CA for the finish on this Taylor.

Getting the splint lower than the finish on the sides seems like a challenge too.

I'm thinking of using this tight radiused scraper to scrape a swale that just gets into the poly on either side and then filling the swale with CA.

Thoughts anyone?

[nathan clark]

"I am thinking of trying a caul with a thin table saw groove in it to keep the sides aligned during glue up.

I'm hoping that will let me slide the splint in until its tight and then flush it on the inside prior to cleating.

What do you think?"

I've never done it that way so I don't know if it would work.  Please do let us know how it goes.

I like your photos btw.

Be careful with that green tape.  It can have a chemical reaction with lacquer if you leave it attached to a guitar long enough.  Some blue tapes and automotive pin-striping tapes will do this too.

[David Farmer]

 The spline glue up came out well.

.I was easily able to flush the wood within the finish film without a step.

Thanks for the warning Nathan. That's the supper sticky stuff. I don't use it un Instrument surfaces.

 Anyone use Potassium permanganate to oxidize a splint?

[Robbie Collins]

Here's a video of Mamie Minch demonstrating how she bleaches wood and ages wood.

http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Trade_Secrets/Mamie_Minch_on_guitar_o...

[David Farmer]

Thanks Robbie,

That's where I got the Idea from.

I got a little ziplock of some from my local tropical fish store and it worked really well.

I'll post some more pics of the completed job when I have a bit more time.

[John]

I use feeler guages for small scrapers. To get the tapered spline I clamp 2 of them in a V shape in a vise and draw my spline material through it. It (the spline) needs to be a couple inches longer than needed so you have something to hold on to but it's the best method I've come up with so far.

[nathan clark]

Nice work!