Filling dents in a spruce guitar top

[Charlie Dunford]

I am new to this group so please excuse me if this is a FAQ.

 

I have a Hohner acoustic guitar with a composite spruce top that was badly treated by the previous owner.  He removed all of the finish from the top and created a bunch of dents and gouges in the process.  In order to refinish the top I need to fill the dents.  I don't think I can sand them out without sanding thru the top layer of the composite.  I am looking for a good way to fill these dents so they will not be visible after I refinish the top with lacquer.

 

This is not a great guitar and it has other visual defects so I don't need perfection, but I am looking for ideas.

 

Thanks in advance for your replys,

 

Charlie

[Greg Mirken]

Any opaque fill is going to look awful. Your best bet is to "drop fill" the dents. Let some lacquer sit out and thicken, then use that to fill the dents. Count on several layers, letting each application dry for a few days before adding another coat. Once you have built up to the surface let them sit for as long as you can stand it, because that thick coat is going to continue to shrink. Alternatively, you could use superglue to fill the dents. You won't have a shrinking problem, but you'll have to seal them with shellac before putting your lacquer on.

[Frank Ford]

" am looking for a good way to fill these dents so they will not be visible after I refinish the top with lacquer."

Plain and simple, it isn't possible. And I mean that literally - nobody can do it. That said, it may be possible to make the dents look "well attended-to."

Listen to Greg - his is good advise.

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

And please (if ever you give it a thought) dont' try to these dents until they are no more visible. That would thin the soundboard too much.

[Joshua Levin-Epstein]

You say that there is a combination of dents and gouges. You might be able to rase the dents (where no matrial has been lost) by applying steam. a damp cloth and the judicious application of an iron might do the trick. This only works because the finish is gone. I believe Frank has an article about this somewhere on frets.com. I could be wrong.

Where wood has been removed you'll need to fill as Greg suggests.

Joshua

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

"don't try to SAND" of course... sorry...

[Charlie Dunford]

First, thank you all for the rapid response to my question. This all sounds like good advise.

I have done drop fills before and that is what I would do as a default. The superglue idea is interesting and something I would like to experiment with. Sealing with shellac might darken the top a touch and that might help hide the repairs.

I have already steamed the top and that improved the situation but there are still a number of places where wood is gone.

At this point my plan is to do some testing of the superglue idea and then go with that method or do the lacquer drop fill method.

Thanks again for the help and for Frank Ford - thanks for setting up this network.

Charlie

[Jerry Ryan]

Charlie:

In the tips section of frets.com there is a description of how to heat & bend a razor blade to gouge out shavings of spruce and matching gouge from the soundboard. Trick is to make the new piece just a smidgen taller, but the same shape. I used this a few times, glued with hide glue, used a chisel and razor to scrape. With a little practice and lining up wood-grain you can almost make gouges disappear.

Jerry

[Charlie Dunford]

Jerry,

I tried to find this discussion in the tips section but could not. Turns out its in the Items for luthiers/repair technique/structural/filling holes in spruce. This is a great article and loaded with lots of good photos. This could be the best answer to my problem. I'll have to do some experimenting/practise.

Thanks,
Charlie

[Jerry Ryan]

Charlie,

2 things I learned. 1. PRACTICE on something else first. Including adding finish to see the results. 2. Reserve this for major gouges. You can make things worse.

One thought I didn't try...but will. Take the shaving of replacement wood from under the pickguard. The age and wood will match the rest of the soundboard.

Jerry