Ukulele Rescue: Fixing a crack howto

Repair a simple cracked open seam with hot hide glue using percussion technique. Will work for any wooden string instrument. And, yes, I misspoke and should have said "the two halves of the top" or more correctly "the two halves of the back" ...in any event: it made a sickening noise when it suddenly started to crack apart shortly after I rested it on a shelf. It was a new instrument and was probably constructed in a high-humidity shop somewhere in the tropics.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• ukulele
• repair
• uke
• hawaiian
• aloha
• Pelehonuamea

[BigDDe]

My acoustic is chipped a little about in inch long millimeter wide on it's top..................Should I use this technique?

Don't want it to get worse

[kd5txo]

@BigDDe just be sure to re-hydrate the instrument ....place several apple slices or a moist sponge in the case... or even enclose the instrument in a plastic bag with the aforementioned items.... this will swell the crack closed then do the gluing and keep it hydrated for a couple of days afterward to let the glue dry.

[yoheff988]

Aren’t you suppose to swell the wood first (so the wood will be in it’s original state), and then glue the crack, It’s more logical isn’t it?

What you are doing is just using glue as a filler, and the opening remain visible.

(NOT VERY ATTRACTIVE)

[kd5txo]

@yoheff988 ....Yes, I mentioned the cause of the crack due to drying. The instrument was re-hydrated with a humidifier till one could not see any light shining through the crack. Then the repair with the glue. This is why tapping is required to force glue down into the crack...preheating the wood near the crack with a hair dryer also can help to keep the glue liquid (ungelled) until it is wicked down into the crack too. keep the instrument thoroughly hydrated for 24 hours after the gluing.

[00Empty00Cup00]

Thanks so much for this video. I thought I was going to have to shell out a lot of money for a big repair job when my acoustic guitar developed a hairline crack in the top. But I re-hydrated it for a few days and used the technique you demonstrate here. Worked like a charm. Thanks a million!

[kd5txo]

@00Empty00Cup00 I'm glad it worked for you and you are getting some more life out of your guitar. I guess the hardest part is getting small amounts of the old-fashioned animal hide glue to make the repair.

[gthomas007]

I noticed where Rockler carries a product called "Titebond Liquid Hide Glue" they claim you don't had to mix or heat it prior to applying. Have anyone given it a try I am curious if the results will be the same.

[00Empty00Cup00]

@kd5txo BTW, Lee Valley Tools (an excellent source for all kinds of woodworking stuff) has granular and pearl hide glue at quite reasonable prices. They ship all over the world.

[00Empty00Cup00]

BTW, Lee Valley Tools (an excellent source for all kinds of woodworking stuff) has granular and pearl hide glue at quite a reasonable price.

[fijivolpe]

Thank you this has helped me to repair an old Duke Kahanamoku ukulele (-: