GUITAR SHOP 101
Using Super Glue in Guitar Repair
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN LEVAN
S
uper glue plays an important role
in many types of guitar repair.
At our shop, we use it in dozens
of ways, but unless you understand its
properties and know how to handle it
safely, you can wind up in trouble in a
matter of seconds. Let’s spend some time
exploring super glue and ways to use it
effectively in common projects.
Some background. Super glue is
cyanoacrylate, a fast-acting adhesive
commonly referred to as CA glue. You’ll
find it marketed under various names—
Super Glue, Krazy Glue, Gorilla Glue,
Hot Stuff, etc.—and it’s widely used in
manufacturing, woodworking, medical,
dental, forensic, and automotive fields.
Super glue is basically an acrylic resin that
dries quickly.
Super glue is sold in various
thicknesses that range from “water thin”
to a thick gel. It’s important to choose
the correct thickness for a given project.
For example, thin and ultra-thin formulas
flow into tiny spaces and dry instantly,
which makes them useful for gluing in
a string nut or seating loose frets—two
applications we’ll examine in a moment.
A medium formula is great for
repairing fretboard cracks. Because it’s
thicker, it dries a little slower and this
gives you a bit more time to work when
you’re fixing split wood.
With the consistency of honey, the
thick gel formula works as a gap filler. We
also use it to repair chips in polyurethane
or UV-cured finishes. Thick super glue
can take up to five minutes to dry.
Typically super glue is clear, but
Stewart-MacDonald also offers it in both
black and transparent amber. We often
use these colored super glues in the shop
for touch-up projects.
Most super glue manufacturers also
sell a spray accelerant that makes drying
time nearly instantaneous. Photo 1 shows
different types of super glue, as well as
spray accelerant and applicator whip
tips—small, flexible, hollow extensions
that attach to the glue bottle’s nozzle.
96 PREMIER GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2016
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Safety first. When working on a
guitar, super glue can be your best friend
or worst enemy, so before we go any
further, let’s review the ba sic rules.
Always wear safety glasses when using
super glue. Early in my career I learned
the importance of eye protection: After
splashing glue in my eyes, I had to dash
to the emergency room. Don’t make
that mistake.
Never touch your face when you have
glue on your fingers. You can remove glue
from your fingers using super glue solvent
or fingernail polish remover.
Like water, super glue—especially the
thin formulas—will accumulate at the
lowest elevation, so always position the
guitar to prevent the glue from moving
away from where you apply it. For
example, when touching up the finish on
a guitar, make sure that area of the guitar
is level. If it’s tilted, the glue will run to
the lowest spot and create a mess.
Always have a cotton swab in your
hand, ready to remove excess glue. But
remember, you have to do this quickly
or otherwise the swab can stick to
the glue.
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