Glue Properties for Traditional Acoustic Guitar Repair
© Frank Ford, 1998

Remember, these are opinions


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Epoxy

Cyanoacrylate
         
Heat Resistance

high

low

low to med.

high

Gap Filling

no

no

best

good

Water Cleanup

best

good

no

no

Affect on finish

no

no

sticks

eats

Tendency to Creep

no

yes

varies

no

Runs into cracks

good

poor

worst

best

         
Fingerboard

best

OK

OK*

OK*

Bridge

best

good

OK*

OK*

Top Braces

best

good

OK*

OK*

Back Braces

good

best

OK*

OK*

Dovetail

good

good

NO**

NO**

Crack repair

best

good

for open gaps only

very tight cracks

Deep Finish Fill

no

no

good

good

Headstock crack

good

no

OK

good

Inlay

no

no

good

best

* The solvents in cyanoacrylate and those needed to clean up cyanoacrylate and epoxy are destructive to traditional lacquer, varnish and shellac finishes, making these glues poor choices for many applications. Most epoxy loses strength at the temperatures reached in hot parked cars, so it may not be the best choice for highly stressed applications around the bridge and neck.

** These glues make it impossible to disassemble dovetail neck joints!

Check out the Hide Glue Info page.

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