Glue Properties for Traditional Acoustic Guitar Repair
© Frank Ford, 1998
Remember, these are opinions
| Hide (hot) |
White/ Yellow |
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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