Twisted Rope Clamping
© Frank Ford, 10/1/98; Photos by FF, 9/12/98
I've injected some hot hide glue into the loose neck joint of this Gibson ES-125T, and am beginning to clamp it up:
The neck joint was so slightly loose that it seemed reasonable to simply inject some hide glue instead of steaming the neck out and going to the expense and work of refitting the joint. Chances are, this new glue will hold things quite well, and the hide glue won't interfere with future work on the joint, if it becomes necessary.
In order to get a little extra backward pull to make the joint draw back securely, I'll just loop some lightweight rope around the end pin, and tie it to a clamp on the peghead:
I have some padded cauls on the peghead to avoid damage to the finish, and so that I can crank the clamp really tight. With the rope tied to the top of the clamp, I can get some serious leverage when I tighten the rope.
In order to pull the neck back as hard as I like, all I have to do is jam a screwdriver through between the two ropes and twist round and round:
If I pull the screwdriver down a little, the neck will keep it from untwisting as leave the clamps on overnight.
I use this little twisted rope trick on all kinds of instruments when I need some extra pull. The best part is the speed. When I'm working with hot hide glue, seconds really count, and this procedure goes fast.
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