Need a head stock chip fixing

sherpa_man

Anybody out there can do it? I want it looking like it was never there. Collectors edition guitar.

small chip in a Gibson head stock, on the corner.

fretfinder

sherpa_man said: I want it looking like it was never there. Collectors edition guitar.

small chip in a Gibson head stock, on the corner.

Nothing wrong with a bit of good honest wear and tear is there, why do you want to hide it?

There’s some talented folks on here though, someone will probably be able to do some near-invisible mending.

ICBM

Calling @SteveRobinson.... not too far from you I don't think.

sherpa_man

It’s going into the loft :-)

not a player this one

sweepy

NEVER, I repeat NEVER store a guitar in the loft ! You might as well feed it into a wood chipper 

sherpa_man

It’s a converted loft that’s temp controlled 

it’s no problem 

Wolfetone

When I get a ding or a chip my OCD kicks in so I have developed a knack for doing these. I do the following on my polyester finished guitars.

If the chip is down to the wood, you'll have to get some water colour and mix up a match for the base coat. The next step is to break out the superglue and drop fill layer by layer until the hardened super glue is standing proud. It's vital that you put on the bare minimum as big dollops of glue don't go off and will also run. Make sure that the lighting is excellent and the guitar is angled so the repair area is flat. I leave the last layer of glue overnight to fully harden. When it does harden, it's like polyester.

The next step is to mask the damaged area with a thin masking tape. Also, think very carefully about the angles and edges. break out the Stanley blade and start scraping the proud glue back to the level of the tape. You can wet the area to see how you're getting on. 

The next step is to use a 1200 flatting paper and a small bowl of diluted washing liquid. VERY carefully draw they paper across the nearly flat glue. Be very careful of any edges as the pressure of the paper on edges will rapidly tear through the paint at these points.

I finish with Brasso and then polish.

Works for me anyway!

zepp76

sherpa_man said:

It’s going into the loft :-)

not a player this one

How can a guitar not be a player? Surely that's the whole point to it! What guitar is it? If it's that special I'd love to see a photo or two.

sherpa_man

It’s a pearly gates 

skunkwerx

zepp76 said:

sherpa_man said:

It’s going into the loft :-)

not a player this one

How can a guitar not be a player? Surely that's the whole point to it! What guitar is it? If it's that special I'd love to see a photo or two.

I can see the appeal with collecting stuff and keeping it mint as can be for a long time period.. 


But. 

One day I’ll be too old, immobilised, hospitalised or just plain dead. 
Could be tomorrow. 

I’d deffo play them to buggary!

WezV

Wolfetone said:

When I get a ding or a chip my OCD kicks in so I have developed a knack for doing these. I do the following on my polyester finished guitars.

If the chip is down to the wood, you'll have to get some water colour and mix up a match for the base coat. The next step is to break out the superglue and drop fill layer by layer until the hardened super glue is standing proud. It's vital that you put on the bare minimum as big dollops of glue don't go off and will also run. Make sure that the lighting is excellent and the guitar is angled so the repair area is flat. I leave the last layer of glue overnight to fully harden. When it does harden, it's like polyester.

The next step is to mask the damaged area with a thin masking tape. Also, think very carefully about the angles and edges. break out the Stanley blade and start scraping the proud glue back to the level of the tape. You can wet the area to see how you're getting on. 

The next step is to use a 1200 flatting paper and a small bowl of diluted washing liquid. VERY carefully draw they paper across the nearly flat glue. Be very careful of any edges as the pressure of the paper on edges will rapidly tear through the paint at these points.

I finish with Brasso and then polish.

Works for me anyway!

Good technique but superglue is the wrong medium for a nitro finish.  It will become obvious as the lacquer shrinks but the fill doesn’t.

You can do the same thing with nitro, it just takes a lot longer 

ICBM

It would be a real shame not to play a guitar like that. You can still look after it, and it’s worth repairing a nasty chip, but don’t hide it away.